The Constellations

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Why Are There Constellations?

Ever since people first wandered the Earth, great significance has been given to objects seen in the sky. Ancient peoples noticed that the rising and setting points of the Sun and the Moon, as well as the visibility of stars, change throughout the year. Therefore, all cultures have long traditions of using astronomy as a tool of survival. They developed astronomical methods for navigation in space and time, in particular, to determine their calendars: to measure equinoxes and solstices and to predict the seasonal behaviour of nature. For the Inuit in the far north, this was the prediction of the return of the Sun; for the Egyptians, it was the flood of the Nile; for the Babylonians and others in the monsoon zone, it was the predominant direction of the wind; and for the Aboriginal Australians, it was the emu’s breeding cycle. 

How Humans Made Constellations

The images interpreted by cultural groups from patterns of stars depend on the natural environment and cultural habits: only people who have seen emus can interpret such a bird in an arbitrary pattern in the sky. The effect of human cognition that makes us see patterns in arbitrary configurations (like clouds, mountain chains, or stars) is studied by gestalt psychology. Several network analysis studies have shown that the stellar patterns were grouped in similar ways all over the Earth (Bucur 2021, 2022; Kemp et al., 2022). However, humans are also social animals and love to exchange. As we invented languages and symbols, we learned to exchange knowledge and communicate with others of our species. Observations of the skyscape and celestial patterns have always been exchanged among people of various cultures. 

Practical Application

In particular, the Chinese and the Inca both grouped their constellations according to the four seasons. In the case of the Inca, each season was accompanied by “dark constellations”: constellations formed from the dark clouds in the Milky Way, not from stars (Gullberg et al., 2020; e.g., Figure 1). The animals seen in this procession indicate events in nature: when the constellation of the “Llama nursing its offspring” appears, llama babies are born, when Fox appears, fox babies are born, when then the constellations of the Snake and the Toad appear, it is the wet season, and so on.

Figure 1: The Dark Constellations of the Inca – right to left: (1) Machacuay, (2) Hanp’atu, (3) Yutu, (4) Yacana, (5) Uñallamacha, (6) Atoq, and (7) Michij runa. Art by Jessica Gullberg, constellations inspired by Gary Urton and Miguel Araoz Cartagena. Image Credit: Gullberg et al. (2020, fig. 4), reworked by Gullberg and Gullberg (2022).

The ancient Chinese constructed tiny constellations, some consisting of only one to three stars. However, these small constellations were grouped into super-constellations, covering extended areas and dividing the sky roughly into quarters. Their names are not similarly directly linked to nature as the Inca constellations, though they are also rooted in nature-based belief systems.

Figure 2: Some of the common Chinese asterisms (yellow lines) are grouped into the super-constellations Dark Warrior (winter), Azure Dragon (spring), Vermilion Bird (summer), and White Tiger (autumn). Here they are contrasted with the modern European asterisms (cyan) of the Autumn Square, the Summer Triangle, the Spring Triangle and the Winter Hexagon. Image credit: Susanne M Hoffmann.

 

The 88 IAU Constellations

Figure 3: The front cover of the IAU book edition: Delporte’s Délimitation scientifique des constellations. Image Credit: Michael E. Bakich library

 

By the 19th century, over a hundred constellations could be found on various star charts since there was nothing to stop astronomers from inventing new figures between the existing ones, which they often did to flatter a patron or monarch. In the 19th century, there were several changes in the scientific method and research focus. Many variable stars were discovered, stellar transients were investigated, and astrophysics with electric measurements of brightnesses and spectra of stars was developed. With the high number of investigated stars, new nomenclatures emerged, many of them relying on the constellation names. Therefore, one of the IAU’s first tasks after its formation was to define an internationally agreed set of constellations. At its first General Assembly held in Rome in 1922, the IAU’s Commission on Notations and Units agreed on a list of 88 constellations covering the entire sky, with three-letter abbreviations of their Latin names. These are the 88 IAU constellations that are still recognised today, as described in more detail below.

But these constellations still lacked officially defined boundaries, and this was the next task to be tackled. At the second IAU General Assembly held in Cambridge, England, in 1925, Eugène Delporte of the Royal Observatory in Brussels presented proposals for a clearly defined system of constellation boundaries drawn along lines of right ascension and declination, the celestial equivalents of longitude and latitude on Earth. The IAU took up the suggestion and appointed Delporte to prepare official boundaries with the specific requirement that all known variable-brightness stars should remain within the constellation to which they had already been assigned. This resulted in some awkward-looking outlines.

