# IAU designated constellations

In contemporary astronomy, 88 constellations are recognized by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). 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.
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. When astronomers say that an object lies in a particular constellation, they mean that it is positioned within these specified boundaries.

## History

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

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

### Abbreviations

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).
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. These are labeled "NASA" in the table below and are included here for reference only.

### List

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 | Abbreviations | Genitive | Origin | Meaning | Brightest star | Brightest star |
| Constellation | IAU | NASA | Genitive | Origin | Meaning | Name | Vis. mag. |
| Andromeda /ænˈdrɒmɪdə/ | And | Andr | Andromedae | ancient (Ptolemy) | Andromeda (The chained maiden or princess) | Alpheratz | 2.06 |
| Antlia /ˈæntliə/ | Ant | Antl | Antliae | 1763, Lacaille | air pump | α Antliae | 4.25 |
| Apus /ˈeɪpəs/ | Aps | Apus | Apodis /ˈæpoʊdɪs/ | 1603, Uranometria, created by Keyser and de Houtman | Bird-of-paradise/Exotic Bird/Extraordinary Bird | α Apodis | 3.83 |
| Aquarius /əˈkwɛəriəs/ | Aqr | Aqar | Aquarii | ancient (Ptolemy) | water-bearer | Sadalsuud | 2.87 |
| Aquila /ˈækwɪlə/ | Aql | Aqil | Aquilae | ancient (Ptolemy) | eagle | Altair | 0.76 |
| Ara /ˈɛərə/ | Ara | Arae | Arae /ˈɛəriː/ | ancient (Ptolemy) | altar | β Arae | 2.84 |
| Aries /ˈɛər(i)iːz/ | Ari | Arie | Arietis /əˈraɪ.ɪtɪs/ | ancient (Ptolemy) | ram | Hamal | 2.00 |
| Auriga /ɔːˈraɪɡə/ | Aur | Auri | Aurigae /ɔːˈraɪdʒiː/ | ancient (Ptolemy) | charioteer | Capella | 0.08 |
| Boötes /boʊˈoʊtiːz/ | Boo | Boot | Boötis | ancient (Ptolemy) | herdsman | Arcturus | -0.05 |
| Caelum /ˈsiːləm/ | Cae | Cael | Caeli /ˈsiːlaɪ/ | 1763, Lacaille | chisel or engraving tool | α Caeli | 4.46 |
| Camelopardalis /kəˌmɛloʊˈpɑːrdəlɪs/ | Cam | Caml | Camelopardalis /kəˌmɛloʊˈpɑːrdəlɪs/ | 1613, Plancius | giraffe | β Camelopardalis | 4.02 |
| Cancer /ˈkænsər/ | Cnc | Canc | Cancri | ancient (Ptolemy) | crab | β Cancri | 3.52 |
| Canes Venatici /ˈkeɪniːz vɪˈnætɪsaɪ/ | CVn | CVen | Canum Venaticorum | 1690, Firmamentum Sobiescianum, Hevelius | hunting dogs | Cor Caroli | 2.81 |
| Canis Major /ˈkeɪnɪs ˈmeɪdʒər/ | CMa | CMaj | Canis Majoris | ancient (Ptolemy) | greater dog | Sirius | -1.46 |
| Canis Minor /ˈkeɪnɪs ˈmaɪnər/ | CMi | CMin | Canis Minoris | ancient (Ptolemy) | lesser dog | Procyon | 0.34 |
| Capricornus /ˌkæprɪˈkɔːrnəs/ | Cap | Capr | Capricorni /ˌkæprɪˈkɔːrnaɪ/ | ancient (Ptolemy) | sea goat | Deneb Algedi | 2.83 |
