Each culture has its own constellation

Constellation

In modern astronomy, a constellation is an internationally defined area of the celestial sphere. These areas are grouped around asterisms, patterns formed by prominent stars within apparent proximity to one another on Earth's night sky....

s, usually based on mythology

Mythology

The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...

. This article covers the 88 constellations used in modern astronomy

Astronomy

Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...

, which properly speaking are not patterns of stars, as in the common use of the word, but areas of the sky (the celestial sphere

Celestial sphere

In astronomy and navigation, the celestial sphere is an imaginary sphere of arbitrarily large radius, concentric with the Earth and rotating upon the same axis. All objects in the sky can be thought of as projected upon the celestial sphere. Projected upward from Earth's equator and poles are the...

).

The ancient Babylonians, and later the Greeks

Greek astronomy

Greek astronomy is astronomy written in the Greek language in classical antiquity. Greek astronomy is understood to include the ancient Greek, Hellenistic, Greco-Roman, and Late Antiquity eras. It is not limited geographically to Greece or to ethnic Greeks, as the Greek language had become the...

 (as recorded by Ptolemy

Ptolemy

Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the...

), established most of the northern constellations in international use today. When European explorers mapped the stars of the southern skies, Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

an and American astronomers proposed new constellations for that region, as well as ones to fill gaps between the traditional constellations. Not all of these proposals caught on, but in 1922, the International Astronomical Union

International Astronomical Union

The International Astronomical Union IAU is a collection of professional astronomers, at the Ph.D. level and beyond, active in professional research and education in astronomy...

 (IAU) adopted the modern list of 88 constellations. After this, Eugène Delporte drew up precise boundaries for each constellation, so that every point in the sky belonged to exactly one constellation.

Modern constellations

For help with the literary English pronunciations, see the pronunciation key. There is considerable diversity in how Latinate names are pronounced in English. For traditions closer to the original, see Latin spelling and pronunciation

Latin spelling and pronunciation

Latin spelling or orthography refers to the spelling of Latin words written in the scripts of all historical phases of Latin from Old Latin to the present. They all use some phase of the same alphabet even though conventional spellings may vary from phase to phase...

.

