✧ Teapot The Teapot is an asterism in Sagittarius. ⢀⣀⡤• ⣠•⠤⣄⣀ ⢀⣀⡤⠖⠚⠉ ⠸⡄ ⣠⠴⠋⠁ ⠈⠉⣳·⠚⠉ ⢧ ·⠋⠁ ⢀⡴⠚⠁ ⠸⡄ ⠘⡆ ⣠⠖⠋ ⢧ ⢹⡀⢀⡴⠋⠁ ⠸⡄ •⣍⡀ •⠤⢤⣀⣀⡀ ⠉⠓⢦⣀ ⡇ ⠉⠉⠓⠒• ⠈⠙⠲⣄⡀ ⢸⠁ ⠉⠓⠦⣄ ⡼ ⠈⠙⠲⢤⡀ ⡇ ⠉⠓⠦⣄ ⢸⠁ ⠈⠙• Type Asterism Constellation Sagittarius Stars 8 More information about Teapot The constellation here is Sagittarius, drawn since antiquity as a centaur pulling back a bow. What the bright stars actually make is a teapot, complete with a lid, a handle and a spout, and the modern name has more or less replaced the archer in practice. Steam appears to rise from the spout, and that is the Milky Way at its thickest: looking this way means looking towards the centre of our own galaxy, which lies a few degrees off the end of the spout behind about 25,000 light years of dust. Etymology From English Reading the Teapot Literally a teapot The evolution of Teapot over time -50,000 years ⢠• Kaus Borealis ⡴⠁⠈⡆ ·⠤⣀⡀ ⢠⠎ ⠸⡄ ⠸⡀ ⠉⠑⠒⠤⣄⡀ ⡴⠁ ⢱ ⢧ ⠈⠉⠒⠦⣄⡀ Nunki ⢀⠜⠁ ⢣ ⠈⡆ ⠈•⠲⢤⣀ ⡠⠋ ⠈⣆ ⢹ ⠉⠒⠤⣀ ⢀⠜⠁ ⠘⡄ ⢇ ⠉⠒⠤⣠⠋ ⢱⡀ ⠘⡄ ⣠⠔⠊· ⢣ ⢱ ⢀⡠⠔⠉ ⠈⢆ ⢀⡄ ⢇ ⢀⡠⠒⠉ ⠘⡆ ⡠⠖⠁• Alnasl ⠘⡄ ⢀⠤⠚⠁ ⠸⡀ ⡠⠖⠉ ⢳ ⣀⠴⠊⠁ ⢳⠔⠋ Ascella •⣊⣀ ⡠⠃• Kaus Media ⠈⠉⠒⠲⠤⣀⣀ ⡴⠁ ⠈⠉⠒⠲⠤⣀⣀ ⡼⠁ ⠈⠉⠒⠢⠤⣀⡀ ⢀⠜ ⠈⠉⠒⠢⠤⣀⡀ ⢀⠎ ⠈⠉⠒⠢⠤⣠⠏ • Kaus Australis now ⡀ Nunki ⢀⣀⠤⠔⠚⠉• Kaus Borealis ⣠⣀⣀ ⢀⣀⠤⠒⠊⠉ ⠈⡆ ⢀⡠⠖⠉ •⠈⠉⠑⠒⠤⠤⣀⣀⡠⠤⠒⠋⠁ ⢸⡀ ⣀⠔⠊⠁ ⣠⠎· ⢣ ⠠·⠉ ⢀⠴⠊ ⠘⡆ ⠱⡀ ⢀⡠⠚⠁ ⠱⡀ ⠱⡀ ⢀⡴⠊ ⢧ ⠱⡀ ⡠⠖⠁ ⠈⡆ Kaus Media ⠱⣔⠋ ⢹•⢄⣀⡀ Ascella •⠉⠒⠤⣀ ⡎ ⠈⠉⠉⠒⠲⠤⠤⣀⣀⡀ ⠉⠢⢄⡀ ⢠⠇ • Alnasl ⠈⠑⠢⢄⡀ ⣸ ⠈⠓⠦⣄⡀ ⡇ ⠉⠓⠦⣀ ⢰⠁ ⠉⠒⠤⣀ ⡜ ⠉⠢⢄⡀ ⢀⡇ ⠈⠑⠢⢄⡀⢸ ⠈• Kaus Australis +50,000 years Nunki ⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⡀ ⢠• ⢀⠔⠁·⠈⠉⠑⠒⠢⠤⠤⣀⣀ ⡎ ⢀⡔⠃ ⠉⠉⠓⠒⠦⠤⢄⣀⡀ ⡼ ⢀⡰⠊ ⠈⠉⢱• Kaus Borealis ⣰⠁⡠⠊ ⡇ Ascella ⢠⣣⠚ ⢧ ⢀•⡁ ⢸ Kaus Media ⡜ ⠉⠢⣄ ⢸•⠢⣀ ⠸⠁ ⠉⠢⣄ ⡇ ⠈⠑⠢⣀ · ⠑⠦⡀ ⡇ ⠈⠑⠢⣀ ⠈⠑⠦⡀ ⡇ ⠈⠑⠢⣀ ⠈⠓⢄⡀ ⡇ ⠈⠙⠢⣀ ⠈⠓⢄ ⡇ ⠈⠙⠢ ⠙⠢⣀ ⡇ • Alnasl ⠙⠢⣀ ⡇ ⠈⠑⢤⣀ ⡇ ⠈⠑⢤⡀ ⡇ ⠈⠲⢤⡀⢳ ⠈• Kaus Australis Over 50,000 years either way the longest side of this figure changes by 13%, and the furthest any of its stars travels is 3.8 degrees. Kaus Media, HR 7039 and Ascella drift the opposite way to the other 5, which travel together. Proper motion only: this is the shape changing, not the sky turning or the pole moving. curl 'skymap.sh/Teapot/evolution.gif' where it is tonight: skymap.sh/Teapot