List of constellations
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From the dawn of time, humans observed the sky and grouped stars into patterns or constellations. Each culture had its own constellations, usually based on mythology.
The ancient Greeks originated many constellations that are still in use today, many of which were recorded by Ptolemy. However they left many gaps in the sky where there were was a lack of bright stars; also, they could not observe stars that were in the far southern hemisphere of the sky. European explorers mapped the stars of the southern skies, and various astronomers proposed new constellations to fill the gaps. Some new constellations caught on, while others did not.
In 1922, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) officially adopted the modern list of 88 official constellations. After this, Eugène Delporte drew up precise boundaries for each constellation, so that every point in the sky belonged to exactly one constellation.
Properly speaking, a constellation is an area of the sky or the celestial sphere. The term is more widely used to denote a particular star pattern that is contained within that area.
Contents |
Modern constellations
| constellation | abbreviation | genitive | origin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andromeda | And | Andromedae | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Antlia | Ant | Antliae | 1763, Lacaille |
| Apus | Aps | Apodis | 1603, Uranometria, created by Keyser and de Houtman |
| Aquarius | Aqr | Aquarii | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Aquila | Aql | Aquilae | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Ara | Ara | Arae | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Aries | Ari | Arietis | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Auriga | Aur | Aurigae | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Boötes | Boo | Boötis | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Caelum | Cae | Caeli | 1763, Lacaille |
| Camelopardalis | Cam | Camelopardalis | 1624, Bartsch <ref>Some sources say that Camelopardalis, Columba, and Monoceros were invented by Petrus Plancius in the early 1600s.</ref> |
| Cancer | Cnc | Cancri | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Canes Venatici | CVn | Canum Venaticorum | 1690, Firmamentum Sobiescianum, Hevelius |
| Canis Major | CMa | Canis Majoris | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Canis Minor | CMi | Canis Minoris | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Capricornus | Cap | Capricorni | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Carina | Car | Carinae | 1763, Lacaille, split from Argo Navis |
| Cassiopeia | Cas | Cassiopeiae | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Centaurus | Cen | Centauri | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Cepheus | Cep | Cephei | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Cetus | Cet | Ceti | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Chamaeleon | Cha | Chamaeleontis | 1603, Uranometria, created by Keyser and de Houtman |
| Circinus | Cir | Circini | 1763, Lacaille |
| Columba | Col | Columbae | 1679, Royer, split from Canis Major |
| Coma Berenices | Com | Comae Berenices | 1603, Uranometria, split from Leo |
| Corona Australis <ref>Corona Australis is sometimes called "Corona Austrina" (genitive: Coronae Austrinae).</ref> | CrA | Coronae Australis | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Corona Borealis | CrB | Coronae Borealis | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Corvus | Crv | Corvi | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Crater | Crt | Crateris | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Crux | Cru | Crucis | 1603, Uranometria, split from Centaurus |
| Cygnus | Cyg | Cygni | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Delphinus | Del | Delphini | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Dorado | Dor | Doradus | 1603, Uranometria, created by Keyser and de Houtman |
| Draco | Dra | Draconis | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Equuleus | Equ | Equulei | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Eridanus | Eri | Eridani | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Fornax | For | Fornacis | 1763, Lacaille |
| Gemini | Gem | Geminorum | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Grus | Gru | Gruis | 1603, Uranometria, created by Keyser and de Houtman |
| Hercules | Her | Herculis | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Horologium | Hor | Horologii | 1763, Lacaille |
