Constellation: Difference between revisions

From Citizendium
Jump to navigation Jump to search
imported>Robert Thorpe
mNo edit summary
 
(73 intermediate revisions by 14 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{subpages}}
{{subpages}}
{{Image|Big_and_little_dipper.jpg|right|400px|Constellations [[Ursa Major]] (the "Big Dipper") and [[Ursa Minor]] (the "Little Dipper") with Polaris, the North Star.  Children around the Northern hemisphere are taught to find the North Star (which hangs over the North Pole) by means of these two easy-to-spot constellations.  The Big Dipper's outer lip points to the North Star, which is at the end of the handle of the Little Dipper.  In the course of one night, only the North Star appears unmoving, while all the other stars appear to revolve part-way around it.  The other stars revolve all the way around the North Star in approximately one 24-hour day (one rotation of the earth).}}
A '''constellation''' is an officially recognised formation of stars as viewed in the sky from the earth. Ancient [[astronomers]] perceived figures, often men or animals, in the night sky, thus ordering its apparent chaos. Such figures were arbitrarily chosen; thus, numerous ancient constellations were independently imagined by different cultures, including those of China and India.  The 88 modern constellations which comprise the entire sky, however, derive from civilisations further west. Their boundaries were defined by the [[International Astronomical Union]] in 1925. The majority of them are ancient constellations, and have names often associated with Greek mythology while others, mainly situated south of the celestial equator, were introduced in the age of exploration by European explorers and are named after scientific instruments or newly found animal species.


A '''constellation''' is a group of stars, that since the early beginnings of [[astronomy]] were assembled to form a figure or a picture. Not all of these constellations are still used nowadays. Most of our actual constellations originate in the [[greek]], [[agyptian]] or [[babylonic]] culture. The boundaries of the constellations were fixed more and more with time. Our actual 88 constellations were defined in a decision of the [[IAU]] in the year 1925. The names of all constellations are [[latin]] words.
A Greek letter followed by the Latin  genitive (possessive) case of a constellation name is conventionally used to designate the brighter stars in a group.  For example, the fifth-brightest star in the constellation Eridanus is given a name consisting of the fifth letter of the Greek alphabet and the name of the constellation: "epsilon Eridani", meaning "fifth (star) of Eridanus". The order of brightness is not strictly adhered to, however; for example, β Orionis ([[Rigel]]) is brighter than α Orionis ([[Betelgeuse]]).
{{TOC}}


== History of the Western constellations ==


===Constellations===
Most constellations have their origins in the ancient [[Greek]], [[Egyptian]] and [[Babylonian]] cultures. They are mentioned in the [[Book of Job]], as in this apostrophe:<ref>New International version of the English Bible, Job 38:31-32</ref>
<poem style="border: 2px solid #d6d2c5; background-color: #f9f4e6; padding: 1em;">
''31 Can you bind the beautiful Pleiades?''
''Can you loose the cords of Orion?''
''32 Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons''
''or lead out the Bear with its cubs?''
</poem>


{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2"
In the third century BC, [[Aratos of Soli]] composed ''Phainomena'', a didactic poem  about the mythology of the constellations, which was the basis of the catalog of 48 constellations by the Greek astronomer [[Ptolemy]]:
| [[latin]] name
* the 12 constellations of the [[Zodiac]]: ''Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpius, Sagittarius, Capricornus, Aquarius and Pisces''
| [[latin]] [[genitive]]
* 21 northern constellations: ''Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Draco, Cepheus, Bootes, Corona Septentrionalis, Hercules, Lyra, Cygnus, Cassiopea, Perseus, Andromeda, Triangulum, Auriga, Pegasus, Equuleus, Delphinus, Sagitta, Aquila, Ophiuchus and Serpens''
| international abbreviation
* 15 southern constellations: ''Cetus, Eridanus, Lepus, Orion, Canis Major, Canis Minor, Argo, Hydra, Crater, Corvus, Centaurus, Lupus, Ara, Corona Meridionalis and Piscis Australis''.
| number of stars<ref> According to [[Heis]] all stars up to a magnitude of 6<sup>m</sup>.7 on northern constellations and according to [[Gould]] up to a magnitude of 7<sup>m</sup>.0 on sothern constellations</ref>
 
| English name
At the end of the 16th century, the Dutch sailors [[Pieter Dirckszoon Keyser]] and [[Frederick de Houtman]] suggested twelve new constellations: ''Apis, Apus Indica, Chamaeleon, Dorado, Grus, Hydrus, Indus, Pavo, Phoenix, Triangulum Australe, Tucana and Piscis Volans''. In 1603 these were added by [[Johann Beyer]] to his important atlas [[Uranometria]], as well as ''Coma Berenices''.
| German name
 
