Pisces

Abbreviation: Psc
Genitive: Piscium
Right Ascension: 0.85 hours
Declination: 11.08 degrees

Pisces, the Fish, appears in the sky between October and December in the Northern Hemisphere, the circle of fishes lies just south of the 'Great Square' of Pegasus.

Pisces is considered the 'last' sign of the zodiac, as Aries is the first. It is a significant constellation today, in that the Vernal Equinox lies within Pisces today (so shouldn't Pisces be first?).

The original drawings of this constellation had the fish swimming together as a pair, today they are drawn facing in opposite directions tied by a cord which runs through Aries and Aquarius. The fish is an important symbol both in Christian and pagan religions. In early mythology (Babylonian) they appear pushing a giant egg out of the river Euphrates, from the egg emerged the goddess Atagartis. It is thought that she is the basis of a 'fish' cult, in which life is renewed each spring.

Aries had been the site of the vernal equinox for over 2000 years, until around 7 B.C. Pisces became the first constellation, a date co-incidentally that generally is accepted for the year that Jesus Christ was born. In that year, Jupiter and Saturn met, at the point marking the new Piscean equinox in the skies, making one exceptionally bright star which, in the winter months could have guided the Wise Men SW from Jerusalem to Bethlehem.

In astrology, Pisces is the water sign and is ruled by Neptune. Pisces is considered to be the most mystically inclined of all the signs, as the last of the twelve, it represents the return to the great ocean from which all life evolved, and where all boundaries are dissolved.

Bright Stars | Deep Sky | Other Deep Sky | Variable Stars | Double Stars

Best Known Stars

(Yale Bright Star Catalog)

Common Name or Bayer Number 1	RA	DEC	Magnitude 2
ETA PSC	1.00:31.00:29.01	+15.00:20.00:44.81	3.62
GAM PSC	23.00:17.00:9.94	+3.00:16.00:56.18	3.69
OMG PSC	23.00:59.00:18.70	+6.00:51.00:47.82	4.01
IOT PSC	23.00:39.00:57.04	+5.00:37.00:34.56	4.13
OMI PSC	1.00:45.00:23.62	+9.00:9.00:27.79	4.26
EPS PSC	1.00:2.00:56.61	+7.00:53.00:24.31	4.28
THE PSC	23.00:27.00:58.10	+6.00:22.00:44.24	4.28
30 PSC	0.00:1.00:57.63	-6.00:0.00:50.70	4.41
DEL PSC	0.00:48.00:40.95	+7.00:35.00:6.14	4.43
NU PSC	1.00:41.00:25.89	+5.00:29.00:15.29	4.44
LAM PSC	23.00:42.00:2.81	+1.00:46.00:48.16	4.50
TAU PSC	1.00:11.00:39.62	+30.00:5.00:22.70	4.51
BET PSC	23.00:3.00:52.61	+3.00:49.00:12.14	4.53
33 PSC	0.00:5.00:20.14	-5.00:42.00:27.41	4.61
XI PSC	1.00:53.00:33.34	+3.00:11.00:14.98	4.62
CHI PSC	1.00:11.00:27.21	+21.00:2.00:4.72	4.66
UPS PSC	1.00:19.00:27.99	+27.00:15.00:50.52	4.76
27 PSC	23.00:58.00:40.39	-3.00:33.00:21.58	4.86
KAP PSC	23.00:26.00:55.95	+1.00:15.00:20.07	4.94
64 PSC	0.00:48.00:58.70	+16.00:56.00:26.19	5.07
89 PSC	1.00:17.00:47.95	+3.00:36.00:51.89	5.16
ZET PSC	1.00:13.00:43.88	+7.00:34.00:31.16	5.24
41 PSC	0.00:20.00:35.86	+8.00:11.00:24.86	5.37
68 PSC	0.00:57.00:50.15	+28.00:59.00:31.93	5.42
20 PSC	23.00:47.00:56.54	-2.00:45.00:41.76	5.49
94 PSC	1.00:26.00:41.67	+19.00:14.00:25.36	5.50
PI PSC	1.00:37.00:5.92	+12.00:8.00:29.73	5.57
72 PSC	1.00:5.00:5.35	+14.00:56.00:46.04	5.68
44 PSC	0.00:25.00:24.21	+1.00:56.00:22.71	5.77
48 PSC	0.00:28.00:12.70	+16.00:26.00:42.16	6.06

Deep Sky Objects

(PAS Catalog)

M-74

For the amateur, very good conditions are needed to see more than this nucleus. But if they are given, suggestions of the magnificient spiral arms become apparent in telescopes starting at 4-inch.