Delporte’s new boundaries were approved by the IAU at its General Assembly at Leiden in 1928, and the results were published in 1930 in Délimitation Scientifique des Constellations along with an accompanying Atlas Céleste. So constellations, which started out as imaginary patterns of stars, became scientifically defined areas of sky. Nowadays, when astronomers say something is “in” a given constellation, they mean it is simply within those defined boundaries, not that it is part of any star pattern.

Constellation Figures

In contrast to the historical and Indigenous concepts of constellations as patterns of light points in the night sky, such as the Chinese star chains or the lists of stars under a common headline in historical star catalogues, the IAU defines a constellation as an area in the sky surrounded by its boundary. The boundaries indicated by sky coordinates are the defining quantity. Note that these boundaries, though the standard recognised by the IAU, are not necessarily universally utilised: many cultures have had their own asterisms for hundreds or thousands of years and continue to use them.

In star maps or charts, it is common to mark line patterns representing the shapes that give the name to the constellations. For IAU constellations, no stick figures or figurative painting styles are formally defined. Consequently, the same constellation may have several variants in its visual representation.

In addition to the constellation line patterns, there are also asterism line patterns. Asterisms are distinct from constellations. They are patterns or shapes of stars that are not related to the known constellations but are widely recognised. Examples include: the seven bright stars in Ursa Major, known as “the Plough” in Europe, “the Big Dipper” in America and “the Northern Dipper” traditionally in China; and the “Summer Triangle”, a large triangle seen in the summer and autumn night sky of the northern hemisphere, composed of the bright stars (from three different constellations) Altair, Deneb and Vega. Asterisms can even consist of star clusters (like “the Seven Sisters”, or the Pleiades cluster), groups of star clusters (like “the Golden Gate of the Ecliptic” consisting of the Pleiades and Hyades clusters) or of only one bright star (like the Greek star Capella or the Chinese single star-asterisms). 

Significance

It should be realised that the groups of stars that made up the original constellation patterns have, in most cases, no physical connection with each other. All constellations are a matter of perspective. They are simply our Earth-based interpretation of two-dimensional star patterns on the celestial sphere, composed of stars of various different brightnesses and at widely differing distances from Earth.

IAU Constellation Names

 

Each Latin constellation name has two forms: the nominative, used when talking about the constellation itself, and the genitive, or possessive, used in star names. For instance, Hamal, the brightest star in the constellation Aries (nominative form), is also called Alpha Arietis (genitive form), meaning literally “the alpha of Aries”.

The table below includes the Latin names for each IAU constellation, their abbreviated names and a chart showing their boundaries. These are a mix of the ancient Greek patterns recorded by Ptolemy in addition to some more “modern” patterns observed later by astronomers.

Pronunciation of Constellation Names

Experienced astronomers, both professional and amateur, may pronounce constellation names differently but have no trouble understanding each other. There is no single correct way to pronounce a constellation name, and several sources address the issue. See, for example:

  • Sky & Telescope web page on constellations names and pronunciation
  • A link to the text “Latin Pronunciation Demystified “ is available on http://www.ai.uga.edu/mc/latinpro.pdf
  • Rumrill (1936) “Star Name Pronunciation” 

  • Charts and tables

    The charts below were produced in collaboration with Sky & Telescope magazine (Roger Sinnott and Rick Fienberg). Alan MacRobert's constellation patterns, drawn in green on the charts, were influenced by those of H. A. Rey but, in many cases, were adjusted to preserve earlier traditions. Each chart was produced using the J2000 epoch. The images are released under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.

    Quick links : And , Ant, Aps, Aqr, Aql, Ara, Ari, Aur, Boo, Cae, Cam, Cnc, CVn, CMa, CMi, Cap, Car, Cas, Cen, Cep, Cet, Cha, Cir, Col, Com, CrA, CrB, Crv, Crt, Cru, Cyg, Del, Dor, Dra, Equ, Eri, For, Gem, Gru, Her, Hor, Hya, Hyi, Ind, Lac, Leo, LMi, Lep, Lib, Lup, Lyn, Lyr, Men, Mic, Mon, Mus, Nor, Oct, Oph, Ori, Pav, Peg, Per, Phe, Pic, Psc, PsA, Pup, Pyx, Ret, Sge, Sgr, Sco, Scl, Sct, Ser, Sex, Tau, Tel, Tri, TrA, Tuc, UMa, UMi, Vel, Vir, Vol, Vul , Chart text legend

