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This is a very good question - the difference between an asterism and constellation is this: a constellation is a pattern of stars that identifies a complete object, animal or character. An asterism is a pattern of stars that is NOT a constellation.
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoConstellations are pictures or shapes made up from stars and planets are....well....planets :L
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The Big Dipper is an example of a?
An asterism, which is a grouping of stars that form a recognizable shape.
What is A familiar pattern of stars but not a constellation.?
There are 88 "official" constellations recognized by the International Astronomical Union. There are hundreds of additional star patterns that aren't "official"; these are called "asterisms". For example, the Big Dipper isn't one of the IAU's official constellations; it is part of the constellation "Ursa Major". So the Big Dipper is an asterism.
Who invented the modern constellations in the Northern Hemisphere?
Most of the (northern) constellations we use today were invented in ancient times, especially by the ancient Greeks. More recently, a few were added (to fill the entire surface of the sky with constellations), and the limits between constellations were defined exactly.
Names of the constellations that determine direction?
Ursa Major - the Great Bear - contains the ASTERISM known as the Big Dipper, which has always been used to find north.
Why do the difference between two stars does not appear to change?
Does the question mean the distance between two stars? It does change, but very slowly on a human time scale. In 100,000 years most of the familiar constellations will look quite different.
What is the difference between an asterisms and a constellation?
The word "asterism" is given to a grouping of stars that is not on the "official" list of 88 constellations maintained by the International Astronomical Union. Also - an asterism is PART of a constellation - like Orion's Belt, The Big Dipper, or a pattern made from the stars of other constellations, like The Summer Triangle, etc.
List and describe some constellations?
88 modern constellations - a list of the current constellations. Former constellations - a list of former constellations. Chinese constellations List of Nakshatras - sectors along the moon's ecliptic Asterism (astronomy)
An example of an asterism?
The Big Dipper, Little Dipper, Northern Cross, and Orion's Belt are all asterisms. They're recognizable patterns that are parts of constellations but not complete constellations.
What is a group of stars that form pattern or shape?
It is called a constellation.Constellations.Technically an asterism, but most people usually call it a constellation.
What is an imagined group of stars?
That would be a constellation. There are 88 recognized constellations. A subset of a constellation or other set of stars is called an asterism.
What is the asterism of Cassiopeia?
Cassiopeia contains two asterisms. The difference between an asterism and a constellations is that an asterism isn’t one of the 88 “official” constellations. Rather, it’s just a recognizable group of stars that forms some picture. The constellation’s first asterism is the “W,” which includes five of the constellation’s bright stars. To form the W, start with Epsilon (ε) Cassiopeiae, then head to Delta (δ), Gamma (γ), Alpha (α), and Beta (β) Cas. But it’s only a W about half the night. The other half, it’s just as fair to call it the “M.” The Queen’s second asterism is the Three Guides, but only one of the three stars — Beta Cassiopeiae — lies in the constellation. The other two stars are Alpha Andromedae and Gamma Pegasi. Now, here’s some trivia for you celestial navigators: Together, these three stars mark the equinoctial colure, the great circle that intersects both poles and both equinoxes.
A pattern of stars in the sky?
A pattern of stars in the sky is called a Constellation!(: The name for a pattern of stars is an Asterism, of which the named Constellations are some but not all.
What is another name for constellation?
The word "asterism" is used to refer to a pattern or grouping of stars that is not on the International Astronomical Union's list of constellations. But an Asterism IS NOT a constellation - it can be a pattern like the Big Dipper (which is part of the constellation Ursa Major, the Great Bear), Orion's Belt, The Summer Triangle, etc.
The Big Dipper is an example of a?
An asterism, which is a grouping of stars that form a recognizable shape.
What is berenices?
Coma Berenices is a constellation near the Constellation of Leo. Historically it was an asterism (arrangement of stars), but is now one of the 88 constellations covering the night sky.
A grouping of stars that is part of a ursa major?
We use the word "asterism" for a grouping of stars that isn't one of the 88 "official" constellations recognized by the International Astronomical Union, the IAU. The most famous asterism is the central part of Ursa Major; we call it the "big dipper".
What are the names of the two bear constellations?
URSA MAJOR (Great Bear) and URSA MINOR (Lesser Bear) are northern hemisphere constellations. The seven brightest stars of Ursa Major form the "asterism" (star formation) known as the "Big Dipper" (the Plough).
