Pisces constellation
Pisces (the Fishes) is a constellation in the northern sky, best seen in the evening in November. Its brightest star is Alpherg (magnitude 3.62). Pisces covers 889 square degrees and is the 14th-largest of the 88 constellations.
Free to use with credit: Atlas of the Sky (constellationmap.org), CC BY 4.0 · More
Embed this image on your website
How to find Pisces, step by step
The Circlet below the Great Square.
- Find the Great Square of Pegasus on an autumn evening.
- Just south of the square, below the line between Markab and Algenib, look for a faint ring of stars: the Circlet, the head of the western fish.
- From there a long chain of faint stars runs east along the bottom of the square to Alrescha, the knot of the cord that ties the two fish together. Pisces needs a dark sky.
Detailed star map of Pisces
Facts
| Latin name | Pisces (genitive: Piscium) |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | Psc |
| Meaning | the Fishes |
| Area | 889 square degrees (14th of 88) |
| Location | right ascension 0.6 h, declination +11° |
| Visible from | latitudes 84° N to 56° S (whole constellation) |
| Best month | November (at about 9 pm) |
| Brightest star | Alpherg |
| Stars brighter than magnitude 6 | 81 |
| Named stars (IAU) | 5 |
| Messier objects | M74 |
| Neighbors | Andromeda, Aquarius, Aries, Cetus, Pegasus, Triangulum |
How to find Pisces
From 40° N (the USA, southern Europe, Japan) look south in November evenings: at about 9 pm Pisces stands highest, around 61° above the southern horizon. From 35° S (Australia, South Africa, Argentina) it is highest in the north, about 44° above the horizon. The months before and after (October and December) are also good: then it is up a couple of hours earlier or later.
Pisces borders Andromeda, Aquarius, Aries, Cetus, Pegasus and Triangulum.
Stars of Pisces
Pisces has 81 stars brighter than magnitude 6, the limit of the naked eye under a dark sky. These are the brightest:
| Star | Designation | Magnitude | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpherg | η Piscium | 3.62 | G7IIIa | 271 ly |
| — | γ Piscium | 3.69 | G9-III:Fe-2 | — |
| — | ω Piscium | 4.01 | F4IV | — |
| — | ι Piscium | 4.13 | F7V | — |
| Torcular | ο Piscium | 4.26 | G8III | 260 ly |
| — | θ Piscium | 4.28 | K1III | — |
| — | ε Piscium | 4.28 | K0III | — |
| Alrescha | α Piscium | 4.33 | A0pSiSr | 151 ly |
| — | 30 Piscium | 4.41 | M3III | — |
| — | δ Piscium | 4.43 | K4IIIb | — |
| — | ν Piscium | 4.44 | K3IIIbBa0.1 | — |
| — | λ Piscium | 4.5 | A7V | — |
Deep-sky objects in Pisces
Pisces contains one object from Charles Messier's catalog:
- Phantom Galaxy (M74): spiral galaxy, 9.5 mag
Printable Pisces map and outline
A black and white version for printing and a plain outline of the Pisces figure, useful for school projects, worksheets and learning to recognize the shape.
History
Pisces is one of the 48 constellations listed by Ptolemy in the Almagest (2nd century AD). Its official boundary was drawn by Eugène Delporte for the International Astronomical Union in 1930.
Questions about Pisces
What is the brightest star in Pisces?
Alpherg, at magnitude 3.62, about 271 light-years away.
When can you see Pisces?
Pisces is best seen in the evening in November. The whole constellation is visible from latitudes between 84° N and 56° S.
How many stars are in Pisces?
81 stars in Pisces are brighter than magnitude 6 and can be seen with the naked eye under a dark sky; 5 of them have official IAU names.
What does Pisces mean?
Pisces means “the Fishes” in Latin. Its abbreviation is Psc and the genitive, used in star names such as η Piscium, is Piscium.
