Konstellasjonen

Konstellationen is the Norwegian and Swedish term for the English word "the constellation." In its broad sense, it denotes both a recognized pattern of stars in the night sky and the corresponding area of the celestial sphere defined by that pattern. In Danish, the term is konstellation, with konstellationen as the definite form.

Etymology: The word derives from Latin constellatio, from stellar root stell- (star), via French or other languages into the Scandinavian languages in the early modern period. The term appears in singular forms konstellation (indefinite) or konstellationen (definite) in Swedish; Norwegian forms are konstellasjon/konstellasjonen.

In astronomy, a constellation is one of the 88 official divisions of the sky established by the International Astronomical Union. Each constellation comprises a set of stars that form a recognizable pattern and the surrounding sky area bounded by defined borders. The names are mostly Latin, and examples include Orion, Cassiopeia, and Ursa Major. Constellations are used with a celestial coordinate system based on right ascension and declination.

Historically, constellations have been used for navigation, calendrical timekeeping, and mythological storytelling. Ancient Babylonian and Greek traditions contributed to their mapping, and Ptolemy's Almagest compiled many of the classical patterns. In the 20th century the IAU formalized boundaries to cover the entire celestial sphere.

In Nordic contexts, Konstellationen is a common cultural term and may appear in education and media to evoke the idea of linked stars or celestial order.