Astronomers officially recognize 88 constellations covering the entire sky in the northern and southern hemispheres.
There are 88 official constellations. But astronomers haven’t made up new constellations for hundreds of years! When new stars are discovered, they are considered to be a part of whatever constellation they are closest to.
How many constellations are there in the night sky?
A constellation is a grouping of stars that represents one of the 88 divisions of the celestial sphere as defined by the International Astronomical Union. Many constellations are derived from old traditional asterisms, which are star patterns within a constellation.
There are 88 modern constellations recognized by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). The list of the modern constellations was adopted by the IAU in 1922.
Here are the other types of constellations you will find in the celestial sphere. This is a fun activity for kids astronomy! There are 42 animal constellations, 28 objects, 14 humans, 2 chimeras (a mix of human and animal), and 2 natural features (a river and a mesa).
IAU and the 88 Constellations. Originally the constellations were defined informally by the shapes made by their star patterns, but, as the pace of celestial discoveries quickened in the early 20th century, astronomers decided it would be helpful to have an official set of constellation boundaries.
How many constellations are there according to Russell?
Russell also provided three-letter abbreviations for each of the 89 constellations (the 88 modern ones and the Greek constellation Argo, which was later dropped). The constellations on Russell’s list corresponded to those listed in the Revised Harvard Photometry star catalogue (1908), published by Harvard College Observatory.
How many constellations are there in the southern hemisphere?
Many of the 88 IAU-recognized constellations in this region first appeared on celestial globes developed in the late 16th century by Petrus Plancius, based mainly on observations of the Dutch navigators Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman. These became widely known through Johann Bayer ‘s star atlas Uranometria of 1603.
What is a constellation?
88 Constellations of the Night Sky A constellation is a grouping of stars that represents one of the 88 divisions of the celestial sphere as defined by the International Astronomical Union. Many constellations are derived from old traditional asterisms, which are star patterns within a constellation.
The constellation list was produced by American astronomer Henry Norris Russell and adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) at its General Assembly in Rome in May 1922. Russell also provided three-letter abbreviations for each of the 89 constellations (the 88 modern ones and the Greek constellation Argo, which was later dropped).