constellation	abbreviations		genitive	origin	meaning	brightest star
Andromeda Andromeda (constellation) Andromeda is a constellation in the northern sky. It is named after Andromeda, the princess in the Greek legend of Perseus who was chained to a rock to be eaten by the sea monster Cetus... /ænˈdrɒmɨdə/	And	Andr	Andromedae /ænˈdrɒmɨdiː/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	Andromeda Andromeda (mythology) Andromeda is a princess from Greek mythology who, as divine punishment for her mother's bragging, the Boast of Cassiopeia, was chained to a rock as a sacrifice to a sea monster. She was saved from death by Perseus, her future husband. Her name is the Latinized form of the Greek Ἀνδρομέδη...  (mythological character)	Alpheratz Alpha Andromedae Alpha Andromedae , which has the traditional names Alpheratz and Sirrah , is the brightest star in the constellation of Andromeda. Located immediately northeast of the constellation of Pegasus, it is the northeastern star of the Great Square of Pegasus...
Antlia /ˈæntliə/	Ant	Antl	Antliae /ˈæntli.iː/	1763, Lacaille Nicolas Louis de Lacaille Abbé Nicolas Louis de Lacaille was a French astronomer.He is noted for his catalogue of nearly 10,000 southern stars, including 42 nebulous objects. This catalogue, called Coelum Australe Stelliferum, was published posthumously in 1763. It introduced 14 new constellations which have since become...	air pump	α Antliae Alpha Antliae Alpha Antliae is the brightest star in the constellation of Antlia but it has not been given a proper name. It is approximately 370 light-years from the Solar System. It is a K-type giant star that varies in apparent visual magnitude between 4.22 and 4.29...
Apus  /ˈeɪpəs/	Aps	Apus	Apodis /ˈæpɵdɨs/	1603, Uranometria Uranometria Uranometria is the short title of a star atlas produced by Johann Bayer.It was published in Augsburg, Germany, in 1603 by Christophorus Mangus under the full title Uranometria : omnium asterismorum continens schemata, nova methodo delineata, aereis laminis expressa. This translates to... , created by Keyser Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser , a.k.a. Petrus Theodori, was a Dutch navigator who mapped the southern sky....  and de Houtman Frederick de Houtman Frederick de Houtman , or Frederik de Houtman, was a Dutch explorer who sailed along the Western coast of Australia en route to Batavia.-Biography:...	Bird-of-paradise	α Apodis Alpha Apodis Alpha Apodis is the brightest star in the constellation of Apus. It is a K-type giant star with an apparent visual magnitude of approximately 3.825. It is approximately 410 light-years from the Earth....
Aquarius Aquarius (constellation) Aquarius is a constellation of the zodiac, situated between Capricornus and Pisces. Its name is Latin for "water-bearer" or "cup-bearer", and its symbol is , a representation of water....   /əˈkwɛəriəs/	Aqr	Aqar	Aquarii /əˈkwɛəriaɪ/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	water-bearer	Sadalsud Beta Aquarii Beta Aquarii is a triple star in the constellation Aquarius. It has the traditional name Sadalsuud, from an Arabic expression سعد السعود sa‘d al-su‘ūd, the "luck of lucks"...
Aquila Aquila (constellation) Aquila is a stellar constellation. Its name is Latin for 'eagle' and it is commonly represented as such. In mythology, Aquila was owned by the Roman god Jupiter and performed many tasks for him....   /ˈækwɨlə/	Aql	Aqil	Aquilae /ˈækwɨliː/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	eagle Eagle Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...	Altair
Ara Ara (constellation) Ara is a southern constellation situated between Scorpius and Triangulum Australe. Its name is Latin for "altar". Ara was one of the 48 Greek constellations described by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations defined by the International Astronomical... /ˈɛərə/	Ara	Arae	Arae /ˈɛəriː/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	altar	β Arae Beta Arae Beta Arae is the brightest star in the constellation Ara.Beta Arae is an orange K-type bright giant or supergiant with an apparent magnitude of +2.84...
Aries Aries (constellation) Aries is one of the constellations of the zodiac, located between Pisces to the west and Taurus to the east. Its name is Latin for ram, and its symbol is , representing a ram's horns... /ˈɛəriːz/, /ˈɛərɪ.iːz/	Ari	Arie	Arietis /əˈraɪ.ɨtɨs/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	ram	Hamal
Auriga Auriga (constellation) Auriga is a constellation in the northern sky. Its name is Latin for 'charioteer' and its stars form a shape that has been associated with the pointed helmet of a charioteer. It was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and remains among the 88 modern...   /ɔːˈraɪɡə/	Aur	Auri	Aurigae /ɔːˈraɪdʒiː/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	charioteer	Capella
Boötes  /boʊˈoʊtiːz/	Boo	Boot	Boötis /boʊˈoʊtɨs/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	herdsman	Arcturus
Caelum /ˈsiːləm/	Cae	Cael	Caeli /ˈsiːlaɪ/	1763, Lacaille Nicolas Louis de Lacaille Abbé Nicolas Louis de Lacaille was a French astronomer.He is noted for his catalogue of nearly 10,000 southern stars, including 42 nebulous objects. This catalogue, called Coelum Australe Stelliferum, was published posthumously in 1763. It introduced 14 new constellations which have since become...	chisel	α Caeli Alpha Caeli Alpha Caeli is a double star system in the constellation Caelum.Alpha Caeli A is an F-type main sequence star with a stellar classification of F2V and an apparent magnitude of +4.44. It has 1.48 times the mass of the Sun and 1.3 times the solar radius. The projected rotational velocity at the...
Camelopardalis  /kəˌmɛlɵˈpɑrdəlɨs/	Cam	Caml	Camelopardalis / kəˌmɛlɵˈpɑrdəlɨs/	1613, Plancius Petrus Plancius Petrus Plancius was a Dutch astronomer, cartographer and clergyman. He was born as Pieter Platevoet in Dranouter, now in Heuvelland, West Flanders. He studied theology in Germany and England...	giraffe Giraffe The giraffe is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest of all extant land-living animal species, and the largest ruminant...	β Camelopardalis Beta Camelopardalis Beta Camelopardalis is a star in the constellation Camelopardalis.β Camelopardalis is a yellow G-type supergiant with an apparent magnitude of +4.03. This is a double star, with components of magnitudes 4.0 and 7.4. It is approximately 1000 light years from Earth.-References:* * *...
Cancer Cancer (constellation) Cancer is one of the twelve constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for crab and it is commonly represented as such. Its symbol is . Cancer is small and its stars are faint...   /ˈkænsər/	Cnc	Canc	Cancri /ˈkæŋkraɪ/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	crab Crab True crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" , or where the reduced abdomen is entirely hidden under the thorax...	Tarf Beta Cancri Beta Cancri is the brightest star in the constellation Cancer. It has the traditional name Tarf or Al Tarf , certainly a derivation from Arabic الطرف aṭ-ṭarf "the eye" or طرفة aṭ-ṭarfah "the glance "...
Canes Venatici  /ˈkeɪniːz vɨˈnætɨsaɪ/	CVn	CVen	Canum Venaticorum /ˈkeɪnəm vɨnætɨˈkɒrəm/	1690, Firmamentum Sobiescianum, Hevelius Johannes Hevelius Johannes Hevelius Some sources refer to Hevelius as Polish:Some sources refer to Hevelius as German:*Encyplopedia Britannica * of the Royal Society was a councilor and mayor of Danzig , Pomeranian Voivodeship, in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth...	hunting dogs	Cor Caroli
Canis Major  /ˈkeɪnɨs ˈmeɪdʒər/	CMa	CMaj	Canis Majoris /ˈkeɪnɨs məˈdʒɒrɨs/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	greater dog Dog The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...	Sirius
Canis Minor  /ˈkeɪnɨs ˈmaɪnər/	CMi	CMin	Canis Minoris /ˈkeɪnɨs mɨˈnɒrɨs/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	lesser dog Dog The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...	Procyon
Capricornus Capricornus Capricornus is one of the constellations of the zodiac; it is often called Capricorn, especially when referring to the corresponding astrological sign. Its name is Latin for "horned male goat" or "goat horn", and it is commonly represented in the form of a sea-goat: a mythical creature that is half...   /ˌkæprɨˈkɔrnəs/	Cap	Capr	Capricorni /ˌkæprɨˈkɔrnaɪ/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	sea goat Goat The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...	Deneb Algiedi Delta Capricorni Delta Capricorni , also traditionally named Deneb Algedi and Scheddi, is a quaternary star system approximately 39 light-years away in the constellation of Capricornus . The primary star in the system is a white giant star and the combined light of its four members makes it the brightest "single"...
Carina Carina (constellation) Carina is a constellation in the southern sky. Its name is Latin for the keel of a ship, and it was formerly part of the larger constellation of Argo Navis until that constellation was divided in three.-Stars:...   /kəˈraɪnə/	Car	Cari	Carinae /kəˈraɪniː/	1763, Lacaille Nicolas Louis de Lacaille Abbé Nicolas Louis de Lacaille was a French astronomer.He is noted for his catalogue of nearly 10,000 southern stars, including 42 nebulous objects. This catalogue, called Coelum Australe Stelliferum, was published posthumously in 1763. It introduced 14 new constellations which have since become... , split from Argo Navis Argo Navis Argo Navis was a large constellation in the southern sky that has since been divided into three constellations. It represented the Argo, the ship used by Jason and the Argonauts in Greek mythology...	keel	Canopus