    Charts Graphical Legend

    Charts

    Name /
    Pronunciation    		 Abbr. English Name Genitive /
    Pronunciation    		 Downloads

    Andromeda

    an-DRAH-mih-duh    		 And the Chained Maiden Andromedae
    an-DRAH-mih-dee

    Constellation charts
    GIF (117 KB)
    PDF (829 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
    TXT (2 KB)

    Antlia

    ANT-lee-uh    		 Ant the Air Pump Antliae
    ANT-lee-ee

    Constellation charts
    GIF (111 KB)
    PDF (815 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)
    Apus

    APE-us, APP-us

    		 Aps the Bird of Paradise

    Apodis

    APP-oh-diss

    Constellation charts
    GIF (155 KB)
    PDF (836 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Aquarius

    uh-QUAIR-ee-us

    		 Aqr the Water Bearer

    Aquarii

    uh-QUAIR-ee-eye

    Constellation charts
    GIF (124 KB)
    PDF (879 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Aquila

    ACK-will-uh, uh-QUILL-uh

    		 Aql the Eagle

    Aquilae

    ACK-will-ee, uh-QUILL-ee

    Constellation charts
    GIF (108 KB)
    PDF (820KB)
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    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Ara

    AIR-uh, AR-uh

    		 Ara the Altar

    Arae

    AIR-ee, AR-ee

    Constellation charts
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    PDF (807 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Aries

    AIR-eez, AIR-ee-yeez

    		 Ari the Ram

    Arietis

    uh-RYE-ih-tiss

    Constellation charts
    GIF (118 KB)
    PDF (805 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Auriga

    aw-RYE-guh

    		 Aur the Charioteer

    Aurigae

    aw-RYE-ghee

    Constellation charts
    GIF (122 KB)
    PDF (381 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Boötes

    bo-OH-teez

    		 Boo the Herdsman

    Boötis

    bo-OH-tiss

    Constellation charts
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    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Caelum

    SEE-lum

    		 Cae the Engraving Tool

    Caeli

    SEE-lye

    Constellation charts
    GIF (97 KB)
    PDF (780 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Camelopardalis

    cuh-MEL-oh- PAR-duh-liss

    		 Cam the Giraffe

    Camelopardalis

    cuh-MEL-oh- PAR-duh-liss

    Constellation charts
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    Constellation boundary
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    Cancer

    CAN-ser

    		 Cnc the Crab

    Cancri

    CANG-cry

    Constellation charts
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    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Canes Venatici

    CANE-eez (CAN-eez) ve-NAT-iss-eye

    		 CVn the Hunting Dogs

    Canum Venaticorum

    CANE-um (CAN-um) ve-nat-ih-COR-um

    Constellation charts
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    Canis Major

    CANE-iss (CAN-iss) MAY-jer

    		 CMa the Great Dog

    Canis Majoris

    CANE-iss (CAN-iss) muh-JOR-iss

    Constellation charts
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    Canis Minor

    CANE-iss (CAN-iss) MY-ner

    		 CMi the Lesser Dog

    Canis Minoris

    CANE-iss (CAN-iss) mih-NOR-iss

    Constellation charts
    GIF (83 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Capricornus

    CAP-rih-CORN-us

    		 Cap the Sea Goat

    Capricorni

    CAP-rih-CORN-eye

    Constellation charts
    GIF (98 KB)
    PDF (818 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Carina

    cuh-RYE-nuh, cuh-REE-nuh

    		 Car the Keel

    Carinae

    cuh-RYE-nee, cuh-REE-nee

    Constellation charts
    GIF (143 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Cassiopeia

    CASS-ee-uh-PEE-uh

    		 Cas the Seated Queen

    Cassiopeiae

    CASS-ee-uh-PEE-ye

    Constellation charts
    GIF (139 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Centaurus

    sen-TOR-us

    		 Cen the Centaur

    Centauri

    sen-TOR-eye

    Constellation charts
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    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Cepheus

    SEE-fyoos, SEE-fee-us, SEF-ee-us

    		 Cep the King

    Cephei

    SEE-fee-eye, SEF-ee-eye

    Constellation charts
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    Constellation boundary
    TXT (2 KB)

