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IAU designated constellations

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IAU designated constellations in equirectangular projection (epoch B1875.0)

In contemporary astronomy, 88 constellations are recognized by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).[1] Each constellation is a region of the sky bordered by arcs of right ascension and declination, together covering the entire celestial sphere. Their boundaries were officially adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1928 and published in 1930.[2]

The ancient Mesopotamians and later the Greeks established most of the northern constellations in international use today, listed by the Roman-Egyptian astronomer Ptolemy. The constellations along the ecliptic are called the zodiac. When explorers mapped the stars of the southern skies, European astronomers proposed new constellations for that region, as well as ones to fill gaps between the traditional constellations. Because of their Roman and European origins, every constellation has a Latin name. In 1922, the International Astronomical Union adopted three-letter abbreviations for 89 constellations, the modern list of 88 plus Argo. After this, Eugène Joseph Delporte drew up boundaries for each of the 88 constellations so that every point in the sky belonged to one constellation.[1][2]

History

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Some constellations are no longer recognized by the IAU, but may appear in older star charts and other references. Most notable is Argo Navis, which was one of Ptolemy's original 48 constellations. In the 1750s the French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille divided this into three separate constellations: Carina, Puppis, and Vela.

Modern constellations

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The 88 constellations depict 42 animals, 29 inanimate objects, and 17 humans or mythological characters.

Abbreviations

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Each IAU constellation has an official three-letter abbreviation based on the genitive form of the constellation name. As the genitive is similar to the base name, the majority of the abbreviations are just the first three letters of the constellation name: Ori for Orion/Orionis, Ara for Ara/Arae, and Com for Coma Berenices/Comae Berenices. In some cases, the abbreviation contains letters from the genitive not appearing in the base name (as in Hyi for Hydrus/Hydri, to avoid confusion with Hydra, abbreviated Hya; and Sge for Sagitta/Sagittae, to avoid confusion with Sagittarius, abbreviated Sgr). Some abbreviations use letters beyond the initial three to unambiguously identify the constellation (for example when the name and its genitive differ in the first three letters): Aps for Apus/Apodis, CrA for Corona Australis, CrB for Corona Borealis, Crv for Corvus. (Crater is abbreviated Crt to prevent confusion with CrA.) When letters are taken from the second word of a two-word name, the first letter from the second word is capitalised: CMa for Canis Major, CMi for Canis Minor. Two cases are ambiguous: Leo for the constellation Leo could be mistaken for Leo Minor (abbreviated LMi), and Tri for Triangulum could be mistaken for Triangulum Australe (abbreviated TrA).[3]

In addition to the three-letter abbreviations used today, the IAU also introduced four-letter abbreviations in 1932. The four-letter abbreviations were repealed in 1955 and are now obsolete, but were included in the NASA Dictionary of Technical Terms for Aerospace Use (NASA SP-7) published in 1965.[4] These are labeled "NASA" in the table below and are included here for reference only.

List

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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.