| Carina /kəˈraɪnə/ | Car | Cari | Carinae | 1763, Lacaille, split from Argo Navis | keel | Canopus | -0.74 |
| Cassiopeia /ˌkæsioʊˈpiːə/ | Cas | Cass | Cassiopeiae /ˌkæsioʊˈpiːiː/ | ancient (Ptolemy) | Cassiopeia (mythological character) | Schedar | 2.24 |
| Centaurus /sɛnˈtɔːrəs/ | Cen | Cent | Centauri | ancient (Ptolemy) | centaur | Alpha Centauri | -0.27 |
| Cepheus /ˈsiːfiəs/ | Cep | Ceph | Cephei /ˈsiːfiaɪ/ | ancient (Ptolemy) | Cepheus (mythological character) | Alderamin | 2.46 |
| Cetus /ˈsiːtəs/ | Cet | Ceti | Ceti /ˈsiːtaɪ/ | ancient (Ptolemy) | sea monster (later interpreted as a whale) | Diphda | 2.02 |
| Chamaeleon /kəˈmiːliən/ | Cha | Cham | Chamaeleontis | 1603, Uranometria, created by Keyser and de Houtman | chameleon | α Chamaeleontis | 4.06 |
| Circinus /ˈsɜːrsɪnəs/ | Cir | Circ | Circini | 1763, Lacaille | compasses | α Circini | 3.19 |
| Columba /koʊˈlʌmbə/ | Col | Colm | Columbae | 1592, Plancius, split from Canis Major | dove | Phact | 2.65 |
| Coma Berenices /ˈkoʊmə bɛrəˈnaɪsiːz/ | Com | Coma | Comae Berenices /ˈkoʊmiː bɛrəˈnaɪsiːz/ | 1536, Caspar Vopel, split from Leo | Berenice's hair | β Comae Berenices | 4.26 |
| Corona Australis /koʊˈroʊnə ɔːˈstrælɪs, -ˈstreɪ-/ | CrA | CorA | Coronae Australis | ancient (Ptolemy) | southern crown | α Coronae Australis | 4.10 |
| Corona Borealis /koʊˈroʊnə ˌbɔːriˈælɪs, -ˈeɪlɪs/ | CrB | CorB | Coronae Borealis | ancient (Ptolemy) | northern crown | Alphecca | 2.24 |
| Corvus /ˈkɔːrvəs/ | Crv | Corv | Corvi | ancient (Ptolemy) | crow | Gienah | 2.59 |
| Crater /ˈkreɪtər/ | Crt | Crat | Crateris | ancient (Ptolemy) | cup | δ Crateris | 3.56 |
| Crux /ˈkrʌks/ | Cru | Cruc | Crucis | 1589, Plancius, split from Centaurus | southern cross | Acrux | 0.76 |
| Cygnus /ˈsɪɡnəs/ | Cyg | Cygn | Cygni | ancient (Ptolemy) | swan or Northern Cross | Deneb | 1.25 |
| Delphinus /dɛlˈfaɪnəs/ | Del | Dlph | Delphini | ancient (Ptolemy) | dolphin | β Delphini | 3.62 |
| Dorado /dəˈrɑːdoʊ/ | Dor | Dora | Doradus | 1603, Uranometria, created by Keyser and de Houtman | dolphinfish | α Doradus | 3.28 |
| Draco /ˈdreɪkoʊ/ | Dra | Drac | Draconis /drəˈkoʊnɪs/ | ancient (Ptolemy) | dragon | Eltanin | 2.23 |
| Equuleus /ɪˈkwuːliəs/ | Equ | Equl | Equulei /ɪˈkwuːliaɪ/ | ancient (Ptolemy) | pony | α Equulei | 3.92 |
| Eridanus /ɪˈrɪdənəs/ | Eri | Erid | Eridani /ɪˈrɪdənaɪ/ | ancient (Ptolemy) | river Eridanus (mythology) | Achernar | 0.46 |
| Fornax /ˈfɔːrnæks/ | For | Forn | Fornacis | 1763, Lacaille | chemical furnace | α Fornacis | 3.85 |
| Gemini /ˈdʒɛmɪnaɪ/ | Gem | Gemi | Geminorum | ancient (Ptolemy) | twins | Pollux | 1.14 |
| Grus /ˈɡrʌs/ | Gru | Grus | Gruis /ˈɡruːɪs/ | 1603, Uranometria, created by Keyser and de Houtman | crane | Alnair | 1.74 |
| Hercules /ˈhɜːrkjʊliːz/ | Her | Herc | Herculis | ancient (Ptolemy) | Hercules (mythological character) | Kornephoros | 2.81 |