    Cetus

    SEE-tus

    		 Cet the Sea Monster

    Ceti

    SEE-tie

    Constellation charts
    GIF (122 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Chamaeleon

    cuh-MEAL-yun, cuh-MEAL-ee-un

    		 Cha the Chameleon

    Chamaeleontis

    cuh-MEAL-ee-ON-tiss

    Constellation charts
    GIF (183 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Circinus

    SER-sin-us

    		 Cir the Drawing Compass

    Circini

    SER-sin-eye

    Constellation charts
    GIF (131 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Columba

    cuh-LUM-buh

    		 Col the Dove

    Columbae

    cuh-LUM-bee

    Constellation charts
    GIF (99 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Coma Berenices

    COE-muh BER-uh-NICE-eez

    		 Com the Bernice's Hair

    Comae Berenices

    COE-mee BER-uh-NICE-eez

    Constellation charts
    GIF (101 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Corona Australis

    cuh-ROE-nuh aw-STRAL-iss3

    		 CrA the Southern Crown

    Coronae Australis

    cuh-ROE-nee aw-STRAL-iss3

    Constellation charts
    GIF (107 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Corona Borealis

    cuh-ROE-nuh bor-ee-AL-iss3

    		 CrB the Northern Crown

    Coronae Borealis

    cuh-ROE-nee bor-ee-AL-iss3

    Constellation charts
    GIF (89 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Corvus

    COR-vus

    		 Crv the Crow

    Corvi

    COR-vye

    Constellation charts
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    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Crater

    CRAY-ter

    		 Crt the Cup

    Crateris

    cruh-TEE-riss

    Constellation charts
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    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Crux

    CRUCKS, CROOKS

    		 Cru the Southern Cross

    Crucis

    CROO-siss

    Constellation charts
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    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Cygnus

    SIG- SIG-nu

    		 Cyg the Swan

    Cygni

    SIG-nye

    Constellation charts
    GIF (174 KB)
    PDF (866 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Delphinus

    del-FINE-us, del-FIN-us

    		 Del the Dolphin

    Delphini

    del-FINE-eye, del-FIN-eye

    Constellation charts
    GIF (81 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Dorado

    duh-RAH-do

    		 Dor the Swordfish

    Doradus

    duh-RAH-dus

    Constellation charts
    GIF (108 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Draco

    DRAY-co

    		 Dra the Dragon

    Draconis

    druh-CONE-iss

    Constellation charts
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    Constellation boundary
    TXT (2 KB)

    Equuleus

    eh-QUOO-lee-us

    		 Equ the Little Horse

    Equulei

    eh-QUOO-lee-eye

    Constellation charts
    GIF (69 KB)
    PDF (749 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Eridanus

    ih-RID-un-us

    		 Eri the River

    Eridani

    ih-RID-un-eye

    Constellation charts
    GIF (167 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
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    Fornax

    FOR-naks

    		 For the Furnace

    Fornacis

    for-NAY-siss

    Constellation charts
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    Constellation boundary
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    Gemini

    JEM-uh-nye, JEM-uh-nee

    		 Gem the Twins

    Geminorum

    JEM-uh-NOR-um

    Constellation charts
    GIF (122 KB)
    PDF (832 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Grus

    GRUSS, GROOS

    		 Gru the Crane

    Gruis

    GROO-iss

    Constellation charts
    GIF (127 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
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    Hercules

    HER-kyuh-leez

    		 Her the Hercules

    Herculis

    HER-kyuh-liss

    Constellation charts
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    Constellation boundary
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    Horologium

    hor-uh-LOE-jee-um

    		 Hor the Clock

    Horologii

    hor-uh-LOE-jee-eye

    Constellation charts
    GIF (107 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Hydra

    HIGH-druh

    		 Hya the Female Water Snake

    Hydrae

    HIGH-dree

    Constellation charts
    GIF (127 KB)
    PDF (929 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
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    Hydrus

    HIGH-drus

    		 Hyi the Male Water Snake

    Hydri

    HIGH-dry

    Constellation charts
    GIF (143 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
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    Indus

    IN-dus

    		 Ind the Indian

    Indi

    IN-dye

    Constellation charts
    GIF (131 KB)
    PDF (834 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Lacerta

    luh-SER-tuh

    		 Lac the Lizard

    Lacertae

    luh-SER-tee

    Constellation charts
    GIF (124 KB)
    PDF (812 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
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    Leo

