The IAU did not set standards for the star patterns of the constellations, however. Even in the 21st century, star-map makers have artistic license to connect the dots as they see fit.

Constellations have long served as maps for navigation, canvases for storytelling, calendars for seasonal changes, and charts by which to impart knowledge and meaning.

Today, astronomers officially recognize 88 constellations, dividing up the entire night sky. Learning a few of the big ones first makes it way easier to find other stars and deep-space objects.

After determining your position, the app locates stars, the moon, planets, and constellations. The sky map updates dynamically as you move your phone around the block, neighborhood, or region to ...

Decide whom you would honor with a place in the sky if we updated the constellations. Also download the Sky Heroes Seasonal Star Maps; Astronomy and Geography [GRADE 4 AND UP] ...

Having a good phone app is a lot of fun and quite helpful in verifying stars, asterisms, and constellations. Most apps will ...

Packed with illustrations and star maps, this is a constellation-by-constellation guide to how humans have connected to the cosmos throughout history. Watkins Publishing , £16.99 , 3 December ...

The document they used is known as the "Star Manual of Master Shi," and it's the oldest surviving star catalog in China. The map is now believed to date back to the 4th century B.C.E., which is ...

Star charts are maps of the constellations, planets and more, allowing users to know when they’ll see what. They work as a wheel, so spin it to the date you plan to stargaze — the chart should ...

Evidence points to the map being made by Hipparchus, the "father of scientific astronomy." When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works ...