Constellations

Afternoon all
Yep it's the Rank Newbie again!!

Whilst looking through various software and other astro data sources, I
notice that the outlines of the constellations vary considerably.
I know they are still in the same area of sky (most important !!) but
which stars actually make up the pattern is confusing

I know some are 'rough' sketches, but the others are meant to be
accurate descriptions of the sky to enable newbies like me to find the
sun VBG

I am trying to learn the sky and the patterns in it, but it is made more
difficult by this

Is there a definitive and internationally recognised list of which star
actually makes up the constellation outline?

Is it available on line?

(I don't mean every star /DSO in the constellation, just those that make
up the 'picture')

TIA
Phil

Hi Phil,

The constellation boundaries are always the same having been agreed=20
upon by the International Astronomical Union. (At least i think that's =
who=20
set the standard.) However there is no official way to connect the dots =
to=20
make the stick figures. I leaned the constellations from H.A. Rey's book =

"The Stars". I just found this website that shows the constellations =
using=20
his designs...

=
http://kopion.uchicago.edu/drallen/A...onstellations=
..html


-Florian

By the way, H.A. Rey's books is usually listed as a children's book=20
but i think it still the best way for anyone, regardless of age, to=20
learn the constellations. Here is the Amazon page for it...

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...837528-4612019

-Florian

On Wed, 02 Feb 2005 06:08:08 GMT, Phil Hawkins
wrote:

Is there a definitive and internationally recognised list of which star
actually makes up the constellation outline?

No.

The stick figures are strictly in the eye of the beholder.

The _boundaries_ of the constellations were set by the International
Astronomical Union in the 1930s, but they aren't meant for
visualization, but assign each part of the sky definitely to a
constellation. Prior to this, the constellations didn't have definite
boundaries. Some stars were shared between two constellations and
different writers referred to a few objects near the edges of
constellations as being in different constellations, which caused a
little confusion in nomenclature.

"Phil Hawkins" wrote in message
...
Afternoon all
Yep it's the Rank Newbie again!!

Whilst looking through various software and other astro data sources, I
notice that the outlines of the constellations vary considerably.
I know they are still in the same area of sky (most important !!) but
which stars actually make up the pattern is confusing

I know some are 'rough' sketches, but the others are meant to be
accurate descriptions of the sky to enable newbies like me to find the
sun VBG

I am trying to learn the sky and the patterns in it, but it is made more
difficult by this

Is there a definitive and internationally recognised list of which star
actually makes up the constellation outline?

Is it available on line?

(I don't mean every star /DSO in the constellation, just those that make
up the 'picture')

TIA
Phil

Hi Phil,

You can find a few excellent constellation references on my page of
astronomy resources at http://www.ideaxchg.com/astronomy.htm. Especially
note the entries for AlltheSky, Kaler, and Mellinger. In addition to the
sites listed on that page, here are some more very good sources of
constellation info:

Chandra - Introduction to Constellations
http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/con...ons_intro.html

Dibon-Smith - Constellations
http://www.dibonsmith.com/menu.htm

Dolan - Constellations and their Stars
http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/

Dome of the Sky - Constellation List
http://domeofthesky.com/clicks/constlist.html

Fujii - constellation pictures
http://www.davidmalin.com/fujii/general/af_const.html

Hawaiian Astronomical Society - Deepsky Atlas - Constellation List
http://www.hawastsoc.org/deepsky/constellations.html

Haworth - 88 Constellations Index
http://www.stargazing.net/david/constel/index.html

Kronberg - Table of Constellations
http://www.maa.mhn.de/Maps/Stars_en/Fig/const.html

Peoria Astronomical Society - Constellations
http://www.astronomical.org/portal/m...php?category=1

Slivoski - Northern Constellation Photos
http://www.slivoski.com/astronomy/

Walker - Your Sky - Object Catalogue - Constellations
http://www.fourmilab.ch/yoursky/cata...ellations.html

These references should certainly get you started.

Mike

snip

These references should certainly get you started.

Mike



Many thanks Mike

I'll look them up and find one that sits me best
Phil

William Hamblen wrote:
On Wed, 02 Feb 2005 06:08:08 GMT, Phil Hawkins
wrote:


Is there a definitive and internationally recognised list of which star
actually makes up the constellation outline?


No.

The stick figures are strictly in the eye of the beholder.

The _boundaries_ of the constellations were set by the International
Astronomical Union in the 1930s, but they aren't meant for
visualization, but assign each part of the sky definitely to a
constellation. Prior to this, the constellations didn't have definite
boundaries. Some stars were shared between two constellations and
different writers referred to a few objects near the edges of
constellations as being in different constellations, which caused a
little confusion in nomenclature.

Thanks for clearing it up Wiliam
Phil

Florian wrote:
Hi Phil,

The constellation boundaries are always the same having been agreed
upon by the International Astronomical Union. (At least i think that's who
set the standard.) However there is no official way to connect the dots to
make the stick figures. I leaned the constellations from H.A. Rey's book
"The Stars". I just found this website that shows the constellations using
his designs...

http://kopion.uchicago.edu/drallen/A...ellations.html


-Florian


Thnaks FLorian
I'll look up the book
I'm a big kid anyway
Phil

snip

These references should certainly get you started.

Mike



Thanks Mike
I'll look up the references and find one that suits me best
Phil

No, there are no definitive, official constellation pattern outlines.

The International Astronomy Union defines the boundaries that divide
areas in the sky into constellations, so there is no question of which
constellation any particular star or sky object is in. However, no
such convention exists for "connecting the dots" to form the
constellation outline.

Yes, it can be confusing. The best advice I can give is to try to
ignore the lines and instead study the star pattern and mentally
draw whatever pattern works for you. For example, I see Perseus as
a large letter "K" in the sky, and I find the pattern drawn in the
planisphere-type maps in each issue of Sky & Telescope to be useless
to me.

-Paul W.

On Wed, 02 Feb 2005 06:08:08 GMT, Phil Hawkins
wrote:

Afternoon all
Yep it's the Rank Newbie again!!

Whilst looking through various software and other astro data sources, I
notice that the outlines of the constellations vary considerably.
I know they are still in the same area of sky (most important !!) but
which stars actually make up the pattern is confusing

I know some are 'rough' sketches, but the others are meant to be
accurate descriptions of the sky to enable newbies like me to find the
sun VBG

I am trying to learn the sky and the patterns in it, but it is made more
difficult by this

Is there a definitive and internationally recognised list of which star
actually makes up the constellation outline?

Is it available on line?

(I don't mean every star /DSO in the constellation, just those that make
up the 'picture')

TIA
Phil

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