While some constellations demand our attention by the brilliance of their stars alone (Orion being the most noteworthy example), others are attractive because of their patterns of more modest stars.
Often the pattern is quite unrelated to the official name of the constellation. Most of us find it quite impossible to put ourselves in the frame of mind of whatever ancient stargazer placed a centaur, or even a standing archer for the stars of Sagittarius. In his classic constellation guide, "The Stars — A New Way to See Them," the late Hans Augusto ("H.A.") Rey, did find a way to turn the stars of Sagittarius into a standing archer.
