#separator:tab #html:false #tags column:4 Constellation A pattern of stars that people have named space-constellations How many official constellations are there? 88 space-constellations Zodiac constellations The 12 constellations the Sun appears to pass through in a year space-constellations Ursa Major The Great Bear; contains the Big Dipper space-constellations Ursa Minor The Little Bear; contains the Little Dipper space-constellations Big Dipper A group of seven stars in Ursa Major shaped like a ladle space-constellations Little Dipper Part of Ursa Minor; its handle ends at Polaris space-constellations Polaris The North Star, near the north celestial pole space-constellations How to find Polaris Follow the two stars at the edge of the Big Dipper's bowl space-constellations Orion The Hunter, with three stars in a row as his belt space-constellations Betelgeuse A red supergiant star marking Orion's shoulder space-constellations Rigel A blue-white supergiant in Orion space-constellations Sirius The brightest star in the night sky, in Canis Major space-constellations Canis Major The Greater Dog space-constellations Canis Minor The Lesser Dog; contains Procyon space-constellations Taurus The Bull; contains the Pleiades and Aldebaran space-constellations Pleiades A bright cluster of stars also called the Seven Sisters space-constellations Aldebaran The orange giant star that forms the eye of Taurus space-constellations Gemini The Twins; has Castor and Pollux space-constellations Cancer The Crab space-constellations Leo The Lion; has bright star Regulus space-constellations Virgo The Maiden; has bright star Spica space-constellations Libra The Scales space-constellations Scorpius The Scorpion; has red star Antares space-constellations Sagittarius The Archer; looks like a teapot and points to the center of the Milky Way space-constellations Capricornus The Sea-Goat space-constellations Aquarius The Water Bearer space-constellations Pisces The Fishes space-constellations Aries The Ram space-constellations Cassiopeia A W-shaped constellation named for a queen space-constellations Cepheus The King in the northern sky space-constellations Andromeda Named for a princess; contains the Andromeda Galaxy space-constellations Perseus The hero in the story of Medusa; has the Perseid meteor shower space-constellations Pegasus The Winged Horse, with the Great Square space-constellations Cygnus The Swan, also called the Northern Cross space-constellations Deneb The bright star at the tail of Cygnus space-constellations Lyra The Lyre; contains bright star Vega space-constellations Vega A bright blue-white star in Lyra space-constellations Aquila The Eagle; contains Altair space-constellations Summer Triangle Vega, Deneb and Altair space-constellations Bootes The Herdsman; contains orange giant Arcturus space-constellations Arcturus A bright orange star, the brightest in the northern sky space-constellations Crux The Southern Cross, seen from the Southern Hemisphere space-constellations Centaurus The Centaur; contains Alpha Centauri space-constellations Alpha Centauri The closest star system to the Sun, about 4.3 light-years away space-constellations Proxima Centauri The closest known star to the Sun space-constellations Canopus The second-brightest star in the night sky, in Carina space-constellations Draco The Dragon, winding between the Dippers space-constellations Hercules A large constellation of the hero space-constellations Auriga The Charioteer; has bright star Capella space-constellations Capella A bright yellow star in Auriga space-constellations Lepus The Hare, below Orion space-constellations Hydra The longest constellation space-constellations Crater The Cup space-constellations Corvus The Crow space-constellations Ophiuchus The Serpent Bearer space-constellations Milky Way Our galaxy; seen as a pale band of light across the sky space-constellations Andromeda Galaxy The nearest large galaxy to the Milky Way, about 2.5 million light-years away space-constellations Meteor shower Many meteors seen as Earth passes through a comet's dust trail space-constellations Perseids A meteor shower in August space-constellations Geminids A meteor shower in December space-constellations Leonids A meteor shower in November space-constellations Planet vs star in the sky Planets shine steadily; stars twinkle space-constellations Asterism A star pattern that is not an official constellation, like the Big Dipper space-constellations Light pollution Artificial light that hides the stars space-constellations Dark sky An area with little light pollution, great for stargazing space-constellations