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There are 88 officially recognized constellations. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) divides the entire sky into those 88 bounded regions. The familiar lines drawn between stars are useful visual guides, but they are not the legal definition of a constellation: official boundaries are set by sky coordinates.
This guide lists all 88 Latin names, gives a plain-English gloss for each, explains how the modern system was standardized, and shows why the constellations you can see depend on your location, date, time and observing conditions.
What the 88 constellations are
The IAU’s 88-constellation system covers the whole celestial sphere, so every direction in the sky belongs to one constellation area. “In” a constellation means that an object’s coordinates fall inside that area. It does not necessarily mean the object lies on one of the lines used to draw a recognizable figure.
That distinction matters because constellation figures are perspectives. Two stars that look close together from Earth can be separated by enormous distances and have no physical relationship. The figure is an aid to orientation, not a claim that its stars form a physical group.
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The IAU agreed on the 88-name set at its first General Assembly in Rome in 1922. Eugène Delporte presented a coordinate-based boundary proposal at the 1925 Cambridge General Assembly. The IAU approved the boundaries at Leiden in 1928, and the resulting work was published in 1930. The boundaries use right ascension and declination, with the IAU’s boundary data expressed for the J2000 coordinate epoch.
The boundary project also had to keep known variable stars in the constellations to which they had already been assigned. That practical requirement helps explain why some modern boundary lines look irregular instead of following a simple geometric shape.
The complete list below uses the Latin constellation names as the primary reference. The short descriptions are English glosses for recognition, not additional official names. Spelling such as Boötes follows the IAU form; it is often written “Bootes” when diacritics are unavailable.
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| No. | IAU Latin name | Plain-English gloss |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andromeda | Princess Andromeda |
| 2 | Antlia | Air pump |
| 3 | Apus | Bird of paradise |
| 4 | Aquarius | Water bearer |
| 5 | Aquila | Eagle |
| 6 | Ara | Altar |
| 7 | Aries | Ram |
| 8 | Auriga | Charioteer |
| 9 | Boötes | Herdsman or plowman |
| 10 | Caelum | Chisel |
| 11 | Camelopardalis | Giraffe |
| 12 | Cancer | Crab |
| 13 | Canes Venatici | Hunting dogs |
| 14 | Canis Major | Great dog |
| 15 | Canis Minor | Little dog |
| 16 | Capricornus | Sea-goat |
| 17 | Carina | Keel of a ship |
| 18 | Cassiopeia | Queen Cassiopeia |
| 19 | Centaurus | Centaur |
| 20 | Cepheus | King Cepheus |
| 21 | Cetus | Sea monster or whale |
| 22 | Chamaeleon | Chameleon |
| 23 | Circinus | Drafting compass |
| 24 | Columba | Dove |
| 25 | Coma Berenices | Berenice’s hair |
| 26 | Corona Australis | Southern crown |
| 27 | Corona Borealis | Northern crown |
| 28 | Corvus | Crow or raven |
| 29 | Crater | Cup |
| 30 | Crux | Cross |
| 31 | Cygnus | Swan |
| 32 | Delphinus | Dolphin |
| 33 | Dorado | Dorado fish |
| 34 | Draco | Dragon |
| 35 | Equuleus | Little horse |
| 36 | Eridanus | River |
| 37 | Fornax | Furnace |
| 38 | Gemini | Twins |
| 39 | Grus | Crane |
| 40 | Hercules | Hercules |
| 41 | Horologium | Clock |
| 42 | Hydra | Water snake |
| 43 | Hydrus | Male water snake |
| 44 | Indus | Indian figure |
| 45 | Lacerta | Lizard |
| 46 | Leo | Lion |
| 47 | Leo Minor | Little lion |
| 48 | Lepus | Hare |
| 49 | Libra | Scales |
| 50 | Lupus | Wolf |
| 51 | Lynx | Lynx |
| 52 | Lyra | Lyre |
| 53 | Mensa | Table Mountain |
| 54 | Microscopium | Microscope |
| 55 | Monoceros | Unicorn |
| 56 | Musca | Fly |
| 57 | Norma | Carpenter’s square |
| 58 | Octans | Octant |
| 59 | Ophiuchus | Serpent bearer |
| 60 | Orion | Orion |
| 61 | Pavo | Peacock |
| 62 | Pegasus | Winged horse |
| 63 | Perseus | Perseus |
| 64 | Phoenix | Phoenix |
| 65 | Pictor | Painter’s easel |
| 66 | Pisces | Fish |
| 67 | Piscis Austrinus | Southern fish |
| 68 | Puppis | Stern of a ship |
| 69 | Pyxis | Mariner’s compass |
| 70 | Reticulum | Reticle or net |
| 71 | Sagitta | Arrow |
| 72 | Sagittarius | Archer |
| 73 | Scorpius | Scorpion |
| 74 | Sculptor | Sculptor |
| 75 | Scutum | Shield |
| 76 | Serpens | Serpent |
| 77 | Sextans | Sextant |
| 78 | Taurus | Bull |
| 79 | Telescopium | Telescope |
| 80 | Triangulum | Triangle |
| 81 | Triangulum Australe | Southern triangle |
| 82 | Tucana | Toucan |
| 83 | Ursa Major | Great bear |
| 84 | Ursa Minor | Little bear |
| 85 | Vela | Sails of a ship |
| 86 | Virgo | Maiden |
| 87 | Volans | Flying fish |
| 88 | Vulpecula | Fox |
Constellation, asterism and star pattern: the terms are not interchangeable
Official constellation area
An official constellation is a region of the sky enclosed by IAU boundary lines. The boundaries, rather than a particular drawing, determine which constellation contains a star, galaxy or other object. This lets astronomers describe an object’s location consistently even when different charts use different line drawings. As the IAU puts it, “The boundaries indicated by sky coordinates are the defining quantity.”