Constellation Abbreviations Genitive Origin Meaning Brightest star
IAU[5] NASA[6]
Andromeda
/ænˈdrɒmɪdə/[7]
And Andr Andromedae ancient (Ptolemy) Andromeda (The chained maiden or princess) Alpheratz
Antlia
/ˈæntliə/[7]
Ant Antl Antliae 1763, Lacaille air pump α Antliae
Apus
/ˈpəs/[8]
Aps Apus Apodis
/ˈæpdɪs/[8]
1603, Uranometria, created by Keyser and de Houtman Bird-of-paradise/Exotic Bird/Extraordinary Bird α Apodis
Aquarius
/əˈkwɛəriəs/[7]
Aqr Aqar Aquarii ancient (Ptolemy) water-bearer β Aquarii
Aquila
/ˈækwɪlə/[7]
Aql Aqil Aquilae ancient (Ptolemy) eagle Altair
Ara
/ˈɛərə/[8]
Ara Arae Arae
/ˈɛər/[8]
ancient (Ptolemy) altar β Arae
Aries
/ˈɛər(i)z/[7][8]
Ari Arie Arietis
/əˈr.ɪtɪs/[8]
ancient (Ptolemy) ram Hamal
Auriga
/ɔːˈrɡə/[7][8]
Aur Auri Aurigae
/ɔːˈr/[8]
ancient (Ptolemy) charioteer Capella
Boötes
/bˈtz/[7]
Boo Boot Boötis ancient (Ptolemy) herdsman Arcturus
Caelum
/ˈsləm/[8]
Cae Cael Caeli
/ˈsl/[8]
1763, Lacaille chisel or engraving tool α Caeli
Camelopardalis
/kəˌmɛlˈpɑːrdəlɪs/[8]
Cam Caml Camelopardalis
/kəˌmɛlˈpɑːrdəlɪs/[8]
1613, Plancius[note 1] giraffe β Camelopardalis
Cancer
/ˈkænsər/[7]
Cnc Canc Cancri ancient (Ptolemy) crab β Cancri
Canes Venatici
/ˈknz vɪˈnætɪs/[8]
CVn CVen Canum Venaticorum 1690, Firmamentum Sobiescianum, Hevelius hunting dogs Cor Caroli
Canis Major
/ˈknɪs ˈmər/[8]
CMa CMaj Canis Majoris ancient (Ptolemy) greater dog Sirius
Canis Minor
/ˈknɪs ˈmnər/[8]
CMi CMin Canis Minoris ancient (Ptolemy) lesser dog Procyon
Capricornus
/ˌkæprɪˈkɔːrnəs/[8]
Cap Capr Capricorni
/ˌkæprɪˈkɔːrn/[8]
ancient (Ptolemy) sea goat δ Capricorni
Carina
/kəˈrnə/[7]
Car Cari Carinae 1763, Lacaille, split from Argo Navis keel Canopus
Cassiopeia
/ˌkæsiˈpə/[7][8]
Cas Cass Cassiopeiae
/ˌkæsiˈp/[8]
ancient (Ptolemy) Cassiopeia (mythological character) α Cassiopeiae
Centaurus
/sɛnˈtɔːrəs/[7]
Cen Cent Centauri ancient (Ptolemy) centaur α Centauri
Cepheus
/ˈsfiəs/[8]
Cep Ceph Cephei
/ˈsfi/[8]
ancient (Ptolemy) Cepheus (mythological character) α Cephei
Cetus
/ˈstəs/[8]
Cet Ceti Ceti
/ˈst/[8]
ancient (Ptolemy) sea monster (later interpreted as a whale) β Ceti
Chamaeleon
/kəˈmliən/[7]
Cha Cham Chamaeleontis 1603, Uranometria, created by Keyser and de Houtman chameleon α Chamaeleontis
Circinus
/ˈsɜːrsɪnəs/[7]
Cir Circ Circini 1763, Lacaille compasses α Circini
Columba
/kˈlʌmbə/[7]
Col Colm Columbae 1592, Plancius, split from Canis Major dove α Columbae
Coma Berenices
/ˈkmə bɛrəˈnsz/[8]
Com Coma Comae Berenices
/ˈkm bɛrəˈnsz/[8]
1536, Caspar Vopel,[9] split from Leo Berenice's hair β Comae Berenices
Corona Australis
/kˈrnə ɔːˈstrælɪs, -ˈstr-/[7][8]
CrA CorA Coronae Australis ancient (Ptolemy) southern crown α Coronae Australis
Corona Borealis
/kˈrnə ˌbɔːriˈælɪs, -ˈlɪs/[7][8]
CrB CorB Coronae Borealis ancient (Ptolemy) northern crown α Coronae Borealis
Corvus
/ˈkɔːrvəs/[7]
Crv Corv Corvi ancient (Ptolemy) crow γ Corvi
Crater
/ˈkrtər/[7]
Crt Crat Crateris ancient (Ptolemy) cup δ Crateris
Crux
/ˈkrʌks/[7]
Cru Cruc Crucis 1589, Plancius, split from Centaurus southern cross Acrux
Cygnus
/ˈsɪɡnəs/[7]
Cyg Cygn Cygni ancient (Ptolemy) swan or Northern Cross Deneb
Delphinus
/dɛlˈfnəs/[7]
Del Dlph Delphini ancient (Ptolemy) dolphin β Delphini
Dorado
/dəˈrɑːd/[10]
Dor Dora Doradus 1603, Uranometria, created by Keyser and de Houtman dolphinfish α Doradus
Draco
/ˈdrk/[8]
Dra Drac Draconis
/drəˈknɪs/[8]
ancient (Ptolemy) dragon γ Draconis
Equuleus
/ɪˈkwliəs/[8]
Equ Equl Equulei
/ɪˈkwli/[8]
ancient (Ptolemy) pony α Equulei
Eridanus
/ɪˈrɪdənəs/[8]
Eri Erid Eridani
/ɪˈrɪdən/[8]
ancient (Ptolemy) river Eridanus (mythology) Achernar
Fornax
/ˈfɔːrnæks/
For Forn Fornacis 1763, Lacaille chemical furnace α Fornacis
Gemini
/ˈɛmɪn/[7]
Gem Gemi Geminorum ancient (Ptolemy) twins Pollux
Grus
/ˈɡrʌs/[8]
Gru Grus Gruis
/ˈɡrɪs/[8]
1603, Uranometria, created by Keyser and de Houtman crane α Gruis
Hercules
/ˈhɜːrkjʊlz/[8]
Her Herc Herculis ancient (Ptolemy) Hercules (mythological character) β Herculis
Horologium
/ˌhɒrəˈlɒiəm, -ˈl-/[7][8]
Hor Horo Horologii 1763, Lacaille pendulum clock α Horologii
Hydra
/ˈhdrə/[7]
Hya Hyda Hydrae ancient (Ptolemy) Hydra (mythological creature) Alphard
Hydrus
/ˈhdrəs/[7]
Hyi Hydi Hydri 1603, Uranometria, created by Keyser and de Houtman lesser water snake β Hydri
Indus
/ˈɪndəs/[7]
