Sagitta the Arrow lies inside the Summer Triangle

Once you become familiar with the Summer Triangle, it becomes easy to locate several nearby constellations, including Sagitta the Arrow, Vulpecula the Fox, and Delphinus the Dolphin. However, be sure to seek a dark sky for optimal viewing. The constellation Sagitta the Arrow is made up of dim stars and is the third smallest among the 88 constellations.

Despite its name, which may cause confusion with Sagittarius the Archer, the two constellations do not share a neighboring position in the sky. In reality, Sagittarius appears low on the southern horizon during northern summer, while Sagitta lies farther north, giving the illusion that Sagittarius has missed its target of Aquila the Eagle, with the arrow now positioned on the opposite side.

To find Sagitta, look for its location between the constellations Cygnus the Swan, Lyra the Harp, and Aquila the Eagle, which feature bright stars Deneb, Vega, and Altair, respectively. Sagitta is situated north of Altair, inside the triangle's pointy end. Comprised of a shaft and branches, Sagitta resembles an arrow to the observer.

Sagitta's brightest star, Gamma Sagittae, shines at magnitude 3.5 from a distance of 274 light-years. It is flanked by Delta Sagittae (magnitude 3.8, 448 light-years away) and two additional stars, Alpha and Beta Sagittae (both magnitude 4.3, 620 and 470 light-years away, respectively). The most notable deep-sky object within Sagitta is the globular cluster M71, which lies midway between Gamma and Delta.

At magnitude 6.1, M71 requires binoculars or a telescope to observe. M71 is believed to be a young, smaller, and looser globular cluster compared to typical globular clusters, residing approximately 13,000 light-years away from Earth. In summary, Sagitta the Arrow is a faint constellation nestled within the Summer Triangle, containing one Messier object, the globular cluster M71.