    LEE-oh

    		 Leo the Lion

    Leonis

    lee-OH-niss

    Constellation charts
    GIF (142 KB)
    PDF (820 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Leo Minor

    LEE-oh MY-ner

    		 LMi the Lesser Lion

    Leonis Minoris

    lee-OH-niss mih-NOR-iss

    Constellation charts
    GIF (103 KB)
    PDF (799 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Lepus

    LEEP-us, LEP-us

    		 Lep the Hare

    Leporis

    LEP-or-iss

    Constellation charts
    GIF (94 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Libra

    LEE-bruh, LYE-bruh

    		 Lib the Scales

    Librae

    LEE-bree, LYE-bree

    Constellation charts
    GIF (111 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Lupus

    LOOP-us

    		 Lup the Wolf

    Lupi

    LOOP-eye

    Constellation charts
    GIF (137 KB)
    PDF (857 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Lynx

    LINKS

    		 Lyn the Lynx

    Lyncis

    LIN-siss

    Constellation charts
    GIF (111 KB)
    PDF (796 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
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    Lyra

    LYE-ruh

    		 Lyr the Lyre

    Lyrae

    LYE-ree

    Constellation charts
    GIF (91 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Mensa

    MEN-suh

    		 Men the Table Mountain

    Mensae

    MEN-see

    Constellation charts
    GIF (161 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Microscopium

    my-cruh-SCOPE-ee-um

    		 Mic the Microscope

    Microscopii

    my-cruh-SCOPE-ee-eye

    Constellation charts
    GIF (87 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
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    Monoceros

    muh-NAH-ser-us

    		 Mon the Unicorn

    Monocerotis

    muh-NAH-ser-OH-tiss

    Constellation charts
    GIF (110 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
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    Musca

    MUSS-cuh

    		 Mus the Fly

    Muscae

    MUSS-see, MUSS-kee

    Constellation charts
    GIF (134 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
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    Norma

    NOR-muh

    		 Nor the Carpenter's Square

    Normae

    NOR-mee

    Constellation charts
    GIF (118 KB)
    PDF (803 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Octans

    OCK-tanz

    		 Oct the Octant

    Octantis

    ock-TAN-tiss

    Constellation charts
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    Constellation boundary
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    Ophiuchus

    OFF-ee-YOO-kus, OAF-ee-YOO-kus

    		 Oph the Serpent Bearer

    Ophiuchi

    OFF-ee-YOO-kye, OAF-ee-YOO-kye

    Constellation charts
    GIF (175 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
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    Orion

    oh-RYE-un, uh-RYE-un

    		 Ori the Hunter

    Orionis

    or-eye-OH-niss

    Constellation charts
    GIF (181 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
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    Pavo

    PAY-vo

    		 Pav the Peacock

    Pavonis

    puh-VOE-niss

    Constellation charts
    GIF (143 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
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    Pegasus

    PEG-us-us

    		 Peg the Winged Horse

    Pegasi

    PEG-us-eye

    Constellation charts
    GIF (136 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
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    Perseus

    PER-see-us, PER-syoos

    		 Per the Hero

    Persei

    PER-see-eye

    Constellation charts
    GIF (127 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
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    Phoenix

    FEE-nix

    		 Phe

    the Phoenix

     

    Phoenicis

    fuh-NICE-iss

    Constellation charts
    GIF (119 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
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    Pictor

    PICK-ter

    		 Pic the Painter's Easel

    Pictoris

    pick-TOR-iss

    Constellation charts
    GIF (108 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
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    Pisces

    PICE-eez, PISS-eez

    		 Psc the Fishes

    Piscium

    PICE-ee-um, PISH-ee-um

    Constellation charts
    GIF (87 KB)
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    Constellation boundary
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    Piscis Austrinus