Cassiopeia Cassiopeia (constellation) Cassiopeia is a constellation in the northern sky, named after the vain queen Cassiopeia in Greek mythology, who boasted about her unrivalled beauty. Cassiopea was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century Greek astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations today...   /ˌkæsi.ɵˈpiːə/	Cas	Cass	Cassiopeiae /ˌkæsi.ɵˈpiː.iː/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	Cassiopeia Cassiopeia (mythology) Cassiopeia is the name of several figures in Greek mythology.-Wife of Cepheus:The Queen Cassiopeia, wife of king Cepheus of Æthiopia, was beautiful but also arrogant and vain; these latter two characteristics led to her downfall....  (mythological character)	Shedir Alpha Cassiopeiae Alpha Cassiopeiae is a second magnitude star in the constellation Cassiopeia, with the traditional name Schedar, sometimes spelt Shedir. Though listed as the alpha star by Johann Bayer, Schedar's visual brightness closely rivals the beta star in the constellation, Caph...
Centaurus  /sɛnˈtɔrəs/	Cen	Cent	Centauri /sɛnˈtɔraɪ/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	centaur Centaur In Greek mythology, a centaur or hippocentaur is a member of a composite race of creatures, part human and part horse...	Rigil Kentaurus Alpha Centauri Alpha Centauri is the brightest star in the southern constellation of Centaurus...
Cepheus Cepheus (constellation) Cepheus is a constellation in the northern sky. It is named after Cepheus, King of Aethiopia in Greek mythology. It was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and remains one of the 88 modern constellations.-Stars:...   /ˈsiːfiəs/, /ˈsiːfjuːs/	Cep	Ceph	Cephei /ˈsiːfiaɪ/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	Cepheus Cepheus, King of Aethiopia In Greek mythology, Cepheus is the name of two rulers of Ethiopia, grandfather and grandson.Cepheus son of Belus was the son of Belus and Achiroe, making him the brother of Danaus, King of Libya, and Aegyptus, King of Egypt. He had a wife named Iope and a son who he named Agenor after his paternal...  (mythological character)	Alderamin Alpha Cephei Alpha Cephei is a second magnitude star in the constellation of Cepheus that is relatively close to Earth at only 49 light years...
Cetus /ˈsiːtəs/	Cet	Ceti	Ceti /ˈsiːtaɪ/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	sea monster (later interpreted as a whale)	Deneb Kaitos Beta Ceti Beta Ceti is the brightest star in the constellation Cetus. Although it has the Bayer designation "beta", it is actually brighter than Alpha Ceti. It has the traditional names Deneb Kaitos and Diphda...
Chamaeleon  /kəˈmiːliən/	Cha	Cham	Chamaeleontis /kəˌmiːliˈɒntɨs/	1603, Uranometria Uranometria Uranometria is the short title of a star atlas produced by Johann Bayer.It was published in Augsburg, Germany, in 1603 by Christophorus Mangus under the full title Uranometria : omnium asterismorum continens schemata, nova methodo delineata, aereis laminis expressa. This translates to... , created by Keyser Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser , a.k.a. Petrus Theodori, was a Dutch navigator who mapped the southern sky....  and de Houtman Frederick de Houtman Frederick de Houtman , or Frederik de Houtman, was a Dutch explorer who sailed along the Western coast of Australia en route to Batavia.-Biography:...	chameleon Chameleon Chameleons are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of lizards. They are distinguished by their parrot-like zygodactylous feet, their separately mobile and stereoscopic eyes, their very long, highly modified, and rapidly extrudable tongues, their swaying gait, the possession by many of a...	α Chamaeleontis Alpha Chamaeleontis Alpha Chamaeleontis is a star in the constellation Chamaeleon.-References:#...
Circinus  /ˈsɜrsɨnəs/	Cir	Circ	Circini /ˈsɜrsɨnaɪ/	1763, Lacaille Nicolas Louis de Lacaille Abbé Nicolas Louis de Lacaille was a French astronomer.He is noted for his catalogue of nearly 10,000 southern stars, including 42 nebulous objects. This catalogue, called Coelum Australe Stelliferum, was published posthumously in 1763. It introduced 14 new constellations which have since become...	compass (drawing tool)	α Circini Alpha Circini Alpha Circini is a variable star in the constellation of Circinus, belonging to the class of rapidly oscillating Ap stars.-References:#...
Columba Columba (constellation) Columba is a small, faint constellation created in the late sixteenth century. Its name is Latin for dove. It is located just south of Canis Major and Lepus.-History:... /kɵˈlʌmbə/	Col	Colm	Columbae /kɵˈlʌmbiː/	1592, Plancius Petrus Plancius Petrus Plancius was a Dutch astronomer, cartographer and clergyman. He was born as Pieter Platevoet in Dranouter, now in Heuvelland, West Flanders. He studied theology in Germany and England... , split from Canis Major Canis Major Canis Major is one of the 88 modern constellations, and was included in the 2nd-century astronomer Ptolemy's 48 constellations. Its name is Latin for 'greater dog', and is commonly represented as one of the dogs following Orion the hunter...	dove	Phact Alpha Columbae Alpha Columbae is a 3rd magnitude and the brightest star in the constellation Columba. It is also known as Phact.- Physical charactericities :...
Coma Berenices  /ˈkoʊmə bɛrəˈnaɪsiːz/	Com	Coma	Comae Berenices /ˈkoʊmiː bɛrəˈnaɪsiːz/	1603, Uranometria Uranometria Uranometria is the short title of a star atlas produced by Johann Bayer.It was published in Augsburg, Germany, in 1603 by Christophorus Mangus under the full title Uranometria : omnium asterismorum continens schemata, nova methodo delineata, aereis laminis expressa. This translates to... , split from Leo	Berenice Berenice II Berenice II was the daughter of Magas of Cyrene and Queen Apama II, and the wife of Ptolemy III Euergetes, the third ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt.... 's hair	β Comae Berenices Beta Comae Berenices Beta Comae Berenices is a main sequence dwarf star in the constellation of Coma Berenices. It is located at a distance of about 30 light years. The Greek letter beta usually indicates that the star has the second highest visual magnitude in the constellation...
Corona Australis /kɵˈroʊnə ʔɔːˈstrælɨs/, /kɵˈroʊnə ʔɔːˈstreɪlɨs/	CrA	CorA	Coronae Australis /kɵˈroʊniː ʔɔːˈstrælɨs/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	southern crown	Alphekka Meridiana Alpha Coronae Australis Alpha Coronae Australis is a star in the constellation Corona Australis. It is the only star in the constellation with a proper name, Alphekka Meridiana , after the brightest star in Corona Borealis, Alphecca...
Corona Borealis  /kɵˈroʊnə ˌbɔəriˈælɨs/, /kɒˈroʊnə bɔəriˈeɪlɨs/	CrB	CorB	Coronae Borealis /kɵˈroʊniː bɔəriˈælɨs/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	northern crown	Alphecca
Corvus Corvus (constellation) Corvus is a small constellation in the southern sky. Its name is Latin for raven or crow. It includes only 11 stars visible to the naked eye...   /ˈkɔrvəs/	Crv	Corv	Corvi /ˈkɔrvaɪ/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	crow Crow Crows form the genus Corvus in the family Corvidae. Ranging in size from the relatively small pigeon-size jackdaws to the Common Raven of the Holarctic region and Thick-billed Raven of the highlands of Ethiopia, the 40 or so members of this genus occur on all temperate continents and several...	Gienah Gamma Corvi Gamma Corvi is the brightest star in the constellation Corvus. Its traditional name is Gienah, which it shares with Epsilon Cygni...
Crater Crater (constellation) Crater is a constellation. Its name is Latin for cup, and in Greek mythology it is identified with the cup of the god Apollo. It was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and remains one of the 88 modern constellations...   /ˈkreɪtər/	Crt	Crat	Crateris /krəˈtɪərɨs/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	cup	Labrum Delta Crateris Delta Crateris is a star in the constellation Crater. Delta Crateris is an orange giant belonging to the spectral class K0, has apparent magnitude 3.56, and is 195 light years from Earth.-References:#...
Crux  /ˈkrʌks/	Cru	Cruc	Crucis /ˈkruːsɨs/	1603, Uranometria Uranometria Uranometria is the short title of a star atlas produced by Johann Bayer.It was published in Augsburg, Germany, in 1603 by Christophorus Mangus under the full title Uranometria : omnium asterismorum continens schemata, nova methodo delineata, aereis laminis expressa. This translates to... , split from Centaurus	southern cross	Acrux Alpha Crucis Acrux is the brightest star in the constellation Crux, the Southern Cross, and, at a combined visual magnitude 0.77, is the twelfth brightest star in the night sky...
Cygnus Cygnus (constellation) Cygnus is a northern constellation lying on the plane of the Milky Way. Its name is the Latinized Hellenic word for swan. One of the most recognizable constellations of the northern summer and autumn, it features a prominent asterism known as the Northern Cross...   /ˈsɪɡnəs/	Cyg	Cygn	Cygni /ˈsɪɡnaɪ/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	swan Swan Swans, genus Cygnus, are birds of the family Anatidae, which also includes geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe Cygnini. Sometimes, they are considered a distinct subfamily, Cygninae...	Deneb
Delphinus  /dɛlˈfaɪnəs/	Del	Dlph	Delphini /dɛlˈfaɪnaɪ/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	dolphin Dolphin Dolphins are marine mammals that are closely related to whales and porpoises. There are almost forty species of dolphin in 17 genera. They vary in size from and , up to and . They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores, mostly eating...	Rotanev Beta Delphini Beta Delphini is a binary star in the constellation of Delphinus. As a practical joke, the astronomer Niccolò Cacciatore gave it the name Rotanev, which is a reversal of his Latinized family name, Venator.In Chinese, , meaning Good Gourd, refers to an asterism consisting of β Delphini, α...
