Sagittarius

Directly south from Vega and Altair and near the horizon we find the beautiful zodiac constellation Sagittarius. It is directly east from Scorpio. The main part of this constellation is composed of seven bright stars, six of which form two triangles both pointing downward and slightly eastward. These triangles may be imagined as suspended by a cord over the seventh star of the group, a little above and half way between them. A few other stars of this constellation are found northeastward from this group.

The stories of the Archer are very conflicting. We give the one accepted by the Greeks. The Archer is the famous Centaur Chiron, son of Saturn. He was famous for his knowledge of music, medicine, and shooting, and he taught
mankind the use of plants and herbs. He was slain by Hercules, according to Ovid, and Jupiter placed him among the stars.