The Milky Way it at its densest as it passes through Sagittarius, as this is where the galactic centre lies. Consequently, Sagittarius contains many bright stars, star clusters and nebulae. The complex radio source Sagittarius A associated with the galactic centre is also here.
On the Zodiac, Sagittarius lies between Scorpius to the west and Capricornus to the east.
In some cosmologies, Sagittarius is associated with the classical element Fire, and thus called a Fire Sign (with Aries and Leo). Its polar opposite is Gemini.