The Gdansk astronomer [[Johann Hevelius]] added 10 further constellations in his maps, published in 1690 (''Firmamentum Sobiescianum'' and ''Prodomus Astronomiæ''): ''Canes Venatici, Lacerta, Leo minor, Lynx, Uraniæ Sextans, Scutum Sobiescianum, Triangulum Minus, Vulpecula & Anser, Cerberus and Mons Mænalus''.
 
In 1751, the French astronomer abbot [[Nicolas Louis de Lacaille]] went to the [[Cape of Good Hope]] for the purpose of determining the sun's parallax by observations of the parallaxes of [[Mars]] and [[Venus]], and incidentally to make observations on the other southern hemisphere stars. In 1763, Lacaille published the results of this successful undertaking, the observations of ten thousands stars, in his ''Coelum australe stelligerum''. This work introduced 14 new constellations that were named after scientific instruments and artist's tools:
# L'atelier du sculpteur, ''Apparatus Sculptoris'' (Sculptor)
# Le fourneau chymique, ''Fornax Chemica'' (Fornax)
# L'horloge (Horologium)
# Le réticule romboïde, ''Reticulum Rhomboidalis'' (Reticulum)
# Le burin du graveur, ''Cæla Sculptoris'' (Caelum)
# Le chevalet du peintre, ''Equuleus Pictoris'' (Pictor)
# La boussole, ''Pyxis Nautica'' (Pyxis)
# La machine pneumatique, ''Antlia Pneumatica'' (Antlia)
# L'octans (Octans)
# Le compas (Circinus)
# L'équerre & la règle, ''Norma et Regula'' (Norma)
# Le télescope (Telescopium)
# Le microscope (Microscopium)
# La montagne de la table, ''Mons Mensae'' (Mensa)
 