| Hydra | Hya | Hydrae | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Hydrus | Hyi | Hydri | 1603, Uranometria, created by Keyser and de Houtman |
| Indus | Ind | Indi | 1603, Uranometria, created by Keyser and de Houtman |
| Lacerta | Lac | Lacertae | 1690, Firmamentum Sobiescianum, Hevelius |
| Leo | Leo | Leonis | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Leo Minor | LMi | Leonis Minoris | 1690, Firmamentum Sobiescianum, Hevelius |
| Lepus | Lep | Leporis | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Libra | Lib | Librae | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Lupus | Lup | Lupi | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Lynx | Lyn | Lyncis | 1690, Firmamentum Sobiescianum, Hevelius |
| Lyra | Lyr | Lyrae | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Mensa | Men | Mensae | 1763, Lacaille |
| Microscopium | Mic | Microscopii | 1763, Lacaille |
| Monoceros | Mon | Monocerotis | 1624, Bartsch |
| Musca | Mus | Muscae | 1603, Uranometria, created by Keyser and de Houtman |
| Norma | Nor | Normae | 1763, Lacaille |
| Octans | Oct | Octantis | 1763, Lacaille |
| Ophiuchus | Oph | Ophiuchi | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Orion | Ori | Orionis | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Pavo | Pav | Pavonis | 1603, Uranometria, created by Keyser and de Houtman |
| Pegasus | Peg | Pegasi | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Perseus | Per | Persei | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Phoenix | Phe | Phoenicis | 1603, Uranometria, created by Keyser and de Houtman |
| Pictor | Pic | Pictoris | 1763, Lacaille |
| Pisces | Psc | Piscium | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Piscis Austrinus | PsA | Piscis Austrini | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Puppis | Pup | Puppis | 1763, Lacaille, split from Argo Navis |
| Pyxis | Pyx | Pyxidis | 1763, Lacaille |
| Reticulum | Ret | Reticuli | 1763, Lacaille |
| Sagitta | Sge | Sagittae | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Sagittarius | Sgr | Sagittarii | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Scorpius | Sco | Scorpii | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Sculptor | Scl | Sculptoris | 1763, Lacaille |
| Scutum | Sct | Scuti | 1690, Firmamentum Sobiescianum, Hevelius |
| Serpens <ref>Serpens is divided into Serpens Cauda and Serpens Caput.</ref> | Ser | Serpentis | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Sextans | Sex | Sextantis | 1690, Firmamentum Sobiescianum, Hevelius |
| Taurus | Tau | Tauri | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Telescopium | Tel | Telescopii | 1763, Lacaille |
| Triangulum | Tri | Trianguli | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Triangulum Australe | TrA | Trianguli Australis | 1603 Uranometria, created by Keyser and de Houtman |
| Tucana | Tuc | Tucanae | 1603 Uranometria, created by Keyser and de Houtman |
| Ursa Major | UMa | Ursae Majoris | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Ursa Minor | UMi | Ursae Minoris | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Vela | Vel | Velorum | 1763, Lacaille, split from Argo Navis |
| Virgo | Vir | Virginis | ancient (Ptolemy) |
| Volans | Vol | Volantis | 1603, Uranometria, created by Keyser and de Houtman |
| Vulpecula | Vul | Vulpeculae | 1690, Firmamentum Sobiescianum, Hevelius |
- Notes
<references />
Former constellations
- Antinous
- Apis
- Cerberus
- Custos Messium
- Felis
- Frederici Honores
- Gallus
- Globus Aerostaticus
- Jordanus
- Lochium Funis
- Machina Electrica
- Malus
- Mons Maenalus
- Musca Borealis
- Noctua
- Officina Typographica
- Phoenicopterus
- Polophylax
- Psalterium Georgii
- Quadrans Muralis
- Ramus Pomifer
- Robur Carolinum
- Sceptrum Brandenburgicum
- Sceptrum et Manus Iustitiae
- Solarium
- Tarandus vel Rangifer
- Taurus Poniatovii
- Telescopium Herschelii
- Testudo
- Tigris
- Triangulum Minor
- Turdus Solitarius
- Vespa
Asterisms
Template:Main Various other unofficial patterns have existed alongside the constellations. These are known as "asterisms." Examples include the Big Dipper and the Northern Cross. Some ancient asterisms, for example Coma Berenices, Serpens, and portions of Argo Navis, are now officially constellations.
See also
External links
- http://www.ianridpath.com/constellations1.htm
- http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/contents.htmcs:Seznam souhvězdí
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