constellation
astronomy
constellation, in astronomy, originally any of certain groupings of stars that were imagined—at least by those who named them—to form conspicuous configurations of objects or creatures in the sky. The sky is divided into 88 constellations, and they are used by astronomers and navigators to designate the location of certain stars. Constellations are not intrinsic features of the sky but are cultural constructs. Different cultures have seen the same groupings of stars as different objects....