== List of the 88 modern constellations==
 
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4"
|- align=center
! [[Latin]] name
! [[Latin]] [[genitive]]
! International<br>abbreviation
! Number of<br> stars<ref> According to [[Heis]] all stars up to a magnitude of 6<sup>m</sup>.7 on northern constellations and according to [[Gould]] up to a magnitude of 7<sup>m</sup>.0 on southern constellations</ref>
! English name
! German name
|-
|-
| [[Andromeda]]
| [[Andromeda (constellation)|Andromeda]]
| Andromedae
| Andromedae
| And
| And
Line 22: Line 60:
|-
|-
| [[Antlia]]  
| [[Antlia]]  
| Antilae
| Antliae
| Ant
| Ant
| 85
| 85
Line 28: Line 66:
| Luftpumpe
| Luftpumpe
|-
|-
| [[Apus]]
| [[Apus (constellation)|Apus]]
| Apodis
| Apodis
| Aps
| Aps
Line 35: Line 73:
| Paradiesvogel
| Paradiesvogel
|-
|-
| [[Aquarius]]
| [[Aquarius (constellation)|Aquarius]]
| Aquarii
| Aquarii
| Aqr
| Aqr
Line 42: Line 80:
| Wassermann
| Wassermann
|-
|-
| [[Aquila]]
| [[Aquila (constellation)|Aquila]]
| Aquilae
| Aquilae
| Aql
| Aql
Line 49: Line 87:
| Adler
| Adler
|-
|-
| [[Ara]]
| [[Ara (constellation)|Ara]]
| Arae
| Arae
| Ara
| Ara
Line 56: Line 94:
| Altar
| Altar
|-
|-
| [[Aries]]
| [[Aries (constellation)|Aries]]
| Arietis
| Arietis
| Ari
| Ari
Line 63: Line 101:
| Widder
| Widder
|-
|-
| [[Auriga]]
| [[Auriga (constellation)|Auriga]]
| Aurigae
| Aurigae
| Aur
| Aur
| 144
| 144
| Cahrioteer
| Charioteer
| Fuhrmann
| Fuhrmann
|-
|-
| [[Bootes]]
| [[Boötes]]
| Bootis
| Bootis
| Boo
| Boo
Line 81: Line 119:
| Cae
| Cae
| 28
| 28
| Sculptor's chisel
| Sculptor's Chisel
| Grabstichel
| Grabstichel
|-
|-
| [[Camelopardis]]
| [[Camelopardalis]]
| Camelopardalis
| Camelopardalis
| Cam
| Cam
Line 91: Line 129:
| Giraffe
| Giraffe
|-
|-
| [[Cancer]]
| [[Cancer (constellation)|Cancer]]
| Cancri
| Cancri
| Can
| Can
Line 98: Line 136:
| Krebs
| Krebs
|-
|-
| [[Canes venatici]]
| [[Canes Venatici]]
| Canum Venaticorum
| Canum Venaticorum
| CVn
| CVn
| 88
| 88
| Hunting dogs
| Hunting Dogs
| Jagdhunde
| Jagdhunde
|-
|-
| [[Canis maior]]
| [[Canis Major]]
| Canis majoris
| Canis Majoris
| CMa
| CMa
| 178
| 178
| Greater dog
| Great Dog
| Großer Hund
| Großer Hund
|-
|-
| [[Canis minor]]
| [[Canis Minor]]
| Canis minoris
| Canis Minoris
| CMi
| CMi
| 37
| 37
| Smaller dog
| Little Dog
| Kleiner Hund
| Kleiner Hund
|-
|-
| [[Capricornus]]
| [[Capricornus]]
| Capricorni
| Capricorni
| Cap]
| Cap
| 134
| 134
| Horned (male) goat
| Horned Goat
| Steinbock
| Steinbock
|-
|-
| [[Carina]]
| [[Carina (constellation)|Carina]]
| Carinae
| Carinae
| Car
| Car
Line 133: Line 171:
| Schiffskiel
| Schiffskiel
|-
|-
| [[Cassiopeia]]
| [[Cassiopeia (constellation)|Cassiopeia]]
| Cassiopeiae
| Cassiopeiae
| Cas
| Cas
Line 140: Line 178:
| Cassiopeia
| Cassiopeia
|-
|-
| [[Centaurus]]
| [[Centaurus (constellation)|Centaurus]]
| Centauri
| Centauri
| Cen
| Cen
Line 147: Line 185:
| Centaur
| Centaur
|-
|-
| [[Cepheus]]
| [[Cepheus (constellation)|Cepheus]]
| Cephei
| Cephei
| Cep
| Cep
Line 154: Line 192:
| Cepheus
| Cepheus
|-
|-
| [[Cetus]]
| [[Cetus (constellation)|Cetus]]
| Ceti
| Ceti
| Cet
| Cet
Line 161: Line 199:
| Wal
| Wal
|-
|-
| [[Chamaeleon]]
| [[Chamaeleon (constellation)|Chamaeleon]]
| Chamaeleontis
| Chamaeleontis
| Cha
| Cha
Line 175: Line 213:
| Kompass
| Kompass
|-
|-
| [[Columba]]
| [[Columba (constellation)|Columba]]
| Columbae
| Columbae
| Col
| Col
Line 182: Line 220:
| Taube
| Taube
|-
|-
| [[Coma]] (Berenices)
| [[Coma Berenices]]
| Comae
| Comae
| Com
| Com
| 70
| 70
| Berenice's hair
| Berenice's Hair
