Teapot

The Teapot is an asterism, a star pattern that is not one of the 88 official constellations, made of eight stars in Sagittarius. Its brightest star is Kaus Australis (magnitude 1.85), and it is best seen in the evening in August.

Free to use with credit: Atlas of the Sky (constellationmap.org), CC BY 4.0 · More

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<a href="https://constellationmap.org/asterisms/teapot/"><img src="https://constellationmap.org/img/asterisms/teapot-star-map.png" alt="Teapot star map: the eight stars Kaus Australis, Nunki, Ascella, Kaus Media, Kaus Borealis, Alnasl, φ Sagittarii and τ Sagittarii connected by lines and labeled, with the surrounding constellations" width="800" height="800" loading="lazy"></a>
<br><small><a href="https://constellationmap.org/asterisms/teapot/">Teapot</a> · Atlas of the Sky (constellationmap.org), <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY 4.0</a></small>

How to use it

The center of the Milky Way lies just west of the spout, and on dark summer nights the Milky Way rises from it like steam.

How to find the Teapot

From 40° N (the USA, southern Europe, Japan) it is highest in the south, about 21° above the horizon, in August evenings. From 35° S (Australia, South Africa, Argentina) it reaches about 84° in the north.

Stars of the Teapot

Star	Designation	Magnitude	Distance	Constellation
Kaus Australis	ε Sagittarii	1.85	—	Sagittarius
Nunki	σ Sagittarii	2.02	228 ly	Sagittarius
Ascella	ζ Sagittarii	2.6	—	Sagittarius
Kaus Media	δ Sagittarii	2.7	416 ly	Sagittarius
Kaus Borealis	λ Sagittarii	2.81	84 ly	Sagittarius
Alnasl	γ2 Sagittarii	2.99	106 ly	Sagittarius
—	φ Sagittarii	3.17	—	Sagittarius
—	τ Sagittarii	3.32	—	Sagittarius

Questions about the Teapot

Is the Teapot a constellation?

No. The Teapot is an asterism: its stars belong to the constellation Sagittarius, one of the 88 constellations defined by the International Astronomical Union.

What is the brightest star of the Teapot?

Kaus Australis, with an apparent magnitude of 1.85.

When can I see the Teapot?

It is highest in the evening sky in August.