Dorado  /dɵˈreɪdoʊ/	Dor	Dora	Doradus /dɵˈreɪdəs/	1603, Uranometria Uranometria Uranometria is the short title of a star atlas produced by Johann Bayer.It was published in Augsburg, Germany, in 1603 by Christophorus Mangus under the full title Uranometria : omnium asterismorum continens schemata, nova methodo delineata, aereis laminis expressa. This translates to... , created by Keyser Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser , a.k.a. Petrus Theodori, was a Dutch navigator who mapped the southern sky....  and de Houtman Frederick de Houtman Frederick de Houtman , or Frederik de Houtman, was a Dutch explorer who sailed along the Western coast of Australia en route to Batavia.-Biography:...	gold fish Fish Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...	α Doradus Alpha Doradus Alpha Doradus is the brightest star in the constellation of Dorado. It is actually a binary system of two stars, and has an overall apparent visual magnitude which varies between 3.26 and 3.30...
Draco Draco (constellation) Draco is a constellation in the far northern sky. Its name is Latin for dragon. Draco is circumpolar for many observers in the northern hemisphere...   /ˈdreɪkoʊ/	Dra	Drac	Draconis /drəˈkoʊnɨs/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	dragon Dragon A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...	Etamin
Equuleus  /ɨˈkwuːliəs/	Equ	Equl	Equulei /ɨˈkwuːliaɪ/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	pony Pony A pony is a small horse . Depending on context, a pony may be a horse that is under an approximate or exact height at the withers, or a small horse with a specific conformation and temperament. There are many different breeds...	Kitalpha Alpha Equulei Alpha Equulei is a star in the constellation Equuleus. It has the traditional name Kitalpha , a contraction of the Arabic name قطعة الفرس "a piece of the horse"....
Eridanus Eridanus (constellation) Eridanus is a constellation. It is represented as a river; its name is the Ancient Greek name for the Po River. It was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations. It is the sixth largest of the modern... /ɨˈrɪdənəs/	Eri	Erid	Eridani /ɨˈrɪdənaɪ/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	river Eridanus Eridanos (mythology) The river Eridanos or Eridanus is a river mentioned in Greek mythology. Virgil considered it one of the rivers of Hades in his Aeneid VI, 659.-Ancient references:...  (mythology)	Achernar
Fornax /ˈfɔrnæks/	For	Forn	Fornacis /fɔrˈneɪsɨs/	1763, Lacaille Nicolas Louis de Lacaille Abbé Nicolas Louis de Lacaille was a French astronomer.He is noted for his catalogue of nearly 10,000 southern stars, including 42 nebulous objects. This catalogue, called Coelum Australe Stelliferum, was published posthumously in 1763. It introduced 14 new constellations which have since become...	brazier	Fornacis Alpha Fornacis Alpha Fornacis is the brightest star in the constellation Fornax, its only star brighter than magnitude 4.0. It has the proper names Dalim and Fornacis...
Gemini Gemini (constellation) Gemini is one of the constellations of the zodiac. It was one of the 48 constellations described by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations today. Its name is Latin for "twins", and it is associated with the twins Castor and Pollux in Greek mythology...   /ˈdʒɛmɨnaɪ/	Gem	Gemi	Geminorum /ˌdʒɛmɨˈnɒrəm/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	twin Twin A twin is one of two offspring produced in the same pregnancy. Twins can either be monozygotic , meaning that they develop from one zygote that splits and forms two embryos, or dizygotic because they develop from two separate eggs that are fertilized by two separate sperm.In contrast, a fetus... s	Pollux
Grus Grus (constellation) Grus is a constellation in the southern sky. Its name is Latin for the crane, a species of bird. It was introduced in the late sixteenth century.-History:The stars that form Grus were originally considered part of Piscis Austrinus...   /ˈɡrʌs/	Gru	Grus	Gruis /ˈɡruː.ɨs/	1603, Uranometria Uranometria Uranometria is the short title of a star atlas produced by Johann Bayer.It was published in Augsburg, Germany, in 1603 by Christophorus Mangus under the full title Uranometria : omnium asterismorum continens schemata, nova methodo delineata, aereis laminis expressa. This translates to... , created by Keyser Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser , a.k.a. Petrus Theodori, was a Dutch navigator who mapped the southern sky....  and de Houtman Frederick de Houtman Frederick de Houtman , or Frederik de Houtman, was a Dutch explorer who sailed along the Western coast of Australia en route to Batavia.-Biography:...	Crane Crane (bird) Cranes are a family, Gruidae, of large, long-legged and long-necked birds in the order Gruiformes. There are fifteen species of crane in four genera. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back...	Alnair Alpha Gruis Alpha Gruis is the brightest star in the constellation Grus.Alpha Gruis has a proper name Alnair or Al Nair , came from the Arabic al-nayyir [an-nai:r], meaning "the bright one"...
Hercules Hercules (constellation) Hercules is a constellation named after Hercules, the Roman mythological hero adapted from the Greek hero Heracles. Hercules was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations today...   /ˈhɜrkjʊliːz/	Her	Herc	Herculis /ˈhɜrkjʊlɨs/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	Hercules Heracles Heracles ,born Alcaeus or Alcides , was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, foster son of Amphitryon and great-grandson of Perseus...  (mythological character)	Kornephoros Beta Herculis Beta Herculis , which also has the name Kornephoros, is the brightest star in the constellation of Hercules. It has an apparent visual magnitude which varies between 2.76 and 2.81.Although β Herculis appears to the naked eye to be a single star, W. W...
Horologium /ˌhɒrəˈlɒdʒiəm/, /ˌhɒrəˈloʊdʒiəm/	Hor	Horo	Horologii /ˌhɒrəˈloʊdʒiaɪ/	1763, Lacaille Nicolas Louis de Lacaille Abbé Nicolas Louis de Lacaille was a French astronomer.He is noted for his catalogue of nearly 10,000 southern stars, including 42 nebulous objects. This catalogue, called Coelum Australe Stelliferum, was published posthumously in 1763. It introduced 14 new constellations which have since become...	pendulum clock	α Horologii Alpha Horologii Alpha Horologii is a giant yellow star in the constellation Horologium.-References:#...
Hydra Hydra (constellation) Hydra is the largest of the 88 modern constellations, measuring 1303 square degrees. It has a long history, having been included among the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy. It is commonly represented as a water snake...   /ˈhaɪdrə/	Hya	Hyda	Hydrae /ˈhaɪdriː/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	Hydra Lernaean Hydra In Greek mythology, the Lernaean Hydra was an ancient nameless serpent-like chthonic water beast, with reptilian traits, that possessed many heads — the poets mention more heads than the vase-painters could paint, and for each head cut off it grew two more — and poisonous breath so virulent even...  (mythological creature)	Alphard
Hydrus /ˈhaɪdrəs/	Hyi	Hydi	Hydri /ˈhaɪdraɪ/	1603, Uranometria Uranometria Uranometria is the short title of a star atlas produced by Johann Bayer.It was published in Augsburg, Germany, in 1603 by Christophorus Mangus under the full title Uranometria : omnium asterismorum continens schemata, nova methodo delineata, aereis laminis expressa. This translates to... , created by Keyser Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser , a.k.a. Petrus Theodori, was a Dutch navigator who mapped the southern sky....  and de Houtman Frederick de Houtman Frederick de Houtman , or Frederik de Houtman, was a Dutch explorer who sailed along the Western coast of Australia en route to Batavia.-Biography:...	lesser water snake Water snake Different snakes are called water snakes. Most are colubrids. "Water snake" is also sometimes used as a descriptive term for any snakes that spend a significant time in or near fresh water, such as any species belonging to the family Acrochordidae...	β Hydri Beta Hydri Beta Hydri is a star in the constellation Hydrus. It is about 24.4 light years away from Earth. It is larger and slightly more massive than the Sun....
Indus Indus (constellation) Indus is a constellation in the southern sky. Created in the sixteenth century, it represents an Indian, a word that could refer at the time to any native of Asia or the Americas.-Notable features:...   /ˈɪndəs/	Ind	Indi	Indi /ˈɪndaɪ/	1603, Uranometria Uranometria Uranometria is the short title of a star atlas produced by Johann Bayer.It was published in Augsburg, Germany, in 1603 by Christophorus Mangus under the full title Uranometria : omnium asterismorum continens schemata, nova methodo delineata, aereis laminis expressa. This translates to... , created by Keyser Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser , a.k.a. Petrus Theodori, was a Dutch navigator who mapped the southern sky....  and de Houtman Frederick de Houtman Frederick de Houtman , or Frederik de Houtman, was a Dutch explorer who sailed along the Western coast of Australia en route to Batavia.-Biography:...	Indian (American indigenous) Native Americans in the United States Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...	The Persian Alpha Indi Alpha Indi is a Class K0, third-magnitude star in the constellation Indus. Alpha Indi is an orange giant star within a multiple star system. It is located about 100 light-years from Earth....
Lacerta /ləˈsɜrtə/	Lac	Lacr	Lacertae /ləˈsɜrtiː/	1690, Firmamentum Sobiescianum, Hevelius Johannes Hevelius Johannes Hevelius Some sources refer to Hevelius as Polish:Some sources refer to Hevelius as German:*Encyplopedia Britannica * of the Royal Society was a councilor and mayor of Danzig , Pomeranian Voivodeship, in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth...	lizard Lizard Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...	α Lacertae Alpha Lacertae Alpha Lacertae is an A-type main sequence star in the constellation of Lacerta...