| Haar der Berenike
| Haar der Berenike
|-
|-
| [[Corona australis]]
| [[Corona Australis]]
| Coronae australis
| Coronae Australis
| CrA
| CrA
| 49
| 49
| Southern crown
| Southern Crown
| Südliche Krone
| Südliche Krone
|-
|-
| [[Corona borealis]]
| [[Corona Borealis]]
| Coronae borealis
| Coronae Aorealis
| CrB
| CrB
| 31
| 31
| Northern crown
| Northern Crown
| Nördliche Krone
| Nördliche Krone
|-
|-
| [[Corvus]]
| [[Corvus (constellation)|Corvus]]
| Corvi
| Corvi
| Crv
| Crv
Line 210: Line 248:
| Rabe
| Rabe
|-
|-
| [[Crater]]
| [[Crater (constellation)|Crater]]
| Crateris
| Crateris
| Crt
| Crt
| 53
| 53
| Cup
| Bowl
| Becher
| Becher
|-
|-
| [[Crux]]
| [[Crux (constellation)|Crux]]
| Crucis
| Crucis
| Cru
| Cru
| 54
| 54
| Cross
| (Southern) Cross
| Kreuz
| Kreuz
|-
|-
| [[Cygnus]]
| [[Cygnus (constellation)|Cygnus]]
| Cygni
| Cygni
| Cyg
| Cyg
Line 231: Line 269:
| Schwan
| Schwan
|-
|-
| [[Delphinus]]
| [[Delphinus (constellation)|Delphinus]]
| Delphini
| Delphini
| Del
| Del
Line 238: Line 276:
| Delfin
| Delfin
|-
|-
| [[Dorado]]
| [[Dorado (constellation)|Dorado]]
| Doradus
| Doradus
| Dor
| Dor
Line 245: Line 283:
| Schwertfisch
| Schwertfisch
|-
|-
| [[Draco]]
| [[Draco (constellation)|Draco]]
| Draconis
| Draconis
| Dra
| Dra
Line 256: Line 294:
| Equ
| Equ
| 16
| 16
| Foal (little horse)
| Foal
| Füllen
| Füllen
|-
|-
| [[Eridanus]]
| [[Eridanus (constellation)|Eridanus]]
| Eridani
| Eridani
| Eri
| Eri
Line 267: Line 305:
|-
|-
| [[Fornax]]
| [[Fornax]]
| Fronacis
| Fornacis
| For
| For
| 110
| 110
Line 273: Line 311:
| Chemischer Ofen
| Chemischer Ofen
|-
|-
| [[Gemini]]
| [[Gemini (constellation)|Gemini]]
| Geminorum
| Geminorum
| Gem
| Gem
Line 280: Line 318:
| Zwillinge
| Zwillinge
|-
|-
| [[Grus]]
| [[Grus (constellation)|Grus]]
| Gruis
| Gruis
| Gru
| Gru
Line 287: Line 325:
| Kranich
| Kranich
|-
|-
| [[Hercules]]
| [[Hercules (constellation)|Hercules]]
| Herculis
| Herculis
| Her
| Her
Line 301: Line 339:
| Pendeluhr
| Pendeluhr
|-
|-
| [[Hydra]]
| [[Hydra (constellation)|Hydra]]
| Hydrae
| Hydrae
| Hya
| Hya
Line 312: Line 350:
| Hyi
| Hyi
| 64
| 64
| Male Hydra
| Snake
| Männliche Wasserschlange
| Männliche Wasserschlange
|-
|-
| [[Indus]]
| [[Indus (constellation)|Indus]]
| Indi
| Indi
| Ind
| Ind
Line 322: Line 360:
| Indianer
| Indianer
|-
|-
| [[Lacerta]]
| [[Lacerta (constellation)|Lacerta]]
| Lacertae
| Lacertae
| Lac
| Lac
Line 329: Line 367:
| Eidechse
| Eidechse
|-
|-
| [[Leo]]
| [[Leo (constellation)|Leo]]
| Leonis
| Leonis
| Leo
| Leo
Line 336: Line 374:
| Löwe
| Löwe
|-
|-
| [[Leo minor]]
| [[Leo Minor]]
| Leonis minoris
| Leonis Minoris
| KNu
| LMi
| 40
| 40
| Smaller lion
| Smaller Lion
| Kleiner Löwe
| Kleiner Löwe
|-
|-
| [[Lepus]]
| [[Lepus (constellation)|Lepus]]
| Leporis
| Leporis
| Lep
| Lep
Line 350: Line 388:
| Hase
| Hase
|-
|-
| [[Libra]]
| [[Libra (constellation)|Libra]]
| Librae
| Librae
| Lib
| Lib
Line 357: Line 395:
| Waage
| Waage
|-
|-
| [[Lupus]]
| [[Lupus (constellation)|Lupus]]
| Lupi
| Lupi
| Lup
| Lup
Line 364: Line 402:
| Wolf
| Wolf
|-
|-
| [[Lynx]]
| [[Lynx (constellation)|Lynx]]
| Lyncis
| Lyncis
| Kyn
| Kyn
Line 371: Line 409:
| Luchs
| Luchs
|-
|-
| [[Lyra]]
| [[Lyra (constellation)|Lyra]]
| Lyrae
| Lyrae
| Lyr
| Lyr
Line 378: Line 416:
| Leier
| Leier
|-
|-
| [[Mensa]]
| [[Mensa (constellation)|Mensa]]
| Mensae
| Mensae
| Men
| Men
Line 399: Line 437:
| Einhorn
| Einhorn
|-
|-
| [[Musca]]
| [[Musca (constellation)|Musca]]
| Muscae
| Muscae
| Mus
| Mus
Line 410: Line 448:
| Nor
| Nor
| 64
| 64
| Normal
| Square
| Winkelmaß