| Horologium /ˌhɒrəˈlɒdʒiəm, -ˈloʊ-/ | Hor | Horo | Horologii | 1763, Lacaille | pendulum clock | α Horologii | 3.85 |
| Hydra /ˈhaɪdrə/ | Hya | Hyda | Hydrae | ancient (Ptolemy) | Hydra (mythological creature) | Alphard | 2.00 |
| Hydrus /ˈhaɪdrəs/ | Hyi | Hydi | Hydri | 1603, Uranometria, created by Keyser and de Houtman | lesser water snake | β Hydri | 2.80 |
| Indus /ˈɪndəs/ | Ind | Indi | Indi | 1603, Uranometria, created by Keyser and de Houtman | Indian (of unspecified type) | α Indi | 3.11 |
| Lacerta /ləˈsɜːrtə/ | Lac | Lacr | Lacertae | 1690, Firmamentum Sobiescianum, Hevelius | lizard | α Lacertae | 3.76 |
| Leo /ˈliːoʊ/ | Leo | Leon | Leonis | ancient (Ptolemy) | lion | Regulus | 1.35 |
| Leo Minor /ˈliːoʊ ˈmaɪnər/ | LMi | LMin | Leonis Minoris | 1690, Firmamentum Sobiescianum, Hevelius | lesser lion | 46 Leonis Minoris | 3.83 |
| Lepus /ˈliːpəs/ | Lep | Leps | Leporis /ˈlɛpərɪs/ | ancient (Ptolemy) | hare | Arneb | 2.59 |
| Libra /ˈlaɪbrə, ˈliː-/ | Lib | Libr | Librae | ancient (Ptolemy) | balance | Zubeneschemali | 2.61 |
| Lupus /ˈljuːpəs/ | Lup | Lupi | Lupi | ancient (Ptolemy) | wolf | α Lupi | 2.30 |
| Lynx /ˈlɪŋks/ | Lyn | Lync | Lyncis | 1690, Firmamentum Sobiescianum, Hevelius | lynx | α Lyncis | 3.14 |
| Lyra /ˈlaɪrə/ | Lyr | Lyra | Lyrae | ancient (Ptolemy) | lyre / harp | Vega | 0.02 |
| Mensa /ˈmɛnsə/ | Men | Mens | Mensae | 1763, Lacaille, as Mons Mensæ | Table Mountain (South Africa) | α Mensae | 5.09 |
| Microscopium /ˌmaɪkroʊˈskɒpiəm/ | Mic | Micr | Microscopiae | 1763, Lacaille | microscope | γ Microscopii | 4.68 |
| Monoceros /məˈnɒsɪrəs/ | Mon | Mono | Monocerotis | 1613, Plancius | unicorn | β Monocerotis | 3.74 |
| Musca /ˈmʌskə/ | Mus | Musc | Muscae /ˈmʌsiː/ | 1603, Uranometria, created by Keyser and de Houtman | fly | α Muscae | 2.69 |
| Norma /ˈnɔːrmə/ | Nor | Norm | Normae /ˈnɔːrmiː/ | 1763, Lacaille | carpenter's level | γ$^2$ Normae | 4.02 |
| Octans /ˈɒktænz/ | Oct | Octn | Octantis /ɒkˈtæntɪs/ | 1763, Lacaille | octant (instrument) | ν Octantis | 3.73 |
| Ophiuchus /ˌɒfiˈjuːkəs/ | Oph | Ophi | Ophiuchi | ancient (Ptolemy) | serpent-bearer | Rasalhague | 2.07 |
| Orion /oʊˈraɪən/ | Ori | Orio | Orionis /oʊˈraɪənɪs, ˌɒriˈoʊnɪs/ | ancient (Ptolemy) | Orion (mythological character) | Rigel | 0.13 |
| Pavo /ˈpeɪvoʊ/ | Pav | Pavo | Pavonis /pəˈvoʊnɪs/ | 1603, Uranometria, created by Keyser and de Houtman | peacock | Peacock | 1.94 |
| Pegasus /ˈpɛɡəsəs/ | Peg | Pegs | Pegasi | ancient (Ptolemy) | Pegasus (mythological winged horse) | Enif | 2.40 |
| Perseus /ˈpɜːrsiəs/ | Per | Pers | Persei /ˈpɜːrsiaɪ/ | ancient (Ptolemy) | Perseus (mythological character) | Mirfak | 1.82 |
| Phoenix /ˈfiːnɪks/ | Phe | Phoe | Phoenicis /fɪˈnaɪsɪs/ | 1603, Uranometria, created by Keyser and de Houtman | phoenix | Ankaa | 2.38 |