Ind Indi Indi 1603, Uranometria, created by Keyser and de Houtman Indian (of unspecified type) α Indi
Lacerta
/ləˈsɜːrtə/[7]
Lac Lacr Lacertae 1690, Firmamentum Sobiescianum, Hevelius lizard α Lacertae
Leo
/ˈl/[7]
Leo Leon Leonis ancient (Ptolemy) lion Regulus
Leo Minor
/ˈl ˈmnər/[7]
LMi LMin Leonis Minoris 1690, Firmamentum Sobiescianum, Hevelius lesser lion 46 Leonis Minoris
Lepus
/ˈlpəs/[8]
Lep Leps Leporis
/ˈlɛpərɪs/[7][8]
ancient (Ptolemy) hare α Leporis
Libra
/ˈlbrə, ˈl-/[7]
Lib Libr Librae ancient (Ptolemy) balance β Librae
Lupus
/ˈljpəs/[7]
Lup Lupi Lupi ancient (Ptolemy) wolf α Lupi
Lynx
/ˈlɪŋks/[7]
Lyn Lync Lyncis 1690, Firmamentum Sobiescianum, Hevelius lynx α Lyncis
Lyra
/ˈlrə/[7]
Lyr Lyra Lyrae ancient (Ptolemy) lyre / harp Vega
Mensa
/ˈmɛnsə/[7]
Men Mens Mensae 1763, Lacaille, as Mons Mensæ Table Mountain (South Africa) α Mensae
Microscopium
/ˌmkrˈskɒpiəm/
Mic Micr Microscopiae 1763, Lacaille microscope γ Microscopii
Monoceros
/məˈnɒsɪrəs/[7][8]
Mon Mono Monocerotis 1613, Plancius unicorn β Monocerotis
Musca
/ˈmʌskə/[8]
Mus Musc Muscae
/ˈmʌs/[7][8]
1603, Uranometria, created by Keyser and de Houtman fly α Muscae
Norma
/ˈnɔːrmə/[7]
Nor Norm Normae
/ˈnɔːrm/[7]
1763, Lacaille carpenter's level γ2 Normae
Octans
/ˈɒktænz/[8]
Oct Octn Octantis
/ɒkˈtæntɪs/[8]
1763, Lacaille octant (instrument) ν Octantis
Ophiuchus
/ˌɒfiˈjuːkəs/[7]
Oph Ophi Ophiuchi ancient (Ptolemy) serpent-bearer α Ophiuchi
Orion
/ˈrən/[7]
Ori Orio Orionis
/ˈrənɪs, ˌɒriˈnɪs/[8]
ancient (Ptolemy) Orion (mythological character) Rigel
Pavo
/ˈpv/[7][8]
Pav Pavo Pavonis
/pəˈvnɪs/[8]
1603, Uranometria, created by Keyser and de Houtman peacock α Pavonis
Pegasus
/ˈpɛɡəsəs/[7]
Peg Pegs Pegasi ancient (Ptolemy) Pegasus (mythological winged horse) ε Pegasi
Perseus
/ˈpɜːrsiəs/[8]
Per Pers Persei
/ˈpɜːrsi/[8]
ancient (Ptolemy) Perseus (mythological character) α Persei
Phoenix
/ˈfnɪks/[7]
Phe Phoe Phoenicis
/fɪˈnsɪs/
1603, Uranometria, created by Keyser and de Houtman phoenix α Phoenicis
Pictor
/ˈpɪktər/[8]
Pic Pict Pictoris
/pɪkˈtɔːrɪs/[8]
1763, Lacaille, as Equuleus Pictoris easel α Pictoris
Pisces
/ˈpsz, ˈpɪ-/[7][8]
Psc Pisc Piscium
/ˈpɪʃiəm/[8]
ancient (Ptolemy) fishes η Piscium
Piscis Austrinus
/ˈpsɪs ɔːˈstrnəs/
PsA PscA Piscis Austrini ancient (Ptolemy) southern fish Fomalhaut
Puppis
/ˈpʌpɪs/[8]
Pup Pupp Puppis
/ˈpʌpɪs/[8]
1763, Lacaille, split from Argo Navis poop deck ζ Puppis
Pyxis
/ˈpɪksɪs/[7]
Pyx Pyxi Pyxidis 1763, Lacaille mariner's compass α Pyxidis
Reticulum
/rɪˈtɪkjʊləm/[7]
Ret Reti Reticuli 1763, Lacaille eyepiece graticule α Reticuli
Sagitta
/səˈɪtə/[7]
Sge Sgte Sagittae ancient (Ptolemy) arrow γ Sagittae
Sagittarius
/sæɪˈtɛəriəs/[7]
Sgr Sgtr Sagittarii ancient (Ptolemy) archer ε Sagittarii
Scorpius
/ˈskɔːrpiəs/[7]
Sco Scor Scorpii ancient (Ptolemy) scorpion Antares
Sculptor
/ˈskʌlptər/[7]
Scl Scul Sculptoris 1763, Lacaille sculptor α Sculptoris
Scutum
/ˈskjuːtəm/[7]
Sct Scut Scuti 1690, Firmamentum Sobiescianum, Hevelius shield (of Sobieski) α Scuti
Serpens[11]
/ˈsɜːrpɛnz/
Ser Serp Serpentis ancient (Ptolemy) snake α Serpentis
Sextans
/ˈsɛkstənz/[8]
Sex Sext Sextantis
/sɛksˈtæntɪs/[8]
1690, Firmamentum Sobiescianum, Hevelius sextant α Sextantis
Taurus
/ˈtɔːrəs/[7]
Tau Taur Tauri ancient (Ptolemy) bull Aldebaran
Telescopium
/ˌtɛlɪˈskɒpiəm/
Tel Tele Telescopii 1763, Lacaille telescope α Telescopii
Triangulum
/trˈæŋɡjʊləm/
Tri Tria Trianguli ancient (Ptolemy) triangle β Trianguli
Triangulum Australe
/trˈæŋɡjʊləm ɔːˈstræl, -ˈstr-/
TrA TrAu Trianguli Australis 1603, Uranometria, created by Keyser and de Houtman southern triangle α Trianguli Australis
Tucana
/tjˈknə/
Tuc Tucn Tucanae 1603, Uranometria, created by Keyser and de Houtman toucan α Tucanae
Ursa Major
/ˌɜːrsə ˈmər/[7]
UMa UMaj Ursae Majoris ancient (Ptolemy) great bear ε Ursae Majoris
Ursa Minor
/ˌɜːrsə ˈmnər/[7]
UMi UMin Ursae Minoris ancient (Ptolemy) lesser bear Polaris
Vela
/ˈvlə/[7]
Vel Velr Velae 1763, Lacaille, split from Argo Navis sails γ Velorum
Virgo
/ˈvɜːrɡ/[7]
Vir Virg Virginis ancient (Ptolemy) virgin or maiden Spica
Volans
/ˈvlænz/[8]
Vol Voln Volantis
/vˈlæntɪs/[8]
1603, Uranometria, created by Keyser and de Houtman, as Piscis Volans flying fish β Volantis
Vulpecula
/vʌlˈpɛkjʊlə/[7]
Vul Vulp Vulpeculae 1690, Firmamentum Sobiescianum, Hevelius, as Vulpecula cum Ansere fox α Vulpeculae