| Winkelmaß
|-
|-
Line 427: Line 465:
| Schlangenträger  
| Schlangenträger  
|-
|-
| [[Orion]]
| [[Orion (constellation)|Orion]]
| Orionis
| Orionis
| Ori
| Ori
Line 434: Line 472:
| Orion
| Orion
|-
|-
| [[Pavo]]
| [[Pavo (constellation)|Pavo]]
| Pavonis
| Pavonis
| Pav
| Pav
Line 441: Line 479:
| Pfau
| Pfau
|-
|-
| [[Pegasus]]
| [[Pegasus (constellation)|Pegasus]]
| Pegasi
| Pegasi
| Peg
| Peg
Line 448: Line 486:
| Pegasus
| Pegasus
|-
|-
| [[Perseus]]
| [[Perseus (constellation)|Perseus]]
| Persei
| Persei
| Per
| Per
Line 455: Line 493:
| Perseus
| Perseus
|-
|-
| [[Phoenix]]
| [[Phoenix (constellation)|Phoenix]]
| Phoenicis
| Phoenicis
| Phe
| Phe
Line 469: Line 507:
| Maler
| Maler
|-
|-
| [[Pisces]]
| [[Pisces (constellation)|Pisces]]
| Piscium
| Piscium
| Psc
| Psc
Line 476: Line 514:
| Fische
| Fische
|-
|-
| [[Piscis austrinus]]
| [[Piscis Austrinus]]
| Piscis austrini
| Piscis Austrini
| PsA
| PsA
| 75
| 75
| Southern fish
| Southern Fish
| Südliche Fische
| Südliche Fische
|-
|-
Line 487: Line 525:
| Pup
| Pup
| 313
| 313
| Poop deck
| Poop
| Hinterdeck
| Hinterdeck
|-
|-
| [[Pyxis]]
| [[Pyxis (constellation)|Pyxis]]
| Pyxidis
| Pyxidis
| Pyx
| Pyx
Line 497: Line 535:
| Kompass
| Kompass
|-
|-
| [[Reticulum]]
| [[Reticulum (constellation)|Reticulum]]
| Reticuli
| Reticuli
| Ret
| Ret
| 34
| 34
| Reticle
| Net
| Netz
| Netz
|-
|-
Line 511: Line 549:
| Pfeil
| Pfeil
|-
|-
| [[Sagittarius]]
| [[Sagittarius (constellation)|Sagittarius]]
| Sagittarii
| Sagittarii
| Sgr
| Sgr
Line 518: Line 556:
| Schütze
| Schütze
|-
|-
| [[Scorpius]]
| [[Scorpius (constellation)|Scorpius]]
| Scorpii
| Scorpii
| Sco
| Sco
Line 525: Line 563:
| Skorpion
| Skorpion
|-
|-
| [[Sculptor]]
| [[Sculptor (constellation)|Sculptor]]
| Sculptoris
| Sculptoris
| Scl
| Scl
Line 532: Line 570:
| Bildhauer
| Bildhauer
|-
|-
| [[Scutum]]
| [[Scutum (constellation)|Scutum]]
| Scuti
| Scuti
| Sct
| Sct
Line 546: Line 584:
| Schlange
| Schlange
|-
|-
| [[Sextans]]
| [[Sextans (constellation)|Sextans]]
| Sextantis
| Sextantis
| Sex
| Sex
Line 553: Line 591:
| Sextant
| Sextant
|-
|-
| [[Taurus]]
| [[Taurus (constellation)|Taurus]]
| Tauri
| Tauri
| Tau
| Tau
Line 567: Line 605:
| Fernrohr
| Fernrohr
|-
|-
| [[Triangulum]]
| [[Triangulum (constellation)|Triangulum]]
| Trianguli
| Trianguli
| Tri
| Tri
Line 574: Line 612:
| Dreieck
| Dreieck
|-
|-
| [[Triangulum australe]]
| [[Triangulum Australe]]
| Trianguli australis
| Trianguli Australis
| TrA
| TrA
| 46
| 46
| Southern triangle
| Southern Triangle
| Südliches Dreieck
| Südliches Dreieck
|-
|-
| [[Tucana]]
| [[Tucana (constellation)|Tucana]]
| Tucanae
| Tucanae
| Tuc
| Tuc
| 81
| 81
| Tucan
| Toucan
| Tukan
| Tukan
|-
|-
| [[Ursa maior]]
| [[Ursa Major]]
| Ursae maioris
| Ursae Maioris
| UMa
| UMa
| 227
| 227
| Great bear
| Great Bear
| Großer Bär
| Großer Bär
|-
|-
| [[Ursa minor]]
| [[Ursa Minor]]
| Ursae minoris
| Ursae Minoris
| UMi
| UMi
| 54
| 54
| Little baer
| Little Bear
| Kleiner Bär
| Kleiner Bär
|-
|-
| [[Vela]]
| [[Vela (constellation)|Vela]]
| Velorum
| Velorum
| Vel
| Vel
Line 609: Line 647:
| Segel
| Segel
|-
|-
| [[Virgo]]
| [[Virgo (constellation)|Virgo]]
| Virginis
| Virginis
| Vir
| Vir
Line 620: Line 658:
| Vol
| Vol
| 46
| 46
| Flying fish
| Flying Fish
| Fliegender Fisch
| Fliegender Fisch
|-
|-
Line 627: Line 665:
| Vul
| Vul
| 62
| 62
| Little fox
| Little Fox
| Füchschen
| Füchschen
|}
|}
Note that Serpens is in two non-contiguous portions but is counted as a single constellation.
==References==
<references/>[[Category:Suggestion Bot Tag]]

