Constellations
Andromeda Constellation
Andromeda Constellation -- Andromeda is a constellation representing the princess Andromeda, in the northern sky near Pegasus. The constellation takes the general shape of a long, dim, straggly letter "A". It is most notable for containing the Andromed...
Auriga Constellation
Auriga Constellation -- Auriga (the charioteer) is a northern constellation. It was one of the 48 constellations listed by Ptolemy, and counts is one of the 88 modern constellations. Its brightest star is Capella, which is associated with the mytho...
Big Dipper Constellation
Big Dipper Constellation (Ursa Major) -- Ursa Major is a constellation visible throughout the year in the northern hemisphere. Its name means "Great Bear" in Latin, and is derived from the legend of Callisto. Its seven brightest stars form a famous ast...
Bootes Constellation
Bootes Constellation -- Bootes (the herdsman) is one of the 88 modern constellations and was also one of the 48 constellations listed by Ptolemy. It contains the bright star Arcturus. The constellation is located between 0� and +60� decli...
Canis Major Constellation
Canis Major Constellation -- Canis Major (the big dog) is one of the 88 modern constellations, and was also in Ptolemy's list of 48 constellations. It is said to represent one of the dogs following Orion the hunter (see also the constellations of O...
Canis Minor
Canis Minor -- Canis Minor (the little dog) is one of the 88 modern constellations, and was also in Ptolemy's list of 48 constellations. It is said to represent one of the dogs following Orion the hunter. Notable features Canis Minor is a small ...
Cassiopeia Constellation
Cassiopeia Constellation -- Cassiopeia is a northern constellation representing the legendary queen of Ethiopia Cassiopeia, who was the wife of Cepheus and the mother of Andromeda. It is one of the 88 modern constellations, and was also one of the 48 l...
Centaurus Constellation
Centaurus Constellation -- Centaurus (the centaur) was one of the 48 constellations listed by Ptolemy, and counts also among the 88 modern constellations. A constellation of the southern hemisphere, mentioned by Eudoxus (4th century B.C.) and Aratu...
Cetus Constellation
Cetus Constellation -- Cetus (the Whale or Sea Monster) is a constellation of the southern sky, in the region known as the Water, near other watery constellations like Aquarius, Pisces, and Eridanus. Notable features This constellation's most no...
Cygnus Constellation
Cygnus Constellation -- Cygnus (the swan) is a northern constellation. It was one of Ptolemy's 48 constellations, and is also one of the 88 modern constellations. Because of the pattern of its main stars, it is sometimes called the Northern Cross (...
Gemini Constellation
Gemini Constellation -- Gemini (the twins) is one of the constellations of the zodiac. It is part of the winter sky, lying between Taurus to the west and the dim Cancer to the east, with Auriga and the near-invisible Lynx to the north and Monoceros...
Hydra Constellation
Hydra Constellation -- Location: Northern Hemisphere & Southern Hemisphere; Coordinates: Right Ascension: 10h; Declination: -20�; Source: Greek Mythology The constellation Hydra is most closely associated with the legend of the second labor of ...
Capricornus (The Sea Goat) Constellation
Capricornus (The Sea Goat) Constellation -- Location: Zodiac constellation, visible in both hemispheres; Coordinates: Right Ascension: 21h; Declination: -20�; Source: Ancient, Babylonian and Greek mythology The constellations that are included ...
Aquarius (the water bearer) Constellation
Aquarius (the water bearer) Constellation -- Location: Zodiac constellation, visible in both hemispheres; Coordinates: Right Ascension: 23h; Declination: -15�; Source: Identified by most ancient cultures The constellations that are included in...
Aquila (the Eagle) Constellation
Aquila (the Eagle) Constellation -- Location: Northern Hemisphere; Coordinates: Right Ascension: 20h; Declination: 05�; Source: Various cultures - Greek, Arab, Persian, Indian, Japanese, Chinese, Korean The story behind the name In the ancie...
Canes Venatici (hunting dogs) Constellation
Canes Venatici (hunting dogs) Constellation -- Location: Northern Hemisphere; Coordinates: Right Ascension: 13h; Declination: +40�; Source: Created by astronomer Johannes Hevelius around 1687 Hevelius was an observational astronomer who catal...
