Pisces Constellation Astronomy
Astronomy hasn’t always been a science, it was at one time more closely connected to astrology than it currently is. But over time theories were tested and recorded by men who wanted answers. These were men such as Isaac Newton, who recognized that other stars are suns just like ours, Galileo who first used a telescope to gaze into the heavens, and even people as far back as Ptolemy who formulated the geocentric planetary system around 100 AD. Astronomy stretches to the ends of the endless universe. Therefore it becomes necessary to specialize in one small part of astronomy. This article will zero in on Pisces constellation astronomy.
As large as the universe is, isn’t a constellation too specialized a subject? A constellation isn’t just some figure in the night sky. Constellations are made up of a large number of interstellar objects like stars and galaxies. While we can’t see many stars in Pisces, we do see a very interesting galaxy. Galaxy NGC629, or M74, is a spiral galaxy like our own Milky Way, and we can see its facing side. That means we see it from the top, from a perspective that shows its spiral arms reaching out into space. That means we can tell it’s a spiral. Not with the naked eye, of course. Even with a hobbyist’s telescope it would look like a tiny, blurred spot. However, the spiral details come to life with a professional telescope.
When Pisces was first seen the sun didn’t take the same important path through it that it now takes. Pisces (Aries specifically) sees the sun pass through it, over the equator, as it makes its way north. This happens at the Vernal Equinox, the first day of spring for the Northern hemisphere of the planet. When the First Point of Aries was established in ancient times it was east of Pisces. But over the years it has moved west into Pisces. This movement of space objects in relation to Earth perspective is called precession. It happens, of course, because none of these objects are stationary, and neither is the Earth. Our sun and its home, the Milky Way galaxy move rapidly through the universe. The sun and solar system, for example, move at about 220 kilometers per second around the center of the galaxy. That’s about 1/250th of the way around in all of recorded history. Not only is the solar system moving, but so is the galaxy itself as well as every object in the night sky. The constellations have changed over time. Pisces and the First Point of Aries are a great example of this.
Pisces constellation astronomy is amazing, after all.
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