Constellation
A constellation is a group of stars that ancient astronomers imagined as pictures, so ordering the apparent chaos of the night skies. Not all the ancient constellations still exist, while some are comparatively modern. Most constellations have their origins in the ancient Greek, Egyptian and Babylonian cultures. 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 Ptomely. At the end of the 16th century the Dutch sailors Pieter Dirckszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman suggested twelve new constellations. In 1603 these were added by Johann Beyer to his important atlas Uranometria. Further constellations were added by the Gdansk astronomer Johann Hevelius and the French astronomer Louis de Lacaille. Lacaille introduced 14 new constellations that were named after scientific instruments and artist's tools. Their boundaries have become fixed over time: the present 88 constellations were defined by the IAU in 1925. The Latin names are the official ones.
Constellations
| Latin name | Latin genitive | International abbreviation | Number of stars[1] | 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 |
| Bootes | Bootis | Boo | 140 | Herdsman | Bootes, Ochsentreiber |
| Caelum | Caeli | Cae | 28 | Sculptor's Chisel | Grabstichel |
| Camelopardis | Camelopardalis | Cam | 138 | Giraffe | Giraffe |
| Cancer | Cancri | Can | 92 | Crab | Krebs |
| Canes Venatici | Canum Venaticorum | CVn | 88 | Hunting Dogs | Jagdhunde |
| Canis Maior | 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 Maior | 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 |