    PICE-iss (PISS-iss) aw-STRY-nus

    		 PsA the Southern Fish

    Piscis Austrini

    PICE-iss (PISS-iss) aw-STRY-nye

    Constellation charts
    GIF (87 KB)
    PDF (778 KB)
    TIF

    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Puppis

    PUP-iss

    		 Pup the Stern

    Puppis

    PUP-iss

    Constellation charts
    GIF (185 KB)
    PDF (868 KB)
    TIF

    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Pyxis

    PIX-iss

    		 Pyx the Mariner Compass

    Pyxidis

    PIX-ih-diss

    Constellation charts
    GIF (84 KB)
    PDF (775 KB)
    TIF

    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Reticulum

    rih-TICK-yuh-lum

    		 Ret the Reticle

    Reticuli

    rih-TICK-yuh-lye

    Constellation charts
    GIF (107 KB)
    PDF (786 KB)
    TIF

    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Sagitta

    suh-JIT-uh

    		 Sge the Arrow

    Sagittae

    suh-JIT-ee

    Constellation charts
    GIF (90 KB)
    PDF (773 KB)
    TIF

    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Sagittarius

    SAJ-ih-TARE-ee-us

    		 Sgr the Archer

    Sagittarii

    SAJ-ih-TARE-ee-eye

    Constellation charts
    GIF (163 KB)
    PDF (878 KB)
    TIF

    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Scorpius

    SCOR-pee-us

    		 Sco the Scorpion

    Scorpii

    SCOR-pee-eye

    Constellation charts
    GIF (194 KB)
    PDF (874 KB)
    TIF

    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Sculptor

    SCULP-ter

    		 Scl the Sculptor

    Sculptoris

    sculp-TOR-iss

    Constellation charts
    GIF (119 KB)
    PDF (810 KB)
    TIF

    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Scutum

    SCOOT-um, SCYOOT-um

    		 Sct the Shield

    Scuti

    SCOOT-eye, SCYOOT-eye

    Constellation charts
    GIF (120 KB)
    PDF (784 KB)
    TIF

    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Serpens

    SER-punz

    		 Ser the Serpent

    Serpentis

    ser-PEN-tiss

    Constellation charts (Serpens Caput)
    GIF (112 KB)
    PDF (780 KB)
    TIF

    Constellation boundary (Serpens Caput)
    TXT (1 KB)

    Constellation charts (Serpens Cauda)
    GIF (126 KB)
    PDF (791 KB)
    TIF

    Constellation boundary (Serpens Cauda)
    TXT (1 KB)

    Sextans

    SEX-tunz

    		 Sex the Sextant

    Sextantis

    sex-TAN-tiss

    Constellation charts
    GIF (83 KB)
    PDF (782 KB)
    TIF

    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Taurus

    TOR-us

    		 Tau the Bull

    Tauri

    TOR-eye

    Constellation charts
    GIF (115 KB)
    PDF (832 KB)
    TIF

    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Telescopium

    tel-ih-SCOPE-ee-um

    		 Tel the Telescope

    Telescopii

     tel-ih-SCOPE-ee-eye

    Constellation charts
    GIF (148 KB)
    PDF (834 KB)
    TIF

    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Triangulum

    try-ANG-gyuh-lum

    		 Tri the Triangle

    Trianguli

    try-ANG-gyuh-lye

    Constellation charts
    GIF (89 KB)
    PDF (764 KB)
    TIF

    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Triangulum Australe

    try-ANG-gyuh-lum aw-STRAL-ee

    		 TrA the Southern Triangle

    Trianguli Australis

    try-ANG-gyuh-lye aw-STRAL-iss

    Constellation charts
    GIF (124 KB)
    PDF (815 KB)
    TIF

    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Tucana

    too-KAY-nuh, too-KAH-nuh

    		 Tuc the Toucan

    Tucanae

    too-KAY-nee, too-KAH-nee

    Constellation charts
    GIF (127 KB)
    PDF (806 KB)
    TIF

    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Ursa Major

    ER-suh MAY-jur

    		 UMa the Great Bear

    Ursae Majoris

    ER-suh muh-JOR-iss

    Constellation charts
    GIF (174 KB)
    PDF (885 KB)
    TIF

    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Ursa Minor

    ER-suh MY-ner

    		 UMi the Little Bear

    Ursae Minoris

    ER-suh mih-NOR-iss

    Constellation charts
    GIF (135 KB)
    PDF (800 KB)
    TIF

    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Vela

    VEE-luh, VAY-luh

    		 Vel the Sails

    Velorum

    vee-LOR-um, vuh-LOR-um

    Constellation charts
    GIF (131 KB)
    PDF (850 KB)
    TIF

    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Virgo

    VER-go

    		 Vir the Maiden

    Virginis

    VER-jin-iss

    Constellation charts
    GIF (98 KB)
    PDF (831 KB)
    TIF

    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Volans

    VOH-lanz

    		 Vol the Flying Fish

    Volantis

    vo-LAN-tiss

    Constellation charts
    GIF (123 KB)
    PDF (812 KB)
    TIF

    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)

