Konstellasjoner

Konstellasjoner, in astronomy, are officially defined regions of the celestial sphere that contain patterns of stars visible from Earth. The modern system recognizes 88 official constellations, whose boundaries cover the entire sky. The stars within a given constellation are not generally physically related; they lie at different distances and only appear nearby from our vantage point.

The concept has deep cultural roots. Many cultures created their own star-patterns; Greek and Roman names influenced the scientific terminology, while Chinese, Indian, and Indigenous traditions preserved alternative patterns. In the 20th century, the International Astronomical Union standardized the current list of 88 constellations and drew precise boundary lines for each one, based on work by Eugène Delporte in 1930.

Constellations provide a practical framework for locating objects in the sky. The zodiac includes twelve constellations along the ecliptic used in astronomy and astrology; beyond the zodiac, constellations such as Ursa Major, Orion, and Cassiopeia help observers find bright stars and deep-sky targets. Informal patterns formed by brighter stars within or across constellations are called asterisms (for example, the Big Dipper in Ursa Major).

As a two-dimensional mapping of the celestial sphere, constellations assist navigation, observational planning, and education, while remaining a culturally rich artifact of how humanity has understood the night sky.