Asterism
An asterism is a widely recognized star pattern that is not itself one of the 88 official areas. The Big Dipper, also called the Plough, is an asterism inside Ursa Major. The Summer Triangle is another asterism; its three bright stars belong to Cygnus, Lyra and Aquila. Asterisms can sit within one constellation or span more than one.
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Different cultural sky traditions
The IAU list is an international scientific standard, not a replacement for every cultural sky tradition. Indigenous and historical cultures have their own star groupings, stories and names. Those systems should not be treated as mistakes simply because their boundaries differ from the IAU map.
How constellation names are used in astronomy
Latin provides the standardized reference form. Each constellation also has a genitive, or possessive, form used in star names. For example, Hamal is also designated Alpha Arietis: “the alpha of Aries.” The genitive identifies the constellation associated with the star while fitting the conventional naming grammar.
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The IAU publishes a three-letter abbreviation, English name, genitive and pronunciation information alongside the Latin name in its chart material. There is no single correct pronunciation for a constellation name, so a chart’s pronunciation guide is a helpful convention rather than a universal rule. The IAU explicitly says there is “no single correct way to pronounce a constellation name.”
Use the Latin form when searching star catalogs or comparing software, because English glosses can vary. An English label such as “Great Bear” is a translation aid; Ursa Major is the standardized key. The same principle applies to names with diacritics: retain Boötes when your system supports it, but recognize “Bootes” as the common plain-ASCII spelling.
Constellation membership is not the same as ownership or registration of a star. The IAU does not recognize commercial star-naming certificates as official astronomical names.
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Why you cannot use the list to predict what is visible tonight
The full list is fixed, but your visible subset is not. Earth’s rotation changes the sky over a night, Earth’s orbit changes the evening sky through the year, and your latitude determines which regions rise above the horizon at all. Northern and Southern Hemisphere observers therefore have different views, while observers near the equator can access substantial portions of both skies.
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Cloud, haze, light pollution, the Moon and the brightness of individual stars further affect what you can see. A constellation can be above the horizon yet difficult to recognize if its key stars are faint or the sky is washed out. NASA Space Place summarizes the practical rule: “Today, there are 88 officially recognized constellations,” but which ones a viewer sees depends on time of year and location.
Use a location-aware observing process
- Set the observing location. Enter your city or exact latitude and longitude in a current planisphere, desktop planetarium or mobile sky chart.
- Set the date and local time. A chart for a different night can place the same constellation in a different part of the sky.
- Choose the viewing direction. Face north, east, south or west and use the chart’s horizon line as your reference.
- Start with a bright anchor. Identify a conspicuous star or asterism, then trace neighboring stars and compare the constellation’s outline.
- Account for conditions. Use a darker site, let your eyes adapt, and lower the chart’s screen brightness so faint stars are not washed out.
- Check the season. If a constellation is below the horizon at the chosen time, wait for a later hour or another part of the year rather than assuming it is missing.
What “visible” can mean
| Question | What determines the answer |
|---|---|
| Is any part of the constellation above my horizon? | Latitude, date, time and Earth’s rotation |
| Can I recognize its figure? | Star brightness, light pollution, haze, Moon and the chart’s line convention |
| Can I see the whole official area? | Your horizon, the constellation’s declination and the observing time |
| Will another hemisphere see the same sky? | No. Hemisphere and latitude change the available view |
How to use an official constellation chart
The IAU provides chart material in screen and print formats, together with boundary-coordinate text files. Its chart fields include the Latin name, pronunciation, standard abbreviation, English name and genitive. A chart is therefore useful for two different tasks: learning the recognizable figure and checking the formal boundary.
