PISCES

Overview

Pisces is one of the twelve zodiac constellations and ranks 14th in area among the 88 constellations. It currently contains the vernal equinox — the point where the Sun crosses the celestial equator each spring — making it astronomically significant. Due to axial precession, the equinox shifted from Aries into Pisces roughly 2,000 years ago.

The constellation depicts two fish tied together by a ribbon, forming a distinctive V-shape. However, all its stars are dim (magnitude 3 to 5), making the full outline difficult to trace from light-polluted skies. Despite this, Pisces covers a vast area of the autumn sky, sprawling across the region south and west of the Great Square of Pegasus.

The brightest star, η Psc, is a magnitude 3.62 G7-type giant about 294 light-years away. α Psc (Alrescha), while slightly fainter at 3.82, carries a proper name and forms a notable double-star system of two A0-type peculiar stars.

How to Find It

Autumn (October through December) is the best time to observe Pisces. Use the Great Square of Pegasus as your starting point — Pisces lies to its south and southeast, spread across a wide area.

The western fish appears as a small ring-like loop of faint stars, while the eastern fish forms a longer, more elongated arc. The knot of the ribbon joining the two fish is marked by α Psc (Alrescha). γ Psc sits near the tail region of the eastern fish, while η Psc lies roughly in the middle of the cord connecting the two fish.

The vernal equinox currently lies near the Pisces–Aries border (right ascension 0h, declination 0°), making this region the symbolic origin of celestial coordinates. Pisces transits around 10 PM in mid-November.

Mythology and Culture

In Greek mythology, Pisces represents Aphrodite and her son Eros transformed into fish to escape the monster Typhon. To avoid being separated in their flight, they tied themselves together with a cord — the origin of the ribbon depicted in the constellation.

In Babylonian astronomy, the constellation was known as "the Tails" and depicted as two fish, symbolising abundance and water. It is one of the oldest recorded constellations, appearing in Babylonian, Persian, and Arabic astronomical traditions long before the Greek accounts.

In astrology, Pisces is the twelfth and final sign of the zodiac, associated with completion, intuition, and mystery. As a water sign, it is linked to sensitivity and spirituality, and is considered among the most introspective of the zodiac signs.

Star Trivia

η Psc — The brightest star in Pisces at magnitude 3.62. Despite lying about 294 light-years away, it appears reasonably bright because it is a G7 IIIa giant — an evolved star much larger than the Sun with a surface temperature of roughly 4,900 K. It holds no proper name but serves as the in-game starting point of the Pisces stages.

α Psc (Alrescha) — Its name comes from the Arabic for "the cord" or "the knot," marking the point where the two fish are tied together. It is a visual double star composed of two A0-type peculiar stars with a combined magnitude of 3.82, separated by about 1.8 arcseconds and orbiting each other with a period of roughly 933 years. About 151 light-years away, it can be split with a small telescope of around 100 mm aperture.

γ Psc — A G9 III orange giant approximately 138 light-years away, sitting near the tail of the eastern fish. With a surface temperature of about 4,800 K, it closely resembles η Psc in its evolved nature. At magnitude 3.69, it is the second-brightest star in Pisces and one of the closer giants in the constellation to Earth.

In Gravity Weaver

Pisces is the twenty-fourth constellation, a 3-stage zone progressing from η Psc through α Psc to γ Psc.

The signature combo is Strong BH + Slab Meteor + Nebula. Stars are widely spaced, so the three hazards scatter across long-travel stages.

Chained gravity fields are essential in these wide layouts. Plan a three-step route up front: Slingshot to accelerate before the cloud → escape along the slab's long edge → arc widely around the Strong BH.