Latest revision as of 11:01, 1 August 2024

This article is developing and not approved.
 Main Article
 Discussion
Related Articles  [?]
Bibliography  [?]
External Links  [?]
Citable Version  [?]
 
https://en.citizendium.org/wiki/index.php?title=Constellation&printable=yes
This editable Main Article is under development and subject to a disclaimer.
Constellations Ursa Major (the "Big Dipper") and Ursa Minor (the "Little Dipper") with Polaris, the North Star. Children around the Northern hemisphere are taught to find the North Star (which hangs over the North Pole) by means of these two easy-to-spot constellations. The Big Dipper's outer lip points to the North Star, which is at the end of the handle of the Little Dipper. In the course of one night, only the North Star appears unmoving, while all the other stars appear to revolve part-way around it. The other stars revolve all the way around the North Star in approximately one 24-hour day (one rotation of the earth).

A constellation is an officially recognised formation of stars as viewed in the sky from the earth. Ancient astronomers perceived figures, often men or animals, in the night sky, thus ordering its apparent chaos. Such figures were arbitrarily chosen; thus, numerous ancient constellations were independently imagined by different cultures, including those of China and India. The 88 modern constellations which comprise the entire sky, however, derive from civilisations further west. Their boundaries were defined by the International Astronomical Union in 1925. The majority of them are ancient constellations, and have names often associated with Greek mythology while others, mainly situated south of the celestial equator, were introduced in the age of exploration by European explorers and are named after scientific instruments or newly found animal species.

A Greek letter followed by the Latin genitive (possessive) case of a constellation name is conventionally used to designate the brighter stars in a group. For example, the fifth-brightest star in the constellation Eridanus is given a name consisting of the fifth letter of the Greek alphabet and the name of the constellation: "epsilon Eridani", meaning "fifth (star) of Eridanus". The order of brightness is not strictly adhered to, however; for example, β Orionis (Rigel) is brighter than α Orionis (Betelgeuse).

History of the Western constellations

Most constellations have their origins in the ancient Greek, Egyptian and Babylonian cultures. They are mentioned in the Book of Job, as in this apostrophe:[1]

31 Can you bind the beautiful Pleiades?
Can you loose the cords of Orion?
32 Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons
or lead out the Bear with its cubs?

In the third century BC, Aratos of Soli composed Phainomena, a didactic poem about the mythology of the constellations, which was the basis of the catalog of 48 constellations by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy:

  • the 12 constellations of the Zodiac: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpius, Sagittarius, Capricornus, Aquarius and Pisces
  • 21 northern constellations: Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Draco, Cepheus, Bootes, Corona Septentrionalis, Hercules, Lyra, Cygnus, Cassiopea, Perseus, Andromeda, Triangulum, Auriga, Pegasus, Equuleus, Delphinus, Sagitta, Aquila, Ophiuchus and Serpens
  • 15 southern constellations: Cetus, Eridanus, Lepus, Orion, Canis Major, Canis Minor, Argo, Hydra, Crater, Corvus, Centaurus, Lupus, Ara, Corona Meridionalis and Piscis Australis.

