There are 88 constellations officially recognized by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). 36 modern constellations predominantly lie in the northern sky, while 52 are found in the southern celestial hemisphere. Most constellations (more than 40) represent animals. Many were named after humans or figures from mythology, while some depict inanimate objects.
The boundaries of the modern 88 constellations (listed below) were defined in the early 20th century. The constellation list was produced by the American astronomer Henry Norris Russell and adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) at its General Assembly in Rome in May 1922.
Russell also provided three-letter abbreviations for each of the 89 constellations (the 88 modern ones and the Greek constellation Argo, which was later dropped). The constellations on Russell’s list corresponded to those listed in the Revised Harvard Photometry star catalogue (1908), published by Harvard College Observatory. The Harvard catalogue included the positions, photometric magnitudes and spectra of 9,110 stars visible to the unaided eye (mag. 6.50 and brighter) in every part of the sky.
The official boundaries of the modern constellations were drawn by Belgian astronomer Eugène Delporte and adopted by the IAU in 1928. The constellation boundaries were drawn along horizontal and vertical lines of right ascension and declination. The modern constellations were listed by Delporte in Délimitation scientifique des constellations in 1930.
Most of the modern constellations, including the zodiac constellations, have an ancient origin. The Greco-Roman astronomer Claudius Ptolemy listed 48 constellations in his Almagest in the 2nd century CE. Most of these are still in use.
The Greek constellations are associated with different figures in Greek mythology. Even though these ancient constellations were asterisms by modern definition, many of the modern constellation names and figures are the same as the ancient ones.
Only one of the Greek constellations – Argo Navis – is no longer in use. Representing the ship of Jason and the Argonauts, the ancient constellation Argo was divided into three smaller constellations by the French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in the 18th century. The smaller constellations represent different parts of the ship and are still in use today. Carina represents the Keel of Argo Navis, Vela represents the Sails and Puppis, the Stern.
The remaining 38 constellations were created more recently. Most of them lie in the southern sky and were invisible to the ancient Greeks and Romans. They were not created until the Age of Discovery, when European navigators started charting the southern skies.
Most of these constellations are still largely unknown to observers in the northern hemisphere because they do not rise above the horizon from locations in the mid- and far northern latitudes. Similarly, some of the far northern constellations do not make an appearance in the night sky in the southern hemisphere.
Below is the list of all the 88 modern constellations recognized by the IAU, along with their abbreviations, English names, sizes (in square degrees), quadrants and the latitudes between which they are fully visible. The constellations are listed in alphabetical order.
LIST OF CONSTELLATIONS
| Constellation | Abbr. | English name | Area (square degrees) | Quadrant | Visible between latitudes |
| Andromeda | And | Andromeda (Princess) | 722.278 | NQ1 | 90°N – 40°S |
| Antlia | Ant | Air Pump | 238.901 | SQ2 | 45°N – 90°S |
| Apus | Aps | Bird of Paradise | 206.327 | SQ3 | 5°N – 90°S |
| Aquarius | Aqr | Water Bearer | 979.854 | SQ4 | 65°N – 90°S |
| Aquila | Aql | Eagle | 652.473 | NQ4 | 90°N – 75°S |
| Ara | Ara | Altar | 237.057 | SQ3 | 25°N – 90°S |
| Aries | Ari | Ram | 441.395 | NQ1 | 90°N – 60°S |
| Auriga | Aur | Charioteer | 657.438 | NQ2 | 90°N – 40°S |
| Boötes | Boo | Herdsman | 906.831 | NQ3 | 90°N – 50°S |
| Caelum | Cae | Chisel | 124.865 | SQ1 | 40°N – 90°S |
| Camelopardalis | Cam | Giraffe | 756.828 | NQ2 | 90°N – 10°S |
| Cancer | Cnc | Crab | 505.872 | NQ2 | 90°N – 60°S |
| Canes Venatici | CVn | Hunting Dogs | 465.194 | NQ3 | 90°N – 40°S |
| Canis Major | CMa | Greater Dog | 380.118 | SQ2 | 60°N – 90°S |
| Canis Minor | CMi | Lesser Dog | 183.367 | NQ2 | 90°N – 75°S |
| Capricornus | Cap | Sea Goat | 413.947 | SQ4 | 60°N – 90°S |
