Constellations

All 88 constellations, with their area, brightest star and position.

Constellations

fixed by the IAU in 1922

Largest

Hydra

1,302.94 square degrees

Smallest

Crux

68.51 square degrees

Brightest star

α Canis Majoris

magnitude −1.46, in Canis Major

The 88

Constellation	Abbr	Meaning	Area (sq°)	Brightest star	Mag	RA	Dec
Andromeda	And	the chained princess	722.16	α Andromedae	2.06	0h 40m	+40.5°
Antlia	Ant	the air pump	238.87	α Antliae	4.25	10h 08m	−34.0°
Apus	Aps	the bird of paradise	206.33	α Apodis	3.83	16h 16m	−76.0°
Aquarius	Aqr	the water bearer	979.69	β Aquarii	2.91	22h 24m	−10.5°
Aquila	Aql	the eagle	652.47	α Aquilae	0.77	19h 39m	+2.1°
Ara	Ara	the altar	237.05	β Arae	2.85	17h 20m	−54.2°
Aries	Ari	the ram	441.27	α Arietis	2.00	2h 40m	+20.1°
Auriga	Aur	the charioteer	657.45	α Aurigae	0.08	5h 56m	+41.1°
Boötes	Boo	the herdsman	906.83	α Boötis	−0.04	14h 36m	+29.3°
Caelum	Cae	the chisel	124.87	α Caeli	4.45	4h 45m	−38.1°
Camelopardalis	Cam	the giraffe	756.86	β Camelopardalis	4.03	5h 41m	+70.8°
Cancer	Cnc	the crab	505.86	β Cancri	3.52	8h 41m	+19.3°
Canes Venatici	CVn	the hunting dogs	465.30	α2 Canum Venaticorum	2.90	13h 10m	+40.4°
Canis Major	CMa	the greater dog	380.12	α Canis Majoris	−1.46	6h 50m	−21.9°
Canis Minor	CMi	the lesser dog	183.32	α Canis Minoris	0.38	7h 38m	+5.9°
Capricornus	Cap	the sea goat	413.93	δ Capricorni	2.87	21h 01m	−18.7°
Carina	Car	the keel of Argo	494.20	α Carinae	−0.72	8h 47m	−63.1°
Cassiopeia	Cas	the seated queen	598.32	α Cassiopeiae	2.23	1h 01m	+62.6°
Centaurus	Cen	the centaur	1,060.28	α1 Centauri	−0.01	13h 06m	−46.1°
Cepheus	Cep	the king	587.76	α Cephei	2.44	22h 19m	+72.1°
Cetus	Cet	the sea monster	1,231.52	β Ceti	2.04	1h 38m	−9.0°
Chamaeleon	Cha	the chameleon	131.57	α Chamaeleontis	4.07	10h 41m	−80.1°
Circinus	Cir	the drawing compasses	93.35	α Circini	3.19	14h 49m	−63.2°
Columba	Col	the dove	270.18	α Columbae	2.64	5h 47m	−35.6°
Coma Berenices	Com	Berenice's hair	386.47	β Comae Berenices	4.26	12h 45m	+22.4°
Corona Australis	CrA	the southern crown	127.68	α Coronae Australis	4.11	18h 39m	−41.2°
Corona Borealis	CrB	the northern crown	178.70	α Coronae Borealis	2.23	15h 53m	+32.2°
Corvus	Crv	the crow	183.72	γ Corvi	2.59	12h 25m	−18.1°
Crater	Crt	the cup	282.46	δ Crateris	3.56	11h 24m	−15.7°
Crux	Cru	the southern cross	68.51	β Crucis	1.25	12h 27m	−60.1°
Cygnus	Cyg	the swan	803.99	α Cygni	1.25	20h 37m	+43.1°
Delphinus	Del	the dolphin	188.55	β Delphini	3.63	20h 41m	+12.2°
Dorado	Dor	the dolphinfish	179.15	α Doradus	3.27	5h 02m	−61.3°
Draco	Dra	the dragon	1,082.98	γ Draconis	2.23	16h 57m	+68.1°
Equuleus	Equ	the little horse	71.67	α Equulei	3.92	21h 12m	+7.5°
Eridanus	Eri	the river	1,137.91	α Eridani	0.46	3h 48m	−21.0°
Fornax	For	the furnace	397.54	α Fornacis	3.87	2h 46m	−31.5°
Gemini	Gem	the twins	513.76	β Geminorum	1.14	7h 09m	+23.4°
Grus	Gru	the crane	365.53	α Gruis	1.74	22h 31m	−45.2°
Hercules	Her	Hercules	1,225.11	β Herculis	2.77	17h 18m	+28.6°
Horologium	Hor	the pendulum clock	248.87	α Horologii	3.86	3h 18m	−53.3°
Hydra	Hya	the water serpent	1,302.94	α Hydrae	1.98	10h 26m	−19.0°
Hydrus	Hyi	the lesser water snake	243.05	β Hydri	2.80	2h 23m	−71.6°
Indus	Ind	the Indian	294.00	α Indi	3.11	21h 29m	−58.5°
