Constellation Equuleus (Colt)
Date:
Northern Hemisphere
Autumn
Colt
Equuleus
With an area of 72 square degrees, the Colt (lat. Equuleus) is the second smallest constellation in the sky. Only one of its stars is brighter than the fourth magnitude. The Latin name means "foal".
How to spot Equuleus
Equuleus is best seen during autumn in the northern hemisphere. The four stars, visible to the naked eye, form a square representing the head of the young foal. Unobtrusively, it lies between the constellations Pegasus, Delphinus and Aquarius.
Mythology
According to Greek mythology, Poseidon created the world's first horse from the foam of the sea and called it Kyllaros. Later it was given to the twins Castor and Pollux and finally set as a constellation in the sky.
Another tradition tells about Hippe, the daughter of Centaurus Cheiron. When she was impregnated and afterwards left by a man, she fled shamefully into the mountains. There she gave birth to her daughter Melanippe, who later became Queen of the Amazons. Cheiron was desperately looking for the two, but Hippe did not want to be found and asked Artemis to turn her into a horse and put her into heaven. There she always hides so well, that only her head is recognizable.
Interesting Facts
Equuleus is one of the 48 ancient constellations described by Ptolemy. At that time, it was called the "head of the horse". The Arab astronomers entitled it "the first horse" because it rises in the sky before Pegasus.