Equuleus
Colt (Equulei)
Equuleus, the Little Horse or Foal, is the second smallest constellation in the sky, covering only 72 square degrees. Located next to Pegasus (the winged horse), it represents a horse's head and has been recognized since antiquity. Despite its diminutive size, Equuleus has been mapped since Ptolemy's time and contains a few interesting double stars.
📜 Mythology
Equuleus is associated with Celeris, the brother of Pegasus, given by Hermes (Mercury) to Castor, one of the Gemini twins, who was famous for his skill with horses. Another myth identifies it with Hippe, daughter of the centaur Chiron, who was transformed into a horse and placed among the stars. Only the horse's head is depicted in the sky because it is rising before Pegasus, the larger horse constellation.
💡 Facts
- ✦Equuleus is the second smallest of all 88 constellations, larger only than Crux
- ✦The name Kitalpha comes from the Arabic for 'piece of a horse'
- ✦Despite its small size, Equuleus was one of Ptolemy's original 48 constellations