Other Deep Sky Objects

(Saguaro Astronomy Club Catalog)

Only Objects less than 10.0 Mag.

Object	R.A.	Dec.	Object Type 3	Mag.	Uranometria	Tirion
NGC 628	01 36.6	+15 48	GALXY	09.4	173	10

Variable Stars

(General Catalog of Variable Stars)

Only Objects <= 8.0 magnitude

GCVS ID	R.A. (hh mm ss.ss)	Dec. (deg mm ss)	Variable Type 4	Mag. Min	Mag. Max
SZ Psc	23.00:10.00:50.60	+2.00:24.00:10.00	EA/DS/RS	7.72	7.18
TV Psc	0.00:25.00:26.30	+17.00:36.00:59.00	SR	5.42	4.65
TX Psc	23.00:43.00:50.10	+3.00:12.00:34.00	LB	5.20	4.79
UU Psc	0.00:12.00:24.10	+8.00:32.00:36.00	ELL/DW:	6.05	6.01
UZ Psc	1.00:43.00:4.40	+8.00:18.00:35.00	ACV	6.65	6.43
VX Psc	1.00:27.00:10.60	+18.00:5.00:52.00	DSCT	6.02	5.90
VY Psc	1.00:43.00:52.20	+17.00:9.00:48.00	DSCTC	6.59	6.54
WW Psc	0.00:57.00:14.00	+6.00:12.00:50.00	LB	6.11	5.97
WX Psc	1.00:3.00:48.00	+12.00:19.00:42.00	M	4.30	0.90
WZ Psc	2.00:3.00:33.60	+8.00:0.00:36.00	SR	6.38	6.20
XX Psc	0.00:44.00:34.80	+19.00:18.00:21.00	DSCTC:	0.04	6.13
XZ Psc	23.00:52.00:13.00	-0.00:10.00:7.00	LB	5.97	5.61
YY Psc	23.00:59.00:23.70	-6.00:17.00:31.00	LB:	4.41	4.31
AE Psc	1.00:28.00:59.90	+22.00:29.00:4.00	E	0.16	7.09
AG Psc	0.00:34.00:10.80	+14.00:57.00:24.00	BCEP	5.94	5.81
AP Psc	0.00:5.00:38.40	-2.00:43.00:34.00	EB/GS	6.30	6.10
AZ Psc	22.00:56.00:18.80	-0.00:35.00:3.00	RS:	7.50	7.32
BC Psc	0.00:2.00:46.50	-5.00:59.00:14.00	RS	0.08	4.61
BF Psc	1.00:29.00:13.70	+15.00:47.00:31.00	RS	0.02	7.81
BH Psc	23.00:56.00:57.50	-3.00:7.00:21.00	DSCTC	0.09	7.13
kap Psc	23.00:24.00:22.10	+0.00:58.00:54.00	ACV	4.95	4.87

Double Stars

(Saguaro Astronomy Club Catalog)

Only Objects <= 8.0 magnitude

Name	R.A. (hh mm.m)	Dec. (deg mm)	Mag 5	Sep 6	PA 7	Tirion	Uranometria
STF 12	00 14.9	08 49	6.1, 7.7	11.50	148	10/ 17	170/ 171
STF 61	00 49.9	27 42	6.3, 6.3	4.60	296	4	90/ 126/ 127
STF 88	01 05.7	21 28	5.6, 5.8	30.00	159	4	127
STF 90	01 05.8	04 55	6.8, 7.6	33.00	83	10	217
STF 98	01 12.9	32 04	7.0, 8.0	19.80	248	4	91
STF 100	01 13.7	07 34	5.6, 6.5	23.00	63	10	172
STF 138	01 36.0	07 38	7.7, 7.7	1.60	54	10	173
STF 202	02 02.1	02 46	4.3, 5.2	1.90	283	10	219