At the end of the 16th century, the Dutch sailors Pieter Dirckszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman suggested twelve new constellations: Apis, Apus Indica, Chamaeleon, Dorado, Grus, Hydrus, Indus, Pavo, Phoenix, Triangulum Australe, Tucana and Piscis Volans. In 1603 these were added by Johann Beyer to his important atlas Uranometria, as well as Coma Berenices.

The Gdansk astronomer Johann Hevelius added 10 further constellations in his maps, published in 1690 (Firmamentum Sobiescianum and Prodomus Astronomiæ): Canes Venatici, Lacerta, Leo minor, Lynx, Uraniæ Sextans, Scutum Sobiescianum, Triangulum Minus, Vulpecula & Anser, Cerberus and Mons Mænalus.

In 1751, the French astronomer abbot Nicolas Louis de Lacaille went to the Cape of Good Hope for the purpose of determining the sun's parallax by observations of the parallaxes of Mars and Venus, and incidentally to make observations on the other southern hemisphere stars. In 1763, Lacaille published the results of this successful undertaking, the observations of ten thousands stars, in his Coelum australe stelligerum. This work introduced 14 new constellations that were named after scientific instruments and artist's tools:

  1. L'atelier du sculpteur, Apparatus Sculptoris (Sculptor)
  2. Le fourneau chymique, Fornax Chemica (Fornax)
  3. L'horloge (Horologium)
  4. Le réticule romboïde, Reticulum Rhomboidalis (Reticulum)
  5. Le burin du graveur, Cæla Sculptoris (Caelum)
  6. Le chevalet du peintre, Equuleus Pictoris (Pictor)
  7. La boussole, Pyxis Nautica (Pyxis)
  8. La machine pneumatique, Antlia Pneumatica (Antlia)
  9. L'octans (Octans)
  10. Le compas (Circinus)
  11. L'équerre & la règle, Norma et Regula (Norma)
  12. Le télescope (Telescopium)
  13. Le microscope (Microscopium)
  14. La montagne de la table, Mons Mensae (Mensa)