Lacerta	Lac	the lizard	200.70	α Lacertae	3.77	22h 30m	+45.1°
Leo	Leo	the lion	946.74	α Leonis	1.35	10h 42m	+15.1°
Leo Minor	LMi	the lesser lion	231.95	46 Leonis Minoris	3.83	10h 22m	+33.5°
Lepus	Lep	the hare	290.29	α Leporis	2.58	5h 34m	−19.1°
Libra	Lib	the scales	538.04	β Librae	2.61	15h 14m	−15.2°
Lupus	Lup	the wolf	333.68	α Lupi	2.30	15h 19m	−42.4°
Lynx	Lyn	the lynx	545.37	α Lyncis	3.13	8h 05m	+46.8°
Lyra	Lyr	the lyre	286.49	α Lyrae	0.03	18h 51m	+36.6°
Mensa	Men	Table Mountain	153.48	α Mensae	5.09	5h 29m	−77.5°
Microscopium	Mic	the microscope	209.53	γ Microscopii	4.67	20h 58m	−36.0°
Monoceros	Mon	the unicorn	481.56	α Monocerotis	3.93	7h 01m	−2.7°
Musca	Mus	the fly	138.32	α Muscae	2.69	12h 34m	−70.1°
Norma	Nor	the carpenter's square	165.27	γ2 Normae	4.02	16h 05m	−51.6°
Octans	Oct	the octant	291.07	ν Octantis	3.76	21h 15m	−84.5°
Ophiuchus	Oph	the serpent bearer	948.36	α Ophiuchi	2.08	17h 18m	−5.2°
Orion	Ori	the hunter	594.13	β Orionis	0.12	5h 36m	+5.2°
Pavo	Pav	the peacock	377.67	α Pavonis	1.94	19h 34m	−65.6°
Pegasus	Peg	the winged horse	1,120.89	ε Pegasi	2.39	22h 42m	+19.5°
Perseus	Per	Perseus	614.97	α Persei	1.79	3h 32m	+44.5°
Phoenix	Phe	the phoenix	469.37	α Phoenicis	2.39	0h 47m	−47.8°
Pictor	Pic	the painter's easel	246.75	α Pictoris	3.27	5h 35m	−52.5°
Pisces	Psc	the fishes	889.39	η Piscium	3.62	0h 38m	+11.0°
Piscis Austrinus	PsA	the southern fish	245.37	α Piscis Austrini	1.16	22h 17m	−30.7°
Puppis	Pup	the stern of Argo	673.45	ζ Puppis	2.25	7h 40m	−33.3°
Pyxis	Pyx	the mariner's compass	220.86	α Pyxidis	3.68	8h 55m	−28.5°
Reticulum	Ret	the reticle	113.96	α Reticuli	3.35	3h 53m	−60.8°
Sagitta	Sge	the arrow	79.90	γ Sagittae	3.47	19h 43m	+18.7°
Sagittarius	Sgr	the archer	867.43	ε Sagittarii	1.85	19h 10m	−27.5°
Scorpius	Sco	the scorpion	496.85	α Scorpii	0.96	16h 45m	−32.2°
Sculptor	Scl	the sculptor's studio	474.78	α Sculptoris	4.31	0h 28m	−32.2°
Scutum	Sct	the shield	109.11	α Scuti	3.85	18h 40m	−9.9°
Serpens	Ser	the serpent	636.92	α Serpentis	2.65	16h 30m	+4.8°
Sextans	Sex	the sextant	313.42	α Sextantis	4.49	10h 16m	−2.6°
Taurus	Tau	the bull	797.31	α Tauri	0.85	4h 25m	+17.1°
Telescopium	Tel	the telescope	251.52	α Telescopii	3.51	19h 20m	−51.2°
Triangulum	Tri	the triangle	131.92	β Trianguli	3.00	2h 08m	+32.2°
Triangulum Australe	TrA	the southern triangle	109.99	α Trianguli Australis	1.92	16h 04m	−65.8°
Tucana	Tuc	the toucan	294.58	α Tucanae	2.86	23h 51m	−64.6°
Ursa Major	UMa	the great bear	1,279.80	ε Ursae Majoris	1.77	11h 02m	+54.4°
Ursa Minor	UMi	the lesser bear	255.87	α Ursae Minoris	2.02	15h 02m	+76.7°
Vela	Vel	the sails of Argo	499.64	γ2 Velorum	1.78	9h 37m	−48.1°
Virgo	Vir	the maiden	1,294.56	α Virginis	0.98	13h 17m	−2.7°
Volans	Vol	the flying fish	141.35	β Volantis	3.77	7h 48m	−69.7°
Vulpecula	Vul	the little fox	268.21	α Vulpeculae	4.44	20h 17m	+24.9°

Area: measured on the IAU boundaries.
Brightest star: from the Bright Star Catalogue, which has no proper names: Sirius is α Canis Majoris. Crux's is β Crucis, as the catalogue lists Acrux as two stars.
RA, Dec: J2000, the centre of the constellation's area.

My Sky

Rise, highest and set of the 88 over your place, for any night: Constellations

Sources

Boundaries: IAU constellation boundaries (Delporte)

Brightest star: Bright Star Catalogue