Equuleus constellation lies in the northern sky. Its name means “little horse” or “foal” in Latin.
The constellation is associated with several Greek myths, most notably the one about Hippe, the daughter of the centaur Chiron and the nymph Chariclo. The creator of the constellation is unknown, but Equuleus was introduced by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century.
Equuleus is a small, faint constellation with few notable deep sky objects and no stars brighter than fourth magnitude. It is sometimes also known as Equus Primus, or the First Horse, because it rises just before the constellation Pegasus.
FACTS, LOCATION & MAP
Equuleus is the second smallest constellation in the night sky, after Crux (the Southern Cross). It occupies only 72 square degrees.
The constellation is located in the fourth quadrant of the northern hemisphere (NQ4) and can be seen at latitudes between +90° and -80°. The neighboring constellations are Aquarius, Delphinus and Pegasus.
Equuleus does not have any stars brighter than magnitude 3.00 or located within 10 parsecs (32.6 light years) of Earth. The brightest star in the constellation is Kitalpha, Alpha Equulei. The nearest star, HD 200779, is 48.41 light years distant from Earth. Equuleus contains three stars with known exoplanets. HD 200964 (spectral class K0IV) has two planets, while WASP-90 (F6) and HAT-P-65 (G2) have one transiting planet each.
Equuleus does not contain any Messier objects. There are no meteor showers associated with the constellation. Equuleus belongs to the Heavenly Waters family, along with Carina, Columba, Delphinus, Eridanus, Piscis Austrinus, Puppis, Pyxis, and Vela.
MYTH
Equuleus, the foal, is usually associated with Hippe, the daughter of the centaur Chiron in Greek mythology. Hippe was seduced by Aeolus and became pregnant with his child. Too ashamed to tell her father, she hid the pregnancy from Chiron. She escaped to the mountains and stayed there until she gave birth to the child, named Melanippe.
When Chiron came looking for Hippe, she prayed to the gods that he doesn’t find her and they turned her into a mare. It was the goddess Artemis who placed Hippe among the constellations. She still appears to be hiding from Chiron, with only her head showing behind Pegasus. (Chiron is represented by the constellation Centaurus.)
Equuleus constellation is also sometimes associated with Celeris, a foal given as a present to Castor by Mercury. The name Celeris means “speed” or “swiftness.” The foal was either the brother or offspring of Pegasus, the famous winged horse, represented by the neighboring constellation.
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