Constellation

Constellation (Lat. con, 'together,' and stella, 'a star'), a group of stars. The stars which stud the firmament have, from a time earlier than authentic records can trace, been formed into artificial groups, which have received names borrowed from fancy or fable, mainly from Greek mythology. These groups are called constellations. Though quite devoid of anything like systematic arrangement, this traditional grouping is found a sufficiently convenient classification, and still remains the basis of nomenclature for the stars among astronomers. They are divided into northern, southern, and zodiacal constellations. In old authors, 'constellation' is used to signify the relative positions of the planets (see ASPECTS) at a given moment. See STAR, ORION, Ursa Major, ZODIAC.