Pisces [key] [Lat.,=the fishes], constellation lying directly S of Andromeda and on the ecliptic (the sun's apparent path through the heavens) between Aries and Aquarius; it is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Pisces is traditionally depicted as two fishes. Because of the precession of the equinoxes, the vernal equinox has moved westward from the constellation Aries (where it was located c.2,000 years ago) into Pisces. There are no exceptionally bright stars in Pisces, but a nova was observed there in 1925. Pisces reaches its highest point in the evening sky in November.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Constellations
