Constellation: Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 12:46, 25 April 2025
When humanity was confined to a single planet, they connected the stars in the sky into various constellations. The ancient Mesopotamians and later the Greeks established most of the constellations in the northern sky, listed by the Roman-Egyptian astronomer Ptolemy. The constellations along the ecliptic are called the zodiac. When explorers mapped the stars of the southern skies, European astronomers proposed new constellations for that region, as well as ones to fill gaps between the traditional constellations. Because of their Roman and European origins, every constellation has a Latin name.
As humanity took to the stars, the significance of constellations diminished, and are now used for little more than nomenclature for stars. Still, there remain 88 officially recognized constellations.
History
Some constellations are no longer recognized by the IAU, but may appear in older star charts and other references. Most notable is Argo Navis, which was one of Ptolemy's original 48 constellations. In the 1750s the French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille divided this into three separate constellations: Carina, Puppis, and Vela.
List
| Constellation Genitive |
Abbreviation | Meaning | Inhabited systems | Other notable systems |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andromeda Andromedae |
And | "Andromeda" | ||
| Antlia Antliae |
Ant | "air pump" | ||
| Apus Apodis |
Aps | "bird-of-paradise" | ||
| Aquarius Aquarii |
Aqr | "water-bearer" | ||
| Aquila Aquilae |
Aql | "eagle" | Heguyi | |
| Ara Arae |
Ara | "altar" | μ Arae | |
| Aries Arietis |
Ari | "ram" | Teegarden | |
| Auriga Aurigae |
Aur | "charioteer" | λ Aurigae | Capella |
| Boötes Boötis |
Boo | "herdsman" | Arcturus | |
| Caelum Caeli |
Cae | "chisel" | ||
| Camelopardalis Camelopardalis |
Cam | "giraffe" | ||
| Cancer Cancri |
Cnc | "crab" | Copernicus | |
| Canes Venatici Canum Venaticorum |
CVn | "hunting dogs" | ||
| Canis Major Canis Majoris |
CMa | "greater dog" | Sirius | |
| Canis Minor Canis Minoris |
CMi | "lesser dog" | Procyon | Luyten |
| Capricornus Capricorni |
Cap | "sea goat" | ||
| Carina Carinae |
Car | "keel" | ||
| Cassiopeia Cassiopeiae |
Cas | "Cassiopeia" | HD 219134 | |
| Centaurus Centauri |
Cen | "centaur" | Proxima Centauri α Centauri |
|
| Cepheus Cephei |
Cep | "Cepheus" | ||
| Cetus Ceti |
Cet | "sea monster" | τ Ceti | |
| Chamaeleon Chamaeleontis |
Cha | "chameleon" | ||
| Circinus Circini |
Cir | "compasses" | α Circini | |
| Columba Columbae |
Col | "dove" | ||
| Coma Berenices Comae Berenices |
Com | "Berenice's hair" | ||
| Corona Australis Coronae Australis |
CrA | "southern crown" | ||
| Corona Borealis Coronae Borealis |
CrB | "northern crown" | ||
| Corvus Corvi |
Crv | "crow" | Alchiba | |
| Crater Crateris |
Crt | "cup" | ||
| Crux Crucis |
Cru | "southern cross" | ||
| Cygnus Cygni |
Cyg | "swan" | 61 Cygni | |
| Delphinus Delphini |
Del | "dolphin" | ||
| Dorado Doradus |
Dor | "dolphinfish" | ||
| Draco Draconis |
Dra | "dragon" | ψ Draconis | |
| Equuleus Equulei |
Equ | "pony" | ||
| Eridanus Eridani |
Eri | "river Eridanus" | ε Eridani |
|
| Fornax Fornacis |
For | "chemical furnace" | ||
| Gemini Geminorum |
Gem | "twins" | 37 Geminorum | LHS 1870 |
| Grus Gruis |
Gru | "crane" | ||
| Hercules Herculis |
Her | "Hercules" | ||
| Horologium Horologii |
Hor | "pendulum clock" | Gliese 1061 | |
| Hydra Hydrae |
Hya | "Hydra" | ||
| Hydrus Hydri |
Hyi | "lesser water snake" | ||
| Indus Indi |
Ind | "Indian" | ε Indi | |
| Lacerta Lacertae |
Lac | "lizard" | EV Lacertae | |
| Leo Leonis |
Leo | "lion" | Regulus | |
| Leo Minor Leonis Minoris |
LMi | "lesser lion" | ||
| Lepus Leporis |
Lep | "hare" | ||
| Libra Librae |
Lib | "balance" | ||
| Lupus Lupi |
Lup | "wolf" | ||
| Lynx Lyncis |
Lyn | "lynx" | ||
| Lyra Lyrae |
Lyr | "lyre" | ||
| Mensa Mensae |
Men | "Table Mountain" | ||
| Microscopium Microscopii |
Mic | "microscope" | ||
| Monoceros Monocerotis |
Mon | "unicorn" | ||
| Musca Muscae |
Mus | "fly" | ||
| Norma Normae |
Nor | "carpenter's level" | ||
| Octans Octantis |
Oct | "octant" | ||
| Ophiuchus Ophiuchi |
Oph | "serpent-bearer" | Barnard | |
| Orion Orionis |
Ori | "Orion" | ||
| Pavo Pavonis |
Pav | "peacock" | ι Pavonis | |
| Pegasus Pegasi |
Peg | "pegasus" | ||
| Perseus Persei |
Per | "Perseus" | Perseus | |
| Phoenix Phoenicis |
Phe | "phoenix" | ||
| Pictor Pictoris |
Pic | "easel" | ||
| Pisces Piscium |
Psc | "fishes" | ||
| Piscis Austrinus Piscis Austrini |
PsA | "southern fish" | Lacaille Fomalhaut | |
| Puppis Puppis |
Pup | "poop deck" | ||
| Pyxis Pyxidis |
Pyx | "mariner's compass" | ||
| Reticulum Reticuli |
Ret | "eyepiece graticule" | ||
| Sagitta Sagittae |
Sge | "arrow" | ||
| Sagittarius Sagittarii |
Sgr | "archer" | ||
| Scorpius Scorpii |
Sco | "scorpion" | ||
| Sculptor Sculptoris |
Scl | "sculptor" | ||
| Scutum Scuti |
Sct | "shield" | ||
| Serpens Serpentis |
Ser | "snake" | Shuzengyi |
|
| Sextans Sextantis |
Sex | "sextant" | ||
| Taurus Tauri |
Tau | "bull" | Aldebaran | |
| Telescopium Telescopii |
Tel | "telescope" | ||
| Triangulum Trianguli |
Tri | "triangle" | ||
| Triangulum Australe Trianguli Australis |
TrA | "southern triangle" | ||
| Tucana Tucanae |
Tuc | "toucan" | ||
| Ursa Major Ursae Majoris |
UMa | "great bear" | Lalande | |
| Ursa Minor Ursae Minoris |
UMi | "lesser bear" | ||
| Vela Velorum |
Vel | "sails" | ||
| Virgo Virginis |
Vir | "virgin" | γ Virginis | Ross 128 |
| Volans Volantis |
Vol | "flying fish" | ||
| Vulpecula Vulpeculae |
Vul | "fox" |