Leo Leo (constellation) Leo is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for lion. Its symbol is . Leo lies between dim Cancer to the west and Virgo to the east.-Stars:... /ˈliː.oʊ/	Leo	Leon	Leonis /liːˈoʊnɨs/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	lion Lion The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...	Regulus Alpha Leonis Alpha Leonis is an American indie rock band from Portland, Oregon carried on Planet Ceres Enterprises. The band began as the solo project of Atticus Reynard, who released the album "Shadows of Men" on January 5, 2010.-Members:Current...
Leo Minor /ˈliː.oʊ ˈmaɪnər/	LMi	LMin	Leonis Minoris /liːˈoʊnɨs mɨˈnɒrɨs/	1690, Firmamentum Sobiescianum, Hevelius Johannes Hevelius Johannes Hevelius Some sources refer to Hevelius as Polish:Some sources refer to Hevelius as German:*Encyplopedia Britannica * of the Royal Society was a councilor and mayor of Danzig , Pomeranian Voivodeship, in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth...	lesser lion Lion The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...	Praecipua 46 Leonis Minoris 46 Leonis Minoris is the brightest star in the constellation Leo Minor. It is sometimes known as "o LMi" , from Bode's catalogue of 1801...
Lepus Lepus (constellation) Lepus is a constellation lying just south of the celestial equator, immediately south of Orion. Its name is Latin for hare. Although the hare does not represent any particular figure in Greek mythology, Lepus was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and it...   /ˈliːpəs/	Lep	Leps	Leporis /ˈlɛpərɨs/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	hare Hare Hares and jackrabbits are leporids belonging to the genus Lepus. Hares less than one year old are called leverets. Four species commonly known as types of hare are classified outside of Lepus: the hispid hare , and three species known as red rock hares .Hares are very fast-moving...	Arneb Alpha Leporis Alpha Leporis is the brightest star in the constellation Lepus. It has the traditional name Arneb, from the Arabic أرنب ’arnab "hare"....
Libra Libra (constellation) Libra is a constellation of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for weighing scales, and its symbol is . It is fairly faint, with no first magnitude stars, and lies between Virgo to the west and Scorpius to the east.-Notable features:]...   /ˈlaɪbrə/, /ˈliːbrə/	Lib	Libr	Librae /ˈlaɪbriː/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	balance	Zubeneshamali Beta Librae Beta Librae is the brightest star in the constellation Libra. It has the traditional name Zubeneschamali and the Latin name Lanx Borealis...
Lupus Lupus (constellation) Lupus is a constellation in the southern sky. Its name is Latin for wolf. Lupus was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations...   /ˈljuːpəs/	Lup	Lupi	Lupi /ˈljuːpaɪ/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	wolf Gray Wolf The gray wolf , also known as the wolf, is the largest extant wild member of the Canidae family...	Men Alpha Lupi Alpha Lupi is the brightest star in the constellation Lupus.In Chinese, , meaning Imperial Guards, refers to an asterism consisting of α Lupi, γ Lupi, δ Lupi, κ Centauri, β Lupi, λ Lupi, ε Lupi, μ Lup, π Lupi and ο Lupi . Consequently, α Lupi itself is known as .R. H...
Lynx Lynx (constellation) Lynx is a constellation in the northern sky, introduced in the 17th century by Johannes Hevelius. It is named after the lynx, a genus of cat. It is a very faint constellation; its brightest stars form a zigzag line.-History:...   /ˈlɪŋks/	Lyn	Lync	Lyncis /ˈlɪnsɨs/	1690, Firmamentum Sobiescianum, Hevelius Johannes Hevelius Johannes Hevelius Some sources refer to Hevelius as Polish:Some sources refer to Hevelius as German:*Encyplopedia Britannica * of the Royal Society was a councilor and mayor of Danzig , Pomeranian Voivodeship, in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth...	lynx Lynx A lynx is any of the four Lynx genus species of medium-sized wildcats. The name "lynx" originated in Middle English via Latin from Greek word "λύγξ", derived from the Indo-European root "*leuk-", meaning "light, brightness", in reference to the luminescence of its reflective eyes...	Elvashak Alpha Lyncis Alpha Lyncis is a Class K7, third-magnitude star in the constellation Lynx. Alpha Lyncis is a variable star located about 220 light-years from Earth....
Lyra  /ˈlaɪrə/	Lyr	Lyra	Lyrae /ˈlaɪriː/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	lyre / harp	Vega
Mensa Mensa (constellation) Mensa is a constellation in the southern sky, created in the 18th century. Its name is Latin for table. It covers a keystone-shaped wedge of sky stretching from approximately 4h to 7.5h of right ascension, and −71 to −85.5 degrees of declination. Other than the south polar constellation... /ˈmɛnsə/	Men	Mens	Mensae /ˈmɛnsiː/	1763, Lacaille Nicolas Louis de Lacaille Abbé Nicolas Louis de Lacaille was a French astronomer.He is noted for his catalogue of nearly 10,000 southern stars, including 42 nebulous objects. This catalogue, called Coelum Australe Stelliferum, was published posthumously in 1763. It introduced 14 new constellations which have since become...	Table Mountain Table Mountain Table Mountain is a flat-topped mountain forming a prominent landmark overlooking the city of Cape Town in South Africa, and is featured in the flag of Cape Town and other local government insignia. It is a significant tourist attraction, with many visitors using the cableway or hiking to the top...  (South Africa)	α Mensae Alpha Mensae Alpha Mensae is the brightest star in the constellation Mensa. At a magnitude of 5.09, it is the dimmest lucida in all the heavens. It is a main sequence dwarf star only slightly smaller and cooler in temperature than the Sun...
Microscopium /ˌmaɪkrɵˈskoʊpiəm/	Mic	Micr	Microscopii /ˌmaɪkrɵˈskoʊpiaɪ/	1763, Lacaille Nicolas Louis de Lacaille Abbé Nicolas Louis de Lacaille was a French astronomer.He is noted for his catalogue of nearly 10,000 southern stars, including 42 nebulous objects. This catalogue, called Coelum Australe Stelliferum, was published posthumously in 1763. It introduced 14 new constellations which have since become...	microscope	γ Microscopii Gamma Microscopii Gamma Microscopii is the brightest star in the constellation of Microscopium. It is a G-type giant star with an apparent visual magnitude of approximately 4.677, around 220 light-years from the Sun...
Monoceros /məˈnɒsɨrəs/	Mon	Mono	Monocerotis /ˌmɒnɵsɨˈroʊtɨs/	1613, Plancius Petrus Plancius Petrus Plancius was a Dutch astronomer, cartographer and clergyman. He was born as Pieter Platevoet in Dranouter, now in Heuvelland, West Flanders. He studied theology in Germany and England...	unicorn Unicorn The unicorn is a legendary animal from European folklore that resembles a white horse with a large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from its forehead, and sometimes a goat's beard...	β Monocerotis Beta Monocerotis Beta Monocerotis is a triple star system in the constellation of Monoceros. To the naked eye, it appears as a single star with an apparent visual magnitude of approximately 3.74, making it the brightest visible star in the constellation...
Musca /ˈmʌskə/	Mus	Musc	Muscae /ˈmʌsiː/	1603, Uranometria Uranometria Uranometria is the short title of a star atlas produced by Johann Bayer.It was published in Augsburg, Germany, in 1603 by Christophorus Mangus under the full title Uranometria : omnium asterismorum continens schemata, nova methodo delineata, aereis laminis expressa. This translates to... , created by Keyser Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser , a.k.a. Petrus Theodori, was a Dutch navigator who mapped the southern sky....  and de Houtman Frederick de Houtman Frederick de Houtman , or Frederik de Houtman, was a Dutch explorer who sailed along the Western coast of Australia en route to Batavia.-Biography:...	fly Fly True flies are insects of the order Diptera . They possess a pair of wings on the mesothorax and a pair of halteres, derived from the hind wings, on the metathorax...	α Muscae Alpha Muscae Alpha Muscae is a Class B2, third-magnitude star in the constellation Musca.This hot class B subgiant shines from a distance of 306 light years at a luminosity of 4,520 times that of the Sun from a blue-white surface with a fairly well determined temperature of 21,900 kelvins, so hot that most of...
Norma Norma (constellation) Norma is a small and inconspicuous constellation in the southern hemisphere between Scorpius and Centaurus. Its name is Latin for normal, referring to a right angle, and is variously considered to represent a rule, a carpenter's square, a set square or a level....   /ˈnɔrmə/	Nor	Norm	Normae /ˈnɔrmiː/	1763, Lacaille Nicolas Louis de Lacaille Abbé Nicolas Louis de Lacaille was a French astronomer.He is noted for his catalogue of nearly 10,000 southern stars, including 42 nebulous objects. This catalogue, called Coelum Australe Stelliferum, was published posthumously in 1763. It introduced 14 new constellations which have since become...	carpenter's level	γ2 Normae
Octans /ˈɒktænz/	Oct	Octn	Octantis /ɒkˈtæntɨs/	1763, Lacaille Nicolas Louis de Lacaille Abbé Nicolas Louis de Lacaille was a French astronomer.He is noted for his catalogue of nearly 10,000 southern stars, including 42 nebulous objects. This catalogue, called Coelum Australe Stelliferum, was published posthumously in 1763. It introduced 14 new constellations which have since become...	octant	ν Oct
Ophiuchus  /ˌɒfiˈjuːkəs/	Oph	Ophi	Ophiuchi /ˌɒfiˈjuːkaɪ/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	serpent Snake Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales... -bearer	Ras Alhague Alpha Ophiuchi Alpha Ophiuchi is the brightest star in the constellation Ophiuchus. It has the traditional name Ras Alhague, often condensed to Rasalhague....
