Pisces

The Fishes

A faint, V-shaped autumn zodiac constellation with two fish tied by a cord, just south of the Great Square of Pegasus.

Chart drawn as the sky looks when you face the constellation: north is up and east is to the left. Dot size shows brightness, and color hints at temperature. The connecting lines are one common stick figure; other traditions draw them differently.

Best season: Autumn
Best months: September through December, in the south on autumn evenings
Visibility: Visible from everywhere in the United States, but too faint to see from bright cities
Abbreviation: Psc

How to find it

Find the Great Square of Pegasus. A small ring of faint stars, the Circlet, hangs just below its southern side.
A long, faint line of stars runs from the Circlet to the knot at Alrescha, and a second line rises from there toward Andromeda.

Brightest stars

Alrescha (the knot where the cords meet)
Eta Piscium

What to look for

The Circlet of Pisces, a small ring of faint stars that stands out on a dark night.

Binocular and telescope targets

M74: a faint face-on spiral galaxy, a challenge for small telescopes

Using it to find other things

Pisces is the constellation that holds the Sun at the March equinox, as the Sun crosses the celestial equator.

About this constellation

Pisces is faint and spread out, so it demands a dark sky. The Circlet is the easiest part to find, and the two long lines of stars give the rest of the shape.

The Sun currently crosses the celestial equator, marking the start of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, while it is in Pisces. That spot is known as the vernal equinox.

Related guides

Visibility depends on your latitude, the date, and the time of night. The months above assume a typical evening from the contiguous United States, so use a planetarium app to confirm what is up tonight. Never look at the Sun through binoculars or a telescope without a proper solar filter.

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