Constellation
Represents the mythological hero, home to the Great Globular Cluster, one of the brightest globular clusters visible from the north.
| Type | Constellation |
|---|---|
| Area of sky | 1,225 sq° |
| Brightest star | Kornephoros |
| Brightest star magnitude | mag 2.81 |
| Hemisphere | Northern |
| Zodiac constellation | No |
| Discovered | 150 |
A constellation is a pattern drawn on the sky rather than a physical grouping: its stars are usually unrelated and sit at wildly different distances, just lined up as seen from Earth.
Hercules covers 1,225 square degrees of sky, which is 3.0 percent of the whole celestial sphere.
That makes it the 5th largest of the 88 constellations the International Astronomical Union recognises.
It sits in the northern sky.
Its brightest star reaches magnitude 2.81, bright enough to pick out with the naked eye under a dark sky.
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