Asterisms

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Various other unofficial patterns exist alongside the constellations. These are known as "asterisms". Examples include the Big Dipper/Plough and the Northern Cross. Some ancient asterisms, for example Coma Berenices, Serpens, and portions of Argo Navis, are now officially constellations.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ The constellations Camelopardalis, Columba, and Monoceros, formed by Petrus Plancius in 1592 and in 1613, are often erroneously attributed to Jacob Bartsch and Augustin Royer.

References

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  1. ^ a b "The Constellations". International Astronomical Union. Archived from the original on 16 December 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
  2. ^ a b Eugène Delporte; International Astronomical Union (1930). Délimitation scientifique des constellations. At the University press.
  3. ^ Russell, Henry Norris (1922). "The New International Symbols for the Constellations". Popular Astronomy. 30: 469. Bibcode:1922PA.....30..469R.
  4. ^ "Constellations". Ian Ridpath. Archived from the original on 16 July 2023. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  5. ^ "The Constellations". International Astronomical Union. Archived from the original on 16 December 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
  6. ^ NASA Dictionary of terms for Aerospace Use – table V, Constellations
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf OED, 2nd edition
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg Random House Dictionary
  9. ^ "Comae Berenices". Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  10. ^ "Definition of dorado". Collins English Dictionary. Archived from the original on 28 November 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
  11. ^ Serpens may be divided into Serpens Cauda (serpent's tail) and Serpens Caput (serpent's head), but these disjoint areas are considered part of the same constellation by the IAU.
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