Aquarius

AquariusAquarius, illumination from a book of hours, Italian, c. 1475; in the Pierpont Morgan Library, New York City (MS. G.14).

Aquarius, in astronomy, zodiacal constellation lying in the southern sky between Capricornus and Pisces, at about 22 hours right ascension and 10° south declination. It lacks striking features, the brightest star, Sadalmelik (Arabic for “the lucky stars of the king”), being of magnitude 3.0.

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AquariusAquarius (water bearer), watercolor and ink on paper, from a manuscript created in Ulm or Augsburg, Germany, c. 1464; in the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles.
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AquariusAstronomical chart showing a male figure holding an inverted bowl from which water flows, forming the constellation Aquarius; hand-colored etching by Sidney Hall from Urania's Mirror, 1825.

In astrology, Aquarius is the 11th sign of the zodiac, considered as governing the period from about January 20 to about February 18. Its representation as a man pouring a stream of water out of a jug came about, it has been suggested, because in ancient times the rising of Aquarius coincided in the Middle East with a period of floods and rain.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Mindy Johnston.
Citation Information
Article Title: Aquarius
Website Name: Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published: 27 October 2024
URL: https://www.britannica.comhttps://www.britannica.com/place/Aquarius-astronomy
Access Date: November 21, 2024