Science Fact Finder | Space - How Many Constellations Are There And How Were They Named?

How many constellations are there and how were they named?

There are 88 constellations—groups of stars in the sky—which are named for mythological beings. Although some constellations may resemble the animals or people they are named for, others were merely named in honor of those figures. The constellations are spread throughout the whole celestial sphere, the imaginary sphere in space that surrounds the Earth.

Constellations are visible on any clear night. The particular constellations you can see depends on your location, the time of year, and the time of night. As the Earth makes its daily rotation about its axis and its yearly revolution around the sun, the celestial sphere appears to shift. As a result, different constellations come into view.

Until 1930, the constellations had no fixed boundaries. In that year the International Astronomical Union defined limits for the...

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