Welcome to our complete guide to the night sky’s 88 star constellations. Here you will learn what exactly constellations are, how they got their names, and how to identify and locate them when out stargazing.
What are constellations?
A constellation is simply a collection of stars, imaginatively linked together to represent a person, animal, or object in the night sky. This helps astronomers organize the heavens into recognizable forms and makes locating stars and other astronomical objects easier.
In 1922, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) officially recognized 88 modern constellations. Of these, 48 were originally recorded by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy around 150 AD in his treatise called Almagest.
How the constellations got their names
Many constellations represent characters from Greek and Roman mythology. These ancient civilizations believed their gods dwelt in the heavens and saw their stories in the stars. Out of all 88 constellations:
- 42 depict animals
- 29 relate to objects
- 17 portray humans or mythological characters
Star constellation families
Constellation families are groups of constellations found near each other in the sky. They often share mythological stories. The eight recognized families include:
- Hercules (19 constellations)
- La Caille (13)
- Bayer (11)
- Zodiac (12)
- Ursa Major (10)
- Perseus (9)
- Heavenly Waters (9)
- Orion (5)
Zodiac constellations
The word zodiac means “pertaining to animals.” The 12 traditional zodiac signs form a band around the sky near the ecliptic—the path the Sun, Moon, and planets follow.
Though the Sun passes through these constellations throughout the year, they are usually not visible at night during those months. Interestingly, astronomy recognizes a 13th constellation, Ophiuchus (the serpent-bearer), which also intersects the ecliptic.
The 12 zodiac signs are:
- Capricornus
- Aquarius
- Pisces
- Aries
- Taurus
- Gemini
- Cancer
- Leo
- Virgo
- Libra
- Scorpius
- Sagittarius
Complete list of star constellations
Start exploring the night sky!
Grab a star map or use a stargazing app, head outside on a clear night, and see what stories the stars have to tell you!