Asterism

Some of the most imposing figures in the constellation are the bodies that make up the asterism the Northern Cross (and in the case of Deneb, one third of the Summer Triangle). Although Cygnus itself is sometimes referred to as the Northern Cross, much like Crux in the south is known as the Southern Cross, the constellations actually contain more stars than those forming the asterisms: the Northern Cross follows Cygnus’ shape, but appears as if the swan has had its wings ‘clipped’, as…

constellations in the sky. It was first catalogued by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century. The constellation was named after Pegasus, the winged horse in Greek mythology.The constellation is known for the Great Square of Pegasus, a familiar asterism in the northern sky, as well as for a number of bright stars and deep sky objects, among them Messier 15 (NGC 7078, Cumulo de Pegaso), Stephan’s Quintet of galaxies, the Einstein Cross (a gravitationally lensed quasar), and the unbarred…

Messier 81 also known as NGC 3031 or Bode's Galaxy) is a spiral galaxy about 12 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. Due to its proximity to Earth large size and active galactic nucleus] or supermassive black hole), Messier 81 has been studied extensively by professional astronomers. The galaxy's large size and relatively high brightness also make it a popular target for amateur astronomer. Messier 81 was first discovered by Johann Elert Bode in 1774.Consequently, the galaxy…