Orion Orion (constellation) Orion, often referred to as The Hunter, is a prominent constellation located on the celestial equator and visible throughout the world. It is one of the most conspicuous, and most recognizable constellations in the night sky...   /ɵˈraɪ.ən/	Ori	Orio	Orionis /ɵˈraɪ.ənɨs/, /ˌɒriˈoʊnɨs/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	Orion Orion (mythology) Orion was a giant huntsman in Greek mythology whom Zeus placed among the stars as the constellation of Orion....  (mythological character)	Rigel
Pavo Pavo (constellation) Pavo is a constellation in the southern sky. Its name is Latin for peacock. It is one of twelve constellations created by Petrus Plancius from the observations of Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman and it first appeared on a 35-cm diameter celestial globe published in 1597 in...   /ˈpeɪvoʊ/	Pav	Pavo	Pavonis /pəˈvoʊnɨs/	1603, Uranometria Uranometria Uranometria is the short title of a star atlas produced by Johann Bayer.It was published in Augsburg, Germany, in 1603 by Christophorus Mangus under the full title Uranometria : omnium asterismorum continens schemata, nova methodo delineata, aereis laminis expressa. This translates to... , created by Keyser Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser , a.k.a. Petrus Theodori, was a Dutch navigator who mapped the southern sky....  and de Houtman Frederick de Houtman Frederick de Houtman , or Frederik de Houtman, was a Dutch explorer who sailed along the Western coast of Australia en route to Batavia.-Biography:...	peacock Peafowl Peafowl are two Asiatic species of flying birds in the genus Pavo of the pheasant family, Phasianidae, best known for the male's extravagant eye-spotted tail, which it displays as part of courtship. The male is called a peacock, the female a peahen, and the offspring peachicks. The adult female...	Peacock Alpha Pavonis Alpha Pavonis is a star in the constellation Pavo. It is also known by the name Peacock, which was assigned by Her Majesty's Nautical Almanac Office in the late 1930s during the creation of the Air Almanac, a navigational almanac for the Royal Air Force...
Pegasus Pegasus (constellation) Pegasus is a constellation in the northern sky, named after the winged horse Pegasus in Greek mythology. It was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and remains one of the 88 modern constellations.-Stars:... /ˈpɛɡəsəs/	Peg	Pegs	Pegasi /ˈpɛɡəsaɪ/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	Pegasus Pegasus Pegasus is one of the best known fantastical as well as mythological creatures in Greek mythology. He is a winged divine horse, usually white in color. He was sired by Poseidon, in his role as horse-god, and foaled by the Gorgon Medusa. He was the brother of Chrysaor, born at a single birthing...  (mythological winged horse)	Enif
Perseus Perseus (constellation) Perseus is a constellation in the northern sky, named after the Greek hero Perseus. It was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and remains one of the 88 modern constellations defined by the International Astronomical Union...   /ˈpɜrsiəs, ˈpɜrsjuːs/	Per	Pers	Persei /ˈpɜrsi.aɪ/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	Perseus Perseus Perseus ,Perseos and Perseas are not used in English. the legendary founder of Mycenae and of the Perseid dynasty of Danaans there, was the first of the mythic heroes of Greek mythology whose exploits in defeating various archaic monsters provided the founding myths of the Twelve Olympians...  (mythological character)	Mirfak Alpha Persei Alpha Persei is the brightest star in the constellation of Perseus, just outshining the constellation's best known star Algol. It also bears the traditional names Mirfak and Algenib...
Phoenix Phoenix (constellation) Phoenix is a minor constellation in the southern sky. It is named after the Phoenix, a mythical bird. It is faint: there are only two stars in the whole constellation which are brighter than magnitude 5.0... /ˈfiːnɨks/	Phe	Phoe	Phoenicis /fɨˈnaɪsɨs/	1603, Uranometria Uranometria Uranometria is the short title of a star atlas produced by Johann Bayer.It was published in Augsburg, Germany, in 1603 by Christophorus Mangus under the full title Uranometria : omnium asterismorum continens schemata, nova methodo delineata, aereis laminis expressa. This translates to... , created by Keyser Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser , a.k.a. Petrus Theodori, was a Dutch navigator who mapped the southern sky....  and de Houtman Frederick de Houtman Frederick de Houtman , or Frederik de Houtman, was a Dutch explorer who sailed along the Western coast of Australia en route to Batavia.-Biography:...	phoenix Phoenix (mythology) The phoenix or phenix is a mythical sacred firebird that can be found in the mythologies of the Arabian, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Chinese, Indian and Phoenicians....	Ankaa Alpha Phoenicis Alpha Phoenicis is the brightest star in the constellation Phoenix. It has the traditional name Ankaa, from the Arabic العنقاء al-‘anqā’ "the phoenix"...
Pictor  /ˈpɪktər/	Pic	Pict	Pictoris /pɪkˈtɔərɨs/	1763, Lacaille Nicolas Louis de Lacaille Abbé Nicolas Louis de Lacaille was a French astronomer.He is noted for his catalogue of nearly 10,000 southern stars, including 42 nebulous objects. This catalogue, called Coelum Australe Stelliferum, was published posthumously in 1763. It introduced 14 new constellations which have since become...	easel	α Pictoris Alpha Pictoris Alpha Pictoris is the brightest star in the constellation Pictor with an apparent magnitude of 3.30. It is located about 99 light years from the Sun...
Pisces Pisces (constellation) Pisces is a constellation of the zodiac. Its name is the Latin plural for fish, and its symbol is . It lies between Aquarius to the west and Aries to the east... /ˈpaɪsiːz/, /ˈpɪsiːz/	Psc	Pisc	Piscium /ˈpɪʃiəm/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	fishes Fish Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...	Alpherg Eta Piscium Eta Piscium is the brightest star in the constellation Pisces. Eta Piscium is located at a distance of about 294 light years from Earth and shines at magnitude +3.62. It is of Spectral type G7 III...
Piscis Austrinus  /ˈpaɪsɨs ɔːˈstraɪnəs/	PsA	PscA	Piscis Austrini /ˈpaɪsɨs ɔːˈstraɪnaɪ/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	southern fish Fish Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...	Fomalhaut
Puppis /ˈpʌpɨs/	Pup	Pupp	Puppis /ˈpʌpɨs/	1763, Lacaille Nicolas Louis de Lacaille Abbé Nicolas Louis de Lacaille was a French astronomer.He is noted for his catalogue of nearly 10,000 southern stars, including 42 nebulous objects. This catalogue, called Coelum Australe Stelliferum, was published posthumously in 1763. It introduced 14 new constellations which have since become... , split from Argo Navis Argo Navis Argo Navis was a large constellation in the southern sky that has since been divided into three constellations. It represented the Argo, the ship used by Jason and the Argonauts in Greek mythology...	poop deck	Naos Zeta Puppis Zeta Puppis is a star in the constellation of Puppis. It is also known by the traditional names Naos and Suhail Hadar in Arabic....
Pyxis  /ˈpɪksɨs/	Pyx	Pyxi	Pyxidis /ˈpɪksɨdɨs/	1763, Lacaille Nicolas Louis de Lacaille Abbé Nicolas Louis de Lacaille was a French astronomer.He is noted for his catalogue of nearly 10,000 southern stars, including 42 nebulous objects. This catalogue, called Coelum Australe Stelliferum, was published posthumously in 1763. It introduced 14 new constellations which have since become...	mariner's compass	α Pyxidis Alpha Pyxidis Alpha Pyxidis is a giant star in the constellation Pyxis. It has a stellar classification of B1.5III and is a Beta Cephei variable. This star has more than ten times the mass of the Sun and is more than six times the Sun's radius. The surface temperature is 24,300 K and the star is about...
Reticulum  /rɨˈtɪkjʊləm/	Ret	Reti	Reticuli /rɨˈtɪkjʊlaɪ/	1763, Lacaille Nicolas Louis de Lacaille Abbé Nicolas Louis de Lacaille was a French astronomer.He is noted for his catalogue of nearly 10,000 southern stars, including 42 nebulous objects. This catalogue, called Coelum Australe Stelliferum, was published posthumously in 1763. It introduced 14 new constellations which have since become...	eyepiece graticule	α Reticuli Alpha Reticuli Alpha Reticuli is a G-type bright giant star. It is the brightest star in the constellation of Reticulum and has an apparent visual magnitude of approximately 3.343....
Sagitta /səˈdʒɪtə/	Sge	Sgte	Sagittae /səˈdʒɪtiː/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	arrow	γ Sagittae
Sagittarius Sagittarius (constellation) Sagittarius is a constellation of the zodiac, the one containing the galactic center. Its name is Latin for the archer, and its symbol is , a stylized arrow. Sagittarius is commonly represented as a centaur drawing a bow... /sædʒɨˈtɛəriəs/	Sgr	Sgtr	Sagittarii /ˌsædʒəˈtɛəriaɪ/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	archer Archery Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...	Kaus Australis Epsilon Sagittarii Epsilon Sagittarii is a binary star that lies 144.64 light-years distant in the constellation Sagittarius. It has a faint, 14th magnitude, companion, Epsilon Sagittarii B, 32 arcseconds distant....
Scorpius /ˈskɔrpiəs/	Sco	Scor	Scorpii /ˈskɔrpiaɪ/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	scorpion Scorpion Scorpions are predatory arthropod animals of the order Scorpiones within the class Arachnida. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by the pair of grasping claws and the narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back, ending with a venomous stinger...	Antares
