- List of constellations by area
Here is a list of the 88 modern
constellation s by their area in the sky, measured in square degrees.These areas are determined by
constellation boundaries drawn up byEugène Delporte in1930 on behalf of the IAU and published in "Délimitation scientifique des constellations" (Cambridge University Press). Before Delporte's work, the precise boundaries of each constellation were only vaguely defined.Delporte drew the boundaries along vertical and horizontal lines of
right ascension anddeclination ; however, he did so for the epochB1875.0 , which means that due toprecession of the equinoxes, the borders on a modern star map (eg, for epochJ2000 ) are already somewhat skewed and no longer perfectly vertical or horizontal. This skew will increase over the years and centuries to come. However, this does not change the area of any constellation.Rank Family ['Family' abbreviations correspond to Constellation Family Abbreviations: Per=Perseus, Urs=Ursa Major, Her=Hercules, Zod=Zodiacal, Ori=Orion, Wat=Heavenly waters, Bay=J. Bayer, Lac=La Caille (see List of constellations ).]Abbr Constellation Area (sq. deg.) [ The total area of all constellations is the total area of the sky, which is 4π steradian s, or 4π × (180/π)2 square degrees, or approximately 41252.961 square degrees. ]Percentage RA: [Right Ascension & Declination of the midpoints of the constellations.] h m DEC: d m Quad ['Quad' designates the quadrant of the sky as N for North or S for South, Quadrant 1 through 4.] 01 Her HYA Hydra 1302.844 3.16% 11 36.73 -14 31.91 SQ2 02 Zod VIR Virgo 1294.428 3.14% 13 24.39 -04 09.51 SQ3 03 Urs UMA Ursa Major 1279.660 3.10% 11 18.76 +50 43.27 NQ2 04 Per CET Cetus 1231.411 2.99% 01 40.10 -07 10.76 SQ1 05 Her HER Hercules 1225.148 2.97% 17 23.16 +27 29.93 NQ3 06 Wat ERI Eridanus 1137.919 2.76% 03 18.02 -28 45.37 SQ1 07 Per PEG Pegasus 1120.794 2.72% 22 41.84 +19 27.98 NQ4 08 Urs DRA Draco 1082.952 2.63% 15 08.64 +67 00.40 NQ3 09 Her CEN Centaurus 1060.422 2.57% 13 04.27 -47 20.72 SQ3 10 Zod AQR Aquarius 979.854 2.38% 22 17.38 -10 47.35 SQ4 11 Her OPH Ophiuchus 948.340 2.30% 17 23.69 -07 54.74 SQ3 12 Zod LEO Leo 946.964 2.30% 10 40.03 +13 08.32 NQ2 13 Urs BOO Boötes 906.831 2.20% 14 42.64 +31 12.16 NQ3 14 Zod PSC Pisces 889.417 2.16% 00 28.97 