Carina (keel of a ship) Constellation
Carina (keel of a ship) Constellation -- Location: Mostly Southern Hemisphere, low on the horizon in the Northern Hemisphere; Coordinates: Right Ascension: 09h; Declination: -60�; Source: Modern Constellation by astronomer Abbe Nicholas de Lacaill...
Corvus (crow) Constellation
Corvus (crow) Constellation -- Location: Southern Hemisphere, very low on the southern horizon in the Northern Hemisphere; Coordinates: Right Ascension: 12h; Declination: -20�; Source: Greek mythology, Arab, sailor's lore The constellation Corv...
Crater (cup) Constellation
Crater (cup) Constellation -- Location: Southern Hemisphere, low on the southern horizon in the Northern Hemisphere; Coordinates: Right Ascension: 11h; Declination: -15�; Source: Greek mythology The constellation Crater is in the same area of ...
Dorado (golden fish) Constellation
Dorado (golden fish) Constellation -- Location: Southern Hemisphere; Coordinates: Right Ascension: 05h; Declination: -65�; Source: Modern constellation mapped by Dutch navigators Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman, circa 1595 The ...
Draco (dragon or serpent) Constellation
Draco (dragon or serpent) Constellation -- Location: Northern Hemisphere; Coordinates: Right Ascension: 17h; Declination: +65�; Source: Creation and dragon myths from Greek, Roman, eastern Mediterranean, Middle East, Indian and Norse cultures T...
Monoceros (Unicorn) Constellation
Monoceros (Unicorn) Constellation -- Location: Galactic equator, visible in both hemispheres Coordinates: Right Ascension: 07h; Declination: -05�; Source: Modern Monoceros is a modern constellation formulated around 1624 by Jakob Bartsch, a Ge...
Ophiuchus (serpent bearer) Constellation
Ophiuchus (serpent bearer) Constellation -- Location: Equatorial, visible in both Hemispheres; Coordinates: Right Ascension: 17h; Declination: 0�; Source: Greek Mythology The constellation Ophiuchus seems to be a figure of a man entwined with t...
Orion (the hunter) Constellation
Orion (the hunter) Constellation -- Location: Celestial Equator (visible in both Northern and Southern Hemispheres); Coordinates: Right Ascension: 05h; Declination: -05�; Source: Greek mythology, Arab, ancient Indian & Egyptian The pattern in t...
Pegasus (the winged horse) Constellation
Pegasus (the winged horse) Constellation -- Location: Visible in both Hemispheres Coordinates: Right Ascension: 22h; Declination: +20�; Source: Greek mythology Pegasus, the winged horse, was the son of Poseidon and Medusa. Medusa had been one o...
Perseus Constellation
Perseus Constellation -- Location: Northern Hemisphere; Coordinates: Right Ascension: 03h; Declination: +45�; Source: Greek Mythology Perseus was the son of the Greek god Zeus and the mortal princess Danae. Perseus' grandfather, Acrisius, the k...
Pisces (fish) Constellation
Pisces (fish) Constellation -- Location: Zodiac constellation, visible from both Hemispheres; Coordinates: Right Ascension: 01h; Declination: +15�; Source: Ancient, Middle East and eastern Mediterranean, also Greek and Roman mythology. The cons...
Sagittarius (archer) Constellation
Sagittarius (archer) Constellation -- Location: Zodiac constellation, visible in both hemispheres; Coordinates: Right Ascension: 19h; Declination: -25�; Source: Greek mythology, related to or derived from Sumerian and Babylonian myths, also Arab ...
Scutum (shield) Constellation
Scutum (shield) Constellation -- Location: Southern Hemisphere; Coordinates: Right Ascension: 19h; Declination: -10�; Source: Astronomer Johannes Hevelius This constellation was originally named Scutum Sobiescianum, Latin for Shield of Sobiesk...
Taurus (the bull) Constellation
Taurus (the bull) Constellation -- Location: Zodiac constellation, visible in both Hemispheres; Coordinates: Right Ascension: 04h; Declination: +15�; Source: Bull legends from various ancient civilizations, also Greek mythology, Egyptian, Arab, ot...