List of the 88 modern constellations

Latin name Latin genitive International
abbreviation 		Number of
stars[2] 		English name German name
Andromeda Andromedae And 139 Andromeda Andromeda
Antlia Antliae Ant 85 Pump Luftpumpe
Apus Apodis Aps 67 Swallow Paradiesvogel
Aquarius Aquarii Aqr 276 Cup-bearer Wassermann
Aquila Aquilae Aql 146 Eagle Adler
Ara Arae Ara 86 Altar Altar
Aries Arietis Ari 80 Ram Widder
Auriga Aurigae Aur 144 Charioteer Fuhrmann
Boötes Bootis Boo 140 Herdsman Bootes, Ochsentreiber
Caelum Caeli Cae 28 Sculptor's Chisel Grabstichel
Camelopardalis Camelopardalis Cam 138 Giraffe Giraffe
Cancer Cancri Can 92 Crab Krebs
Canes Venatici Canum Venaticorum CVn 88 Hunting Dogs Jagdhunde
Canis Major Canis Majoris CMa 178 Great Dog Großer Hund
Canis Minor Canis Minoris CMi 37 Little Dog Kleiner Hund
Capricornus Capricorni Cap 134 Horned Goat Steinbock
Carina Carinae Car 268 Keel Schiffskiel
Cassiopeia Cassiopeiae Cas 126 Cassiopeia Cassiopeia
Centaurus Centauri Cen 389 Centaur Centaur
Cepheus Cephei Cep 159 Cepheus Cepheus
Cetus Ceti Cet 321 Whale Wal
Chamaeleon Chamaeleontis Cha 50 Chameleon Chamaeleon
Circinus Circini Cir 48 Compass Kompass
Columba Columbae Col 112 Dove Taube
Coma Berenices Comae Com 70 Berenice's Hair Haar der Berenike
Corona Australis Coronae Australis CrA 49 Southern Crown Südliche Krone
Corona Borealis Coronae Aorealis CrB 31 Northern Crown Nördliche Krone
Corvus Corvi Crv 53 Raven Rabe
Crater Crateris Crt 53 Bowl Becher
Crux Crucis Cru 54 (Southern) Cross Kreuz
Cygnus Cygni Cyg 197 Swan Schwan
Delphinus Delphini Del 31 Dolphin Delfin
Dorado Doradus Dor 43 Dolphin-fish Schwertfisch
Draco Draconis Dra 200 Dragon Drache
Equuleus Equulei Equ 16 Foal Füllen
Eridanus Eridani Eri 293 Eridanus Eridanus
Fornax Fornacis For 110 Furnace Chemischer Ofen
Gemini Geminorum Gem 106 Twins Zwillinge
Grus Gruis Gru 106 Crane Kranich
Hercules Herculis Her 227 Hercules Hercules
Horologium Horologii Hor 68 Clock Pendeluhr
Hydra Hydrae Hya 393 Hydra Wasserschlange
Hydrus Hydri Hyi 64 Snake Männliche Wasserschlange
Indus Indi Ind 84 American Indian Indianer
Lacerta Lacertae Lac 48 Lizard Eidechse
Leo Leonis Leo 161 Lion Löwe
Leo Minor Leonis Minoris LMi 40 Smaller Lion Kleiner Löwe
Lepus Leporis Lep 103 Hare Hase
Libra Librae Lib 122 Balance Waage
Lupus Lupi Lup 159 Wolf Wolf
Lynx Lyncis Kyn 87 Lynx Luchs
Lyra Lyrae Lyr 69 Lyre Leier
Mensa Mensae Men 44 Table Tafelberg
Microscopium Microscopii Mic 69 Microscope Mikroskop
Monoceros Monocerotis Mon 165 Unicorn Einhorn
Musca Muscae Mus 75 Fly Fliege
Norma Normae Nor 64 Square Winkelmaß
Octans Octantis Oct 88 Octant Oktant
Ophiuchus Ophiuchi Oph 209 Ophiuchus Schlangenträger
Orion Orionis Ori 186 Orion Orion
Pavo Pavonis Pav 129 Peacock Pfau
Pegasus Pegasi Peg 178 Pegasus Pegasus
Perseus Persei Per 136 Perseus Perseus
Phoenix Phoenicis Phe 139 Phoenix Phönix
Pictor Pictori Pic 67 Easel Maler
Pisces Piscium Psc 128 Fish (plural) Fische
Piscis Austrinus Piscis Austrini PsA 75 Southern Fish Südliche Fische
Puppis Puppis Pup 313 Poop Hinterdeck
Pyxis Pyxidis Pyx 65 Box Kompass
Reticulum Reticuli Ret 34 Net Netz
Sagitta Sagittarae Sge 18 Arrow Pfeil
Sagittarius Sagittarii Sgr 298 Archer Schütze
Scorpius Scorpii Sco 185 Scorpion Skorpion
Sculptor Sculptoris Scl 131 Sculptor Bildhauer
Scutum Scuti Sct 33 Shield Schild
Serpens Serpentis Ser 123 Snake Schlange
Sextans Sextantis Sex 75 Sextant Sextant
Taurus Tauri Tau 188 Bull Stier
Telescopium Telescopii Tel 87 Telescope Fernrohr
Triangulum Trianguli Tri 227 Triangle Dreieck
Triangulum Australe Trianguli Australis TrA 46 Southern Triangle Südliches Dreieck
Tucana Tucanae Tuc 81 Toucan Tukan
Ursa Major Ursae Maioris UMa 227 Great Bear Großer Bär
Ursa Minor Ursae Minoris UMi 54 Little Bear Kleiner Bär
Vela Velorum Vel 248 Sails Segel
Virgo Virginis Vir 271 Virgin Jungfrau
Volans Volantis Vol 46 Flying Fish Fliegender Fisch
Vulpecula Vulpeculae Vul 62 Little Fox Füchschen

Note that Serpens is in two non-contiguous portions but is counted as a single constellation.

References

  1. ↑ New International version of the English Bible, Job 38:31-32
  2. ↑ According to Heis all stars up to a magnitude of 6m.7 on northern constellations and according to Gould up to a magnitude of 7m.0 on southern constellations
Retrieved from "https://citizendium.org/wiki/index.php?title=Constellation&oldid=968330"