    Vulpecula

    vul-PECK-yuh-luh

    		 Vul the Fox

    Vulpeculae

    vul-PECK-yuh-lee

    Constellation charts
    GIF (124 KB)
    PDF (805 KB)
    TIF

    Constellation boundary
    TXT (1 KB)


    Charts Text Legend

    Each constellation comes with the following basic information:

  • Name
  • Pronunciation of the name
  • Abbreviation
  • English Name
  • Genitive
  • Pronunciation of the genitive
  • Chart for screen view (GIF)
  • Chart for printing (PDF in A4 format)
  • Boundary coordinates (TXT)

Explanation of the fields:

  1. The name is the Latin name adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1930.
  2. Pronunciation as described above.
  3. Abbreviation, the standard three-letter form of the Latin name.
  4. The popular name in English.
  5. The genitive is the possessive form of the constellation’s name in Latin. For example, alpha Orionis is the alpha star in the constellation of Orion.
  6. Pronunciation as described above.
  7. Chart in GIF format, 1000 pixels wide.
  8. Chart in PDF format, to be printed in A4 format.
  9. A text file containing a set of coordinates that defines the boundaries of the constellations in the sky. The format is:
    HH MM SS.SSSS| DD.DDDDDDD|XXX

    Where:
    HH MM SS.SSSS defines the right ascension hour, minute and second with J2000 coordinates
    DD.DDDDDDD defines the declination with J2000 coordinates
    XXX is the abbreviation of the constellation name
    | is the separator of the fields

    Example:
    22 57 51.6729| 35.1682358|AND

More Information

Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge the contributions of WGSN President, Susanne M. Hoffmann, IAU OAO Deputy Director, Kelly Blumenthal, WGSN Vice President, Eric Mamajek, and WGSN members Robert H. van Gent, Ian Ridpath and Javier Mejuto (Honduras National Outreach Coordinator), IAU Director of Communications, Lars Lindberg Christensen (originator of the first version of this Theme), and the Head of the IAU Webteam, Raquel Yumi Shida.

References

  • Bucur, D. (2022). The network signature of constellation line figures. PLOS ONE, 17(7). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0272270 
  • Covington, M. A. (2002). Celestial Objects for Modern Telescopes. Cambridge University Press, pp. 80-84.
  • Davenhall, A. C.; Leggett, S. K. (1997). Constellation Boundary Data (Davenhall+ 1989). VizieR On-line Data Catalog: VI/49 (Online data: http://vizier.cfa.harvard.edu/viz-bin/VizieR?-source=VI/49 )
  • Debarbat, S. (1988). Mapping the sky: past heritage and future directions: proceedings of the 133rd Symposium of the International Astronomical Union, held in Paris, France, 1-5 June 1987. International Astronomical Union. Symposium no. 133, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht
  • Delporte, E. (1930) Délimitation scientifique des constellations. Cambridge University Press.
  • Flanders, T. Constellation Names and Abbreviations. Sky & Telescope, link: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/letsgo/helpdesk/Constellation_Names.html
  • Gullberg, Steven R, Hambacher, Duane W., Martín-Lopez, Alejandro, Mejuto, Javier, Munro, Andre M. and Orchiston, Wayne (2020). A cultural comparison of the “Dark Constellations” in the Milky Way. Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, 23(2), 390‒404
  • Hoffmann, Susanne M and Wolfschmidt, Gudrun [ed.] (2022). Astronomy in Culture - Cultures of Astronomy, Nuncius Hamburgensis, Vol. 57, Hamburg/ Berlin 
  • Kanas, Nick (2007, 2012, 2019). Star Maps - History, Artistry, and Cartography, Springer Nature, Cham 
  • Kemp, Charles, Hamacher, Duane W., Little, Daniel R., Cropper, Simon J. (2022). Perceptual Grouping Explains Similarities in Constellations Across Cultures, Psychological Science Vol 33, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1177/09567976211044157
  • Ridpath, Ian, The IAU list of constellations, http://www.ianridpath.com/iaulist.1html
  • Shitong, Y. (1981). Chinese and Western Contrast Star Chart and Catalogue 1950.0 (Star Catalogue). Science Press. [伊世同《中西对照恒星图表1950.0(星表分册)》 （科学出版社 1981)]

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