Tucana Constellation
Tucana Constellation -- Location: Southern Hemisphere (polar region); Coordinates: Right Ascension: 24h; Declination: -65�; Source: 17th century Dutch navigators Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman, with astronomer Johann Bayer Tuc...
Ursa Major (big bear) Constellation
Ursa Major (big bear) Constellation -- Location: Northern Hemisphere; Coordinates: Right Ascension: 11h; Declination: +50�; Source: Greek, Roman, and Native American mythology The constellation name, Ursa Major, means Big Bear. The "bear" assoc...
Vela (the sail) Constellation
Vela (the sail) Constellation -- Location: Mostly Southern Hemisphere, low on the horizon in the Northern Hemisphere; Coordinates: Right Ascension: 09h; Declination: -50�; Source: Modern constellation by astronomer Abbe Nicholas de Lacaille Th...
Virgo (the maiden) Constellation
Virgo (the maiden) Constellation -- Location: Zodiac constellation, visible in both Hemispheres; Coordinates: Right Ascension: 13h; Declination: 0�; Source: Associated with almost every major female deity in world-wide early civilizations The c...
Leo (the lion) Constellation
Leo (the lion) Constellation -- Leo (the lion) is a constellation of the zodiac. Leo lies between dim Cancer to the west and Virgo to the east. Notable features This constellation contains many bright stars, such as Regulus (α Leo), the lio...
Libra (the scales) Constellation
Libra (the scales) Constellation -- Libra (the scales) is a constellation of the zodiac. It is a fairly inconspicuous constellation and has no star of first magnitude, lying between Virgo to the west and Scorpius to the east. As the names of the br...
Ursa Minor (little dipper) Constellation
Ursa Minor (little dipper) Constellation -- Ursa Minor is a constellation in the northern sky, whose name means the "Lesser Bear" in Latin. It is one of the 88 modern constellations, and was also one of the 48 listed by Ptolemy. It is notable as th...
Lupus (the wolf) Constellation
Lupus (the wolf) Constellation -- Lupus belongs to the constellations of the Southern Hemisphere roughly between DECL=-30 degrees and DECL=-55 degrees and RA=14h 20m and RA=16h 15m, respectively. It is located between Centaurus on the western and Sc...
Lynx Constellation
Lynx Constellation -- Lynx is a constellation of the northern hemisphere, introduced in the 17th century by Johannes Hevelius. Its name originates from the fact that someone would need the eyes of a lynx to see it. Its most notable deep sky object ...
Lyra Constellation
Lyra Constellation -- Lyra (the lyre) is a prominent, although fairly small, northern constellation. It was one of Ptolemy's 48 constellations, and also counts among the modern 88 constellations. Its brightest star is Vega (Alpha Lyrae), which toge...
Phoenix Constellation
Phoenix Constellation -- Phoenix is a minor southern constellation, introduced by Dutch navigators Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman, and popularized by Johann Bayer's Uranometria in 1603. Its primary star is Ankaa, also known as Alp...
Puppis Constellation
Puppis Constellation -- Containing the brightest star visible on earth, the constellation of Canis Major is one of the few constellations in the heavens which resembles what it is supposed to be: a large dog. Its neighbor, Puppis, on the other hand...
Scorpius Constellation
Scorpius Constellation -- Scorpius (the scorpion) is one of the constellations of the zodiac. In western astrology it is known as "Scorpio." It lies between Libra to the west and Sagittarius to the east. It is a large constellation located in the s...
Serpens Constellation
Serpens Constellation -- Serpens (the snake) is one of the 88 modern constellations, and was also one of the 48 listed by Ptolemy. Among the modern constellations it is unique in being split into two pieces, Serpens Caput (representing the head of ...
Triangulum Australe Constellation
Triangulum Australe Constellation -- Triangulum Australe, the Southern Triangle, is completely visible in latitudes south of 20 degrees north from April through June. Its three brightest stars have been called the "Three Patriarchs", Abraham, Isaac...
Zodiac
Zodiac -- The Zodiac (from Greek zoon, "animal") is an imaginary belt in the heavens extending approximately 8 degrees on either side of the Sun's apparent path, and including the apparent paths of the Moon and the major planets: Mercury, Venus, Mars, ...