Autumn square

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Pegasus constellation with autumn square

The autumn square is not an independent constellation , but a striking, square constellation of four bright stars of 2nd magnitude . The square consists of the stars Algenib , Scheat , Markab and Sirrah , the first three of which are the main stars of Pegasus . The autumn square can already be observed in the summer evening sky in the northeast and rises higher until the beginning of autumn until it is high in the southeast or south in October. It is about 20 ° north of the celestial equator .

Except for Sirrah, who belongs to the constellation Andromeda , all stars are members of the constellation Pegasus , so that the autumn square is also called the Pegasus square .

The northern side of this square continues to the left in the five-star row. Both terms were coined by Oswald Thomas in the 1920s and have established themselves in German-speaking amateur astronomy through his books and guided tours of the stars, continued by Hermann Mucke .

See also