| Carina | Car | Keel | 494.184 | SQ2 | 20°N – 90°S |
| Cassiopeia | Cas | Cassiopeia (Queen) | 598.407 | NQ1 | 90°N – 20°S |
| Centaurus | Cen | Centaur | 1060.422 | SQ3 | 25°N – 90°S |
| Cepheus | Cep | Cepheus (King) | 587.787 | NQ4 | 90°N – 10°S |
| Cetus | Cet | Whale (Sea Monster) | 1231.411 | SQ1 | 70°N – 90°S |
| Chamaeleon | Cha | Chameleon | 131.592 | SQ2 | 0° – 90°S |
| Circinus | Cir | Compass (drafting tool) | 93.353 | SQ3 | 30°N – 90°S |
| Columba | Col | Dove | 270.184 | SQ1 | 45°N – 90°S |
| Coma Berenices | Com | Berenice’s Hair | 386.475 | NQ3 | 90°N – 70°S |
| Corona Australis | CrA | Southern Crown | 127.696 | SQ4 | 40°N – 90°S |
| Corona Borealis | CrB | Northern Crown | 178.710 | NQ3 | 90°N – 50°S |
| Corvus | Crv | Crow | 183.801 | SQ3 | 60°N – 90°S |
| Crater | Crt | Cup | 282.398 | SQ2 | 65°N – 90°S |
| Crux | Cru | Southern Cross | 68.447 | SQ3 | 20°N – 90°S |
| Cygnus | Cyg | Swan | 803.983 | NQ4 | 90°N – 40°S |
| Delphinus | Del | Dolphin | 188.549 | NQ4 | 90°N – 70°S |
| Dorado | Dor | Dolphinfish | 179.173 | SQ1 | 20°N – 90°S |
| Draco | Dra | Dragon | 1082.952 | NQ3 | 90°N – 15°S |
| Equuleus | Equ | Little Horse (Foal) | 71.641 | NQ4 | 90°N – 80°S |
| Eridanus | Eri | Eridanus (River) | 1137.919 | SQ1 | 32°N – 90°S |
| Fornax | For | Furnace | 397.502 | SQ1 | 50°N – 90°S |
| Gemini | Gem | Twins | 513.761 | NQ2 | 90°N – 60°S |
| Grus | Gru | Crane | 365.513 | SQ4 | 34°N – 90°S |
| Hercules | Her | Hercules | 1225.148 | NQ3 | 90°N – 50°S |
| Horologium | Hor | Pendulum Clock | 248.885 | SQ1 | 30°N – 90°S |
| Hydra | Hya | Water Snake | 1302.844 | SQ2 | 54°N – 83°S |
| Hydrus | Hyi | Lesser Water Snake | 243.035 | SQ1 | 8°N – 90°S |
| Indus | Ind | Indian | 294.006 | SQ4 | 15°N – 90°S |
| Lacerta | Lac | Lizard | 200.688 | NQ4 | 90°N – 40°S |
| Leo | Leo | Lion | 946.964 | NQ2 | 90°N – 65°S |
| Leo Minor | LMi | Lesser Lion | 231.956 | NQ2 | 90°N – 45°S |
| Lepus | Lep | Hare | 290.291 | SQ1 | 63°N – 90°S |
| Libra | Lib | Scales | 538.052 | SQ3 | 65°N – 90°S |
| Lupus | Lup | Wolf | 333.683 | SQ3 | 35°N – 90°S |
| Lynx | Lyn | Lynx | 545.386 | NQ2 | 90°N – 55°S |
| Lyra | Lyr | Lyre (Harp) | 286.476 | NQ4 | 90°N – 40°S |
| Mensa | Men | Table Mountain (Mons Mensae) | 153.484 | SQ1 | 4°N – 90°S |
| Microscopium | Mic | Microscope | 209.513 | SQ4 | 45°N – 90°S |
| Monoceros | Mon | Unicorn | 481.569 | NQ2 | 75°N – 90°S |
| Musca | Mus | Fly | 138.355 | SQ3 | 10°N – 90°S |
| Norma | Nor | Level | 165.290 | SQ3 | 30°N – 90°S |
| Octans | Oct | Octant | 291.045 | SQ4 | 0°- 90°S |
| Ophiuchus | Oph | Serpent Bearer | 948.340 | SQ3 | 80°N – 80°S |
| Orion | Ori | Orion (the Hunter) | 594.120 | NQ1 | 85°N – 75°S |
| Pavo | Pav | Peacock | 377.666 | SQ4 | 30°N – 90°S |
| Pegasus | Peg | Pegasus | 1120.794 | NQ4 | 90°N – 60°S |
| Perseus | Per | Perseus | 614.997 | NQ1 | 90°N – 35°S |
| Phoenix | Phe | Phoenix | 469.319 | SQ1 | 32°N – 80°S |
| Pictor | Pic | Easel | 246.739 | SQ1 | 26°N – 90°S |
| Pisces | Psc | Fishes | 889.417 | NQ1 | 90°N – 65°S |
| Piscis Austrinus | PsA | Southern Fish | 245.375 | SQ4 | 55°N – 90°S |
| Puppis | Pup | Stern | 673.434 | SQ2 | 40°N – 90°S |
| Pyxis | Pyx | Compass (mariner’s compass) | 220.833 | SQ2 | 50°N – 90°S |
| Reticulum | Ret | Reticle | 113.936 | SQ1 | 23°N – 90°S |
| Sagitta | Sge | Arrow | 79.932 | NQ4 | 90°N – 70°S |
| Sagittarius | Sgr | Archer | 867.432 | SQ4 | 55°N – 90°S |
| Scorpius | Sco | Scorpion | 496.783 | SQ3 | 40°N – 90°S |
| Sculptor | Scl | Sculptor | 474.764 | SQ1 | 50°N – 90°S |
| Scutum | Sct | Shield (of Sobieski) | 109.114 | SQ4 | 80°N – 90°S |
| Serpens | Ser | Snake | 636.928 | NQ3 | 80°N – 80°S |
| Sextans | Sex | Sextant | 313.515 | SQ2 | 80°N – 90°S |
| Taurus | Tau | Bull | 797.249 | NQ1 | 90°N – 65°S |
| Telescopium | Tel | Telescope | 251.512 | SQ4 | 40°N – 90°S |
| Triangulum | Tri | Triangle | 131.847 | NQ1 | 90°N – 60°S |
| Triangulum Australe | TrA | Southern Triangle | 109.978 | SQ3 | 25°N – 90°S |
| Tucana | Tuc | Toucan | 294.557 | SQ4 | 25°N – 90°S |
| Ursa Major | UMa | Great Bear | 1279.660 | NQ2 | 90°N – 30°S |
| Ursa Minor | UMi | Little Bear | 255.864 | NQ3 | 90°N – 10°S |
| Vela | Vel | Sails | 499.649 | SQ2 | 30°N – 90°S |
| Virgo | Vir | Virgin (Maiden) | 1294.428 | SQ3 | 80°N – 80°S |
| Volans | Vol | Flying Fish | 141.354 | SQ2 | 15°N – 90°S |
| Vulpecula | Vul | Fox | 268.165 | NQ4 | 90°N – 55°S |