Ptolemy listed 48 constellations in his Almagest.

21 Northern Constellations

Andromeda, Aquila, Auriga, Boötes, Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Corona Borealis, Cygnus, Delphinus, Draco, Equuleus, Hercules, Lyra, Ophiuchus,

Pegasus, Perseus, Sagitta, Serpens, Triangulum, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor

12 Zodiacal Constellations

Aries, Aquarius, Cancer, Capricornus, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Pisces, Sagittarius, Scorpius, Taurus, Virgo

15 Southern Constellations

Ara, Argo Navis, Canis Major, Canis Minor, Centaurus, Cetus, Corona Australis, Corvus, Crater, Eridanus, Hydra, Lepus, Lupus, Orion, Pisces

Austrinus

ROLES

Represented the Gods and their symbols

Farming Calendar and rustic activities

These figures developed in stages from 3200 BC – 500 BC

The most important in the divine set was the 12 Zodiac Signs plus

several associated animals ∆ serpent, crow, eagle and fish ∆

Where the earliest direct evidence for the

constellation comes from inscribed stones and

clay writing tablets dug up.

1300 – 1000 B.C were Mesopotamian

constellations were created

There are Babylonian star catalogues

o MUL.APIN – a text dating to the Late Bronze Age

(14th – 12th century BC) which include the farming

calendar tradition that gives an accurate divine

associations of constellation.

o Venus Tablet of King Ammizaduga

Orion correlation theory

According to Egyptian mythology, the gods descended from

the belt of Orion and Sirius– the brightest star in the sky. The

ancient Egyptian civilization firmly believed that from Sirius and

Orion beings came in the form of humans– Osiris and Isis and

they instigated the human race.

The concept that the three pyramids at Giza are in a special

alignment of Orion’s Belt is amazing.

Why does the Great Pyramid have air shafts that point to Orion?

These are just some of the question that– until today, do not

have a clear answer.

The Modern Constellation in this region were defined during the Age of Exploration. In 1919 a group of astronomers formed the International Astronomical Union or IAU. One of the first items they tackled was the celestial disarray. The IAU made a list of 88 'official' constellations in 1922 and approved the boundary of each six years later.

The 88 official constellations chosen by the IAU were all of European origin because those constellations were already well known and used by many professional astronomers.

The official constellations are no more and no less important than the constellations of any other time, country, or culture. What they are is the common language for astronomers around the world. Think of the world's spoken languages - there is no best or correct language and each conveys some meanings better than others. Still, English is becoming the lingua franca and like English the official constellations are a useful tool for international communication.

Common Names

The Bayer Naming System

The Flamsteed Naming System

Constellations are useful because they can help people to recognize stars in the sky. By looking for patterns, the stars and locations can be much easier to spot.

The constellations had uses in ancient times. They were used to help keep track of the calendar. This was very important so that people knew when to plant and harvest crops.

Another important use for constellations was navigation. By finding Ursa Minor it is fairly easy to spot the North Star (Polaris). Using the height of the North Star in the sky, navigators could figure out their latitude helping ships to travel across the oceans.

The largest constellation by area is Hydra which is 3.16% of the sky.

The smallest is Crux which only takes up 0.17 percent of the sky.

Small patterns of stars within a constellation are called asterisms. These include the Big Dipper and Little Dipper.

The word "constellation" comes from a Latin term meaning "set with stars."

http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1998JBAA..108....9R

http://www.ducksters.com/science/physics/constellations.php

http://www.modernconstellations.com/constellationhistory.html

http://www.modernconstellations.com/celestialmaps.html

http://www.modernconstellations.com/constables.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constellation

http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-

iarticle_query?bibcode=1998JBAA..108....9R&db_key=AST&page_ind=1&plate_select=NO&data_type=GI

F&type=SCREEN_GIF&classic=YES