Sculptor Sculptor (constellation) Sculptor is a small and faint constellation in the southern sky. It represents a sculptor. It was introduced by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in the 18th century. He originally named it Apparatus Sculptoris , but the name was later shortened.-Notable features:No stars brighter than 3rd magnitude are... /ˈskʌlptər/	Scl	Scul	Sculptoris /skəlpˈtɒrɨs/	1763, Lacaille Nicolas Louis de Lacaille Abbé Nicolas Louis de Lacaille was a French astronomer.He is noted for his catalogue of nearly 10,000 southern stars, including 42 nebulous objects. This catalogue, called Coelum Australe Stelliferum, was published posthumously in 1763. It introduced 14 new constellations which have since become...	sculptor	α Sculptoris Alpha Sculptoris Alpha Sculptoris is a star in the constellation Sculptor.Alpha Sculptoris is a blue-white B-type giant with an apparent magnitude of +4.30. It is approximately 680 light years from Earth...
Scutum /ˈskjuːtəm/	Sct	Scut	Scuti /ˈskjuːtaɪ/	1690, Firmamentum Sobiescianum, Hevelius Johannes Hevelius Johannes Hevelius Some sources refer to Hevelius as Polish:Some sources refer to Hevelius as German:*Encyplopedia Britannica * of the Royal Society was a councilor and mayor of Danzig , Pomeranian Voivodeship, in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth...	shield (of Sobieski Sobieski Sobieski is a Polish noble family name, and may refer to:-People:... )	α Scuti Alpha Scuti Alpha Scuti is a fourth-magnitude star in the constellation Scutum. Alpha Scuti is an orange K-type giant with an apparent magnitude of +3.85. Alpha Scuti is a known variable star. It is approximately 174 light years from Earth....
Serpens /ˈsɜrpɛnz/	Ser	Serp	Serpentis /sərˈpɛntɨs/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	snake Snake Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...	Unukalhai Alpha Serpentis Alpha Serpentis is a triple star system in the constellation Serpens, in its head . Alpha Serpentis has the proper names Unukalhai, from the Arabic عنق الحية ‘Unuq al-Ħayyah "the Serpent's Neck", and Cor Serpentis from the Latin "the Heart of the Serpent"...
Sextans  /ˈsɛkstənz/	Sex	Sext	Sextantis /sɛksˈtæntɨs/	1690, Firmamentum Sobiescianum, Hevelius Johannes Hevelius Johannes Hevelius Some sources refer to Hevelius as Polish:Some sources refer to Hevelius as German:*Encyplopedia Britannica * of the Royal Society was a councilor and mayor of Danzig , Pomeranian Voivodeship, in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth...	sextant	α Sextantis Alpha Sextantis Alpha Sextantis is the brightest star in the constellation Sextans. It is a white A-type giant with an apparent magnitude of +4.48. It is approximately 287 light years from Earth....
Taurus Taurus (constellation) Taurus is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Its name is a Latin word meaning 'bull', and its astrological symbol is a stylized bull's head:...   /ˈtɔrəs/	Tau	Taur	Tauri /ˈtɔraɪ/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	bull Cattle Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...	Aldebaran
Telescopium  /ˌtɛlɨˈskɒpiəm/	Tel	Tele	Telescopii /ˌtɛlɨˈskɒpiaɪ/	1763, Lacaille Nicolas Louis de Lacaille Abbé Nicolas Louis de Lacaille was a French astronomer.He is noted for his catalogue of nearly 10,000 southern stars, including 42 nebulous objects. This catalogue, called Coelum Australe Stelliferum, was published posthumously in 1763. It introduced 14 new constellations which have since become...	telescope	α Telescopii Alpha Telescopii Alpha Telescopii is the brightest star in the constellation Telescopium.Alpha Telescopii is a blue-white B-type subgiant with an apparent magnitude of +3.49. It is approximately 249 light years from Earth...
Triangulum /traɪˈæŋɡjʊləm/	Tri	Tria	Trianguli /traɪˈæŋɡjʊlaɪ/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	triangle	β Trianguli Beta Trianguli Beta Trianguli is the brightest star in the constellation Triangulum.In Chinese traditional astronomy, it was the 9th star of Tien Ta Tseang ....
Triangulum Australe /traɪˈæŋɡjʊləm ɔːˈstræliː/, /traɪˈæŋɡjʊləm ɔːˈstreɪliː/	TrA	TrAu	Trianguli Australis /traɪˈæŋɡjʊlaɪ ʔɔːˈstrælɨs/	1603 Uranometria Uranometria Uranometria is the short title of a star atlas produced by Johann Bayer.It was published in Augsburg, Germany, in 1603 by Christophorus Mangus under the full title Uranometria : omnium asterismorum continens schemata, nova methodo delineata, aereis laminis expressa. This translates to... , created by Keyser Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser , a.k.a. Petrus Theodori, was a Dutch navigator who mapped the southern sky....  and de Houtman Frederick de Houtman Frederick de Houtman , or Frederik de Houtman, was a Dutch explorer who sailed along the Western coast of Australia en route to Batavia.-Biography:...	southern triangle	Atria Alpha Trianguli Australis Alpha Trianguli Australis is a star in the constellation Triangulum Australe....
Tucana  /tjʊˈkeɪnə/	Tuc	Tucn	Tucanae /tjʊˈkeɪniː/	1603 Uranometria Uranometria Uranometria is the short title of a star atlas produced by Johann Bayer.It was published in Augsburg, Germany, in 1603 by Christophorus Mangus under the full title Uranometria : omnium asterismorum continens schemata, nova methodo delineata, aereis laminis expressa. This translates to... , created by Keyser Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser , a.k.a. Petrus Theodori, was a Dutch navigator who mapped the southern sky....  and de Houtman Frederick de Houtman Frederick de Houtman , or Frederik de Houtman, was a Dutch explorer who sailed along the Western coast of Australia en route to Batavia.-Biography:...	toucan Toucan Toucans are members of the family Ramphastidae of near passerine birds from the Neotropics. The family is most closely related to the American barbets. They are brightly marked and have large, often colorful bills. The family includes five genera and about forty different species...	α Tucanae Alpha Tucanae Alpha Tucanae is a binary star in the constellation Tucana.The primary component, Alpha Tucanae A, is an orange K-type giant with an apparent magnitude of +2.87. It is approximately 199 light years from Earth...
Ursa Major  /ˌɜrsə ˈmeɪdʒər/	UMa	UMaj	Ursae Majoris /ˌɜrsiː məˈdʒɒrɨs/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	great bear Bear Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...	Alioth Epsilon Ursae Majoris Epsilon Ursae Majoris is the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Major , and at magnitude 1.76 is the thirty-first brightest star in the sky...
Ursa Minor  /ˌɜrsə ˈmaɪnər/	UMi	UMin	Ursae Minoris /ˌɜrsiː mɨˈnɒrɨs/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	lesser bear Bear Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...	Polaris
Vela Vela (constellation) Vela is a constellation in the southern sky. Its name is Latin for the sails of a ship, and it was originally part of a larger constellation, the ship Argo Navis, which was later divided into three parts, the others being Carina and Puppis.-Stars:...   /ˈviːlə/	Vel	Velr	Velorum /vɨˈlɔərəm/	1763, Lacaille Nicolas Louis de Lacaille Abbé Nicolas Louis de Lacaille was a French astronomer.He is noted for his catalogue of nearly 10,000 southern stars, including 42 nebulous objects. This catalogue, called Coelum Australe Stelliferum, was published posthumously in 1763. It introduced 14 new constellations which have since become... , split from Argo Navis Argo Navis Argo Navis was a large constellation in the southern sky that has since been divided into three constellations. It represented the Argo, the ship used by Jason and the Argonauts in Greek mythology...	sails	Regor Gamma Velorum Gamma Velorum is a star system in the constellation Vela. At magnitude +1.7, it is one of the brightest stars in the night sky. It has the traditional names Suhail and Suhail al Muhlif, which confusingly also apply to Lambda Velorum...
Virgo Virgo (constellation) Virgo is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for virgin, and its symbol is . Lying between Leo to the west and Libra to the east, it is the second largest constellation in the sky...   /ˈvɜrɡoʊ/	Vir	Virg	Virginis /ˈvɜrdʒɨnɨs/	ancient (Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... )	virgin or maiden	Spica
Volans /ˈvoʊlænz/	Vol	Voln	Volantis /vɵˈlæntɨs/	1603, Uranometria Uranometria Uranometria is the short title of a star atlas produced by Johann Bayer.It was published in Augsburg, Germany, in 1603 by Christophorus Mangus under the full title Uranometria : omnium asterismorum continens schemata, nova methodo delineata, aereis laminis expressa. This translates to... , created by Keyser Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser , a.k.a. Petrus Theodori, was a Dutch navigator who mapped the southern sky....  and de Houtman Frederick de Houtman Frederick de Houtman , or Frederik de Houtman, was a Dutch explorer who sailed along the Western coast of Australia en route to Batavia.-Biography:...	flying fish	β Volantis Beta Volantis Beta Volantis is the brightest star of the constellation Volans. Its distance is about 108 light years and spectral class is K1III....
Vulpecula /vʌlˈpɛkjʊlə/	Vul	Vulp	Vulpeculae /vʌlˈpɛkjʊliː/	1690, Firmamentum Sobiescianum, Hevelius Johannes Hevelius Johannes Hevelius Some sources refer to Hevelius as Polish:Some sources refer to Hevelius as German:*Encyplopedia Britannica * of the Royal Society was a councilor and mayor of Danzig , Pomeranian Voivodeship, in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth...	fox Fox Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...	Anser Alpha Vulpeculae Alpha Vulpeculae is the brightest star in the constellation Vulpecula. It has a traditional name, variously represented as Lukida, Lucida Anseris, or Anser, a tradition kept from when the constellation had the name Vulpecula et Anser 'the fox and the goose'.Alpha Vulpeculae is a red giant of...

