An Intro to Constellations

Constellations: What Are They?  

A constellation is a group of stars that appears to form a pattern or picture like a person or animal. They are easily recognizable patterns that help people orient themselves using the night sky. There are 88 “official” constellations. 

Are ALL Stars Part of a Constellation? 

No, there are billions of stars and only a fraction of them make up the shapes of our constellations — these are the stars that are easily seen with our eyes. Ancient observers connected these stars into pictures. 

Are Stars in a Constellation Near Each Other? 

Not necessarily. Each constellation is a collection of stars that are all different distances from Earth. The stars in a constellation appear to be in the same plane because we are viewing them from very, very, far away. Of the stars in Cygnus The Swan, the faintest star is the closest and the brightest star is the farthest! 

Who Named the Constellations? 

Most of the constellation names we know came from the ancient Middle Eastern, Greek, and Roman cultures. They identified clusters of stars as gods, goddesses, animals and objects of their stories. It is important to understand that these were not the only cultures populating the night sky with characters important to their lives. Cultures all over the world and throughout time — Native American, Asian, and African — have made pictures with those same stars.