All topics

Constellations

A constellation is an area of the night sky where a group of visible stars forms a perceived pattern or outline, typically representing an animal, mythological subject, or inanimate object. Ancient cultures invented constellations to relate stories of their beliefs and mythology, and naming them helped astronomers and navigators identify stars more easily. Today, the International Astronomical Union recognizes 88 constellations that together cover the entire celestial sphere. While stars within a constellation may appear close together in the sky, they usually lie at different distances from Earth. Because the stars have independent motions, constellations will change slowly over tens to hundreds of thousands of years, eventually becoming unrecognizable. Constellations remain important for astronomers locating celestial objects and for observers navigating the night sky.

Sources

• en.wikipedia.org: “A constellation is an area on the celestial sphere in which a group of visible stars forms a perceived pattern or outline, typically representing an animal, mythological subject, or inanimate object.”
• en.wikipedia.org: “People used them to relate stories of their beliefs, experiences, creation, and mythology.”
• en.wikipedia.org: “Naming constellations also helped astronomers and navigators identify stars more easily.”
• en.wikipedia.org: “In 1922, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) formally accepted the modern list of 88 constellations, and in 1928 adopted official constellation boundaries that together cover the entire celestial sphere.”
• en.wikipedia.org: “Stars in constellations can appear near each other in the sky, but they usually lie at a variety of distances away from the Earth.”
• en.wikipedia.org: “After tens to hundreds of thousands of years, familiar outlines will become unrecognizable.”