- Use the figure layer for orientation. Lines between selected stars help you match the chart to the naked-eye sky.
- Use the boundary layer for formal identification. If you need to know which constellation contains an object, rely on the coordinate boundary, not the artistic outline.
- Read the epoch and coordinates. The IAU boundary files use right ascension and declination for J2000, so coordinate software should handle the epoch conversion when necessary.
- Choose screen or print format. A printed chart avoids phone glare outdoors; a screen chart can be updated for location and time.
- Credit reused chart artwork. The IAU states that its chart artwork is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0, so follow that attribution requirement when republishing an image.
Choosing a practical chart or guide
If you want a physical aid, search for an astronomy star chart or a planisphere that matches your latitude. The useful specifications are a readable magnitude limit, a horizon and cardinal directions, a date or seasonal scale, and coverage appropriate to your hemisphere. A printed chart is convenient when you want to preserve night vision and avoid handling a glowing phone; a location-aware digital chart is better when you need an exact date, time and horizon view. Neither format changes the IAU list.
A retail chart is an optional convenience, not an IAU product or an official certification. Check the seller’s current description, coverage and price yourself. You do not need a telescope to identify constellations: unaided eyes and a suitable chart are enough. Binoculars or a telescope can help you study objects located within a constellation after you have learned the pattern, but equipment is not a requirement for this list.
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Common mistakes and how to avoid them
- Counting more than 88 figures. Asterisms such as the Big Dipper and Summer Triangle are not extra official constellations.
- Treating the stick figure as a boundary. The drawing is illustrative; coordinate lines define the region.
- Assuming all stars in a figure are neighbors. Apparent alignment can combine stars at very different distances.
- Using an undated “tonight” list. Visibility requires a location, date and time.
- Mixing Latin and English labels without warning. Keep the Latin form as the reference key and treat English descriptions as glosses.
- Dropping diacritics without recognizing the variant. Boötes and Bootes refer to the same constellation name; the IAU spelling is Boötes.
- Assuming a pronunciation is mandatory. The IAU says there is no single correct pronunciation.
- Confusing a constellation with a star name. A designation such as Alpha Arietis uses the constellation’s genitive; it is not a separate constellation.
- Reading J2000 coordinates as a live observing position. A boundary file’s epoch is a reference system; observing software must account for the date of the sky view.
- Presenting one cultural map as universal. The IAU framework is a scientific standard alongside, not instead of, other cultural traditions.
- Believing a paid star certificate creates an official name. Commercial naming services do not alter IAU star nomenclature.
What this list is useful for
For naked-eye observing, the list gives you stable names to search in a planisphere or sky-chart app. For astronomy reading, it lets you decode phrases such as “a galaxy in Virgo” or “a variable star in Cygnus.” For catalog work, the Latin name and genitive connect informal sky descriptions with standardized star designations and coordinate data.
You do not need a telescope to learn the constellations. Start with a location-aware chart and your unaided eyes; optical equipment becomes useful later for studying objects that happen to lie inside a constellation’s boundaries.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many official constellations are there?
There are 88 constellations recognized by the International Astronomical Union, covering the entire sky.
Who defined the modern constellation boundaries?
The IAU approved Eugène Delporte’s coordinate-based boundaries at Leiden in 1928; the work was published in 1930 after the 88-name set was agreed in 1922.
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No. The Big Dipper, or Plough, is an asterism within Ursa Major. It is a recognized pattern, not a separate official constellation area.
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Why do different star charts draw a constellation differently?
The IAU defines a constellation by coordinate boundaries. The lines connecting its brighter stars are illustrative conventions, so chart makers can use different figures.
Can I see all 88 constellations from my location?
Not at one time, and not necessarily over a year. Visibility depends on latitude, hemisphere, date, time, horizon and observing conditions. Use a location-aware chart.
What are constellation genitives used for?
A genitive is the possessive Latin form used in star designations. Alpha Arietis, for example, means the alpha star of Aries.
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Is there an official pronunciation for each constellation?
No. The IAU states that there is no single correct way to pronounce a constellation name; chart guides provide useful conventions.
Do I need a telescope to identify constellations?
No. A naked-eye view and a suitable planisphere or sky chart are sufficient. Optical equipment is optional for examining objects inside a constellation.
Are commercial star-naming certificates recognized by the IAU?
No. Paid naming certificates do not create official astronomical star names or change constellation membership.
The Bottom Line
The IAU’s 88 constellations are coordinate-defined regions, while the familiar star figures are changeable visual guides. Use the Latin list for a consistent reference, and use a chart set for your location, date and time to find what is actually visible.
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