A zodiac constellation in the southern
hemisphere, represented as a centaur aiming a
bow and arrow at neighbouring Scorpius. The
Sun passes through Sagittarius from mid-Dec
to mid-Jan, including the winter solstice,
when it is farthest south of the equator. The
constellation contains many nebulae and
globular clusters, and open star clusters.
Kaus Australis and Nunki are its brightest
stars. The centre of our Galaxy, the Milky
Way, is marked by the radio source
Sagittarius A. In astrology, the dates for
Sagittarius are between about 22 Nov and 21
Dec (see precession).