What is a constellation?

A constellation is a group of stars in the sky, with every star being part of one of the 88 constellations. Each of the constellations have a symbolic meaning and mythological story behind them, and are identified by the pattern their brightest stars make in the sky. Not all constellations will be visible from where you live and while some constellations can be seen all the time, the majority will be visible from Earth for part of the year. Some of the most famous constellations include Ursa Major (The Big Dipper), Orion, and the 12 zodiac star sign constellations. We have more information on the Constellation section of our website.