What is a Constellation?
A constellation is any one of the 88 areas into which the sky —or the celestial sphere—is divided. The term is also traditionally and less formally used to denote a group of stars visibly related to each other in a particular configuration or pattern. Some well-known constellations contain striking and familiar patterns of bright stars. Examples are Orion (containing a figure of a hunter), Leo (containing bright stars outlining the form of a lion), Scorpius (a scorpion), and Crux (a cross).
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) divides the sky into 88 official constellations with precise boundaries, so that every direction or place in the sky belongs within one constellation.
Chinese constellations are the way ancient Chinese grouped the stars. They are very different from the modern IAU recognized constellations, which were based on Greek astronomy. This is due to the independent development of ancient Chinese astronomy.
All modern constellation names are Latin proper names or words, and some stars are named using the genitive, or sometimes the ablative of the constellation in which they are found.
|
