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Learn about the 88 constellations officially recognized by the International Astronomical Union (IAU), their names, sizes, quadrants and visibility. Find out the meanings and origins of the constellation names and their corresponding stars.
88 Officially Recognized Constellations. Return to the StarChild Main Page. Go to Imagine the Universe! (A site for ages 14 and up.)
- Andromeda – The Chained Maiden
- Antlia – The Air Pump
- Apus – The Bird of Paradise
- Aquarius – The Water Bearer
- Aquila – The Eagle
- Ara – The Altar
- Aries – The Ram
- Auriga – The Charioteer
- Boötes – The Herdsman
- Caelum – The Chisel
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Genitive: Andromedae Andromeda is one of the Greek constellations. It was named after Andromeda, the daughter of Queen Cassiopeia and King Cepheus in Greek mythology. Andromeda was chained and left for the sea monster Cetus to eat, and then saved by Perseus, whom she later married. Andromeda was sacrificed to Cetus to appease the gods and stop the ...
Genitive: Antliae Antlia is one of the constellations created by the French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in the 18th century. Lacaille originally named the constellation Antlia Pneumatica, or Machine Pneumatiquein French, in honour of French physicist Denis Papin’s invention, the air pump. The name was later shortened to Antlia.
Genitive: Apodis Apus represents the bird of paradise. The constellation’s name means “no feet” in Greek, referring to a western misconception of the bird of paradise not having feet. The constellation was created and named by the Dutch astronomer and cartographer Petrus Plancius in the late 16th century.
Genitive: Aquarii Aquarius is one of the 48 Greek constellations. It is associated with Ganymede, the cup-bearer to the Olympian gods. In Greek mythology, Ganymede was the son of King Tros, known for giving the city of Troy its name. Ganymede was the most beautiful boy alive and Zeus was so infatuated with him that he took the form of an eagle and ...
Genitive: Aquilae Aquila constellation is associated with the eagle that held Zeus’ thunderbolts in Greek mythology, as well as with the eagle that abducted Ganymede and brought him to Olympus.
Genitive: Arae Ara represents the altar on which the gods formed an alliance before going to war with the Titans in Greek mythology. The gods were led by Zeus and the Titans by Atlas. It is said that Zeus placed the altar in the sky in honour of the gods’ victory. In various depictions of the constellation, the Milky Way represents the smoke rising...
Genitive: Arietis Aries is identified as the mythical winged ram with golden fleece that was sent by the nymph Nephele to save her son Phrixus after his father, King Athamas of Boeotia, had been given a false prophecy that he had to sacrifice his son to ward off famine. In the myth, Phrixus and his sister Helle climbed on the ram and were carried t...
Genitive: Aurigae Auriga, the Charioteer, was said to have been placed in the sky by Zeus himself in honour of the charioteer and inventor Erichthonius of Athens. Erichthonius was the son of the god Hephaestus and he was raised by Athena, who taught him many skills. He was the first person to harness four horses to a chariot and is credited as the ...
Genitive: Boötis Boötes is one of the ancient Greek constellations. The constellation’s name means “the oxen-driver” and Boötes is usually identified as the ploughman who drove the oxen represented by Ursa Major. The constellation is also sometimes associated with Arctophylax, or the Bear Keeper, also referring to Ursa Major, the Big Bear. In anoth...
Genitive: Caeli Caelum is one of the constellations created by Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille. Lacaille originally named the constellation Caelum Scalptorium (or les Burinsin French), which is Latin for “the engraver’s chisel.”
Learn the meanings and stories behind the 88 constellation names, from ancient Greek mythology to modern scientific instruments and exotic animals. Find out how constellations were catalogued, named and depicted by different astronomers over time.
A comprehensive table of the 88 astronomical constellations, with their mythological associations, first appearances, genitive forms, brightest stars and more. Learn about the history and origin of each constellation, and how to find them in the sky.
ConstellationMythological AssociationFirst AppearedGenitive FormThe Princess Andromeda; in Greek ...AncientAndromedaeThe air pump; a southern constellation ...1756 (Lacaille)AntliaeThe bird of paradise; a southern ...1598 (Keyser & de Houtman)ApodisThe water bearer; in Greek mythology, ...AncientAquarii- Andromeda or the Royal Sea Monster Bait. Andromeda is the name of the Cepheus’s and Cassiopeia’s daughter in the Greek mythology. To appease the gods, she was chained by their parents and fed to the sea monster called Cetus, but she was later rescued by the Perseus.
- Antlia Pneumatic or Air Pump. Antlia: This is the name that is created by French Astronomer called Nicolas Louis de Lacaille and this is an unusual name that is used to honor the French physicist Denis Papin’s invention called the Air Pump.
- Aquarius or the Water Bearer. As the name suggests, this constellation represents the water carrier of gods. Aquarius is the handsome body in ancient Greece.
- Aquila or the Thunderbolt Eagle. Aquila is the constellation that represents a thunderbolt eagle that helped Zeus, but the actual meaning of this constellation is linked with a legendary eagle that abducted the boy Aquarius.
The 88 constellations include 12 zodiac constellations, which lie along the Sun's apparent path in the sky - the ecliptic. These are often the most familiar to people, and include constellations like Leo, Virgo, Scorpio, and Pisces.
List of the 88 official constellations defined by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Click on each constellation to view the complete details.