| Pictor /ˈpɪktər/ | Pic | Pict | Pictoris /pɪkˈtɔːrɪs/ | 1763, Lacaille, as Equuleus Pictoris | easel | α Pictoris | 3.27 |
| Pisces /ˈpaɪsiːz, ˈpɪ-/ | Psc | Pisc | Piscium /ˈpɪʃiəm/ | ancient (Ptolemy) | fishes | α Piscium | 3.61 |
| Piscis Austrinus /ˈpaɪsɪs ɔːˈstraɪnəs/ | PsA | PscA | Piscis Austrini | ancient (Ptolemy) | southern fish | Fomalhaut | 1.16 |
| Puppis /ˈpʌpɪs/ | Pup | Pupp | Puppis /ˈpʌpɪs/ | 1763, Lacaille, split from Argo Navis | poop deck | Naos | 2.25 |
| Pyxis /ˈpɪksɪs/ | Pyx | Pyxi | Pyxidis | 1763, Lacaille | mariner's compass | α Pyxidis | 3.67 |
| Reticulum /rɪˈtɪkjʊləm/ | Ret | Reti | Reticuli | 1763, Lacaille | eyepiece graticule | α Reticuli | 3.32 |
| Sagitta /səˈdʒɪtə/ | Sge | Sgte | Sagittae | ancient (Ptolemy) | arrow | γ Sagittae | 3.47 |
| Sagittarius /sædʒɪˈtɛəriəs/ | Sgr | Sgtr | Sagittarii | ancient (Ptolemy) | archer | Kaus Australis | 1.85 |
| Scorpius /ˈskɔːrpiəs/ | Sco | Scor | Scorpii | ancient (Ptolemy) | scorpion | Antares | 0.91 |
| Sculptor /ˈskʌlptər/ | Scl | Scul | Sculptoris | 1763, Lacaille | sculptor | α Sculptoris | 4.30 |
| Scutum /ˈskjuːtəm/ | Sct | Scut | Scuti | 1690, Firmamentum Sobiescianum, Hevelius | shield (of Sobieski) | α Scuti | 3.83 |
| Serpens /ˈsɜːrpɛnz/ | Ser | Serp | Serpentis | ancient (Ptolemy) | snake | Unukalhai | 2.62 |
| Sextans /ˈsɛkstənz/ | Sex | Sext | Sextantis /sɛksˈtæntɪs/ | 1690, Firmamentum Sobiescianum, Hevelius | sextant | α Sextantis | 4.49 |
| Taurus /ˈtɔːrəs/ | Tau | Taur | Tauri | ancient (Ptolemy) | bull | Aldebaran | 0.86 |
| Telescopium /ˌtɛlɪˈskɒpiəm/ | Tel | Tele | Telescopii | 1763, Lacaille | telescope | α Telescopii | 3.51 |
| Triangulum /traɪˈæŋɡjʊləm/ | Tri | Tria | Trianguli | ancient (Ptolemy) | triangle | β Trianguli | 3.00 |
| Triangulum Australe /traɪˈæŋɡjʊləm ɔːˈstræliː, -ˈstreɪ-/ | TrA | TrAu | Trianguli Australis | 1603, Uranometria, created by Keyser and de Houtman | southern triangle | Atria | 1.91 |
| Tucana /tjuːˈkeɪnə/ | Tuc | Tucn | Tucanae | 1603, Uranometria, created by Keyser and de Houtman | toucan | α Tucanae | 2.86 |
| Ursa Major /ˌɜːrsə ˈmeɪdʒər/ | UMa | UMaj | Ursae Majoris | ancient (Ptolemy) | great bear | Alioth | 1.77 |
| Ursa Minor /ˌɜːrsə ˈmaɪnər/ | UMi | UMin | Ursae Minoris | ancient (Ptolemy) | lesser bear | Polaris | 1.98 |
| Vela /ˈviːlə/ | Vel | Velr | Velorum /vɪˈloʊrəm/ | 1763, Lacaille, split from Argo Navis | sails | γ Velorum | 1.83 |
| Virgo /ˈvɜːrɡoʊ/ | Vir | Virg | Virginis | ancient (Ptolemy) | virgin or maiden | Spica | 0.97 |
| Volans /ˈvoʊlænz/ | Vol | Voln | Volantis /voʊˈlæntɪs/ | 1603, Uranometria, created by Keyser and de Houtman, as Piscis Volans | flying fish | β Volantis | 3.75 |
| Vulpecula /vʌlˈpɛkjʊlə/ | Vul | Vulp | Vulpeculae | 1690, Firmamentum Sobiescianum, Hevelius, as Vulpecula cum Ansere | fox | α Vulpeculae | 4.40 |

## Asterisms

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.