Former constellations

Some constellations are no longer recognized by the International Astronomical Union

International Astronomical Union

The International Astronomical Union IAU is a collection of professional astronomers, at the Ph.D. level and beyond, active in professional research and education in astronomy...

, but may appear in older star charts and other references. Most notable is Argo Navis

Argo Navis

Argo Navis was a large constellation in the southern sky that has since been divided into three constellations. It represented the Argo, the ship used by Jason and the Argonauts in Greek mythology...

, which was one of Ptolemy's

Ptolemy

Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the...

 original 48 constellations.

Asterisms

Various other unofficial patterns have existed alongside the constellations. These are known as "asterisms." Examples include the Big Dipper

Big Dipper

The Plough, also known as the Big Dipper or the Saptarishi , is an asterism of seven stars that has been recognized as a distinct grouping in many cultures from time immemorial...

 and the Northern Cross

Northern Cross

Northern Cross may refer to:* Northern Cross, an asterism in the constellation Cygnus* Northern Cross , an annual pilgrimage in northern England and the England-Scotland border...

.
Some ancient asterisms, for example Coma Berenices

Coma Berenices

Coma Berenices is a traditional asterism that has since been defined as one of the 88 modern constellations. It is located near Leo, to which it formerly belonged, and accommodates the North Galactic Pole...

, Serpens

Serpens

Serpens is a constellation of the northern hemisphere. It was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations defined by the International Astronomical Union....

, and portions of Argo Navis

Argo Navis

Argo Navis was a large constellation in the southern sky that has since been divided into three constellations. It represented the Argo, the ship used by Jason and the Argonauts in Greek mythology...

, are now officially constellations.

See also

• List of constellations by area
• List of stars by constellation
• Constellation Family
  Constellation Family
  Constellation Families ,, also known as a Constellation Group or Group of Constellations, are gatherings of constellations within the same region of the celestial sphere. Some constellation families are named after their most important constellation within the group...
  
  
• Quadrant (astronomy)
  Quadrant (astronomy)
  Quadrant is a rectangular divisions on the celestial sphere that is used for finding constellations. The celestial sphere is divided into northern hemisphere and southern hemisphere with each hemisphere divided into four six-hour arcs. It is symbolized by using the capital letter N or S, followed...
  
  
• List of constellations in different languages (German Wikipedia)

External links

• http://www.ianridpath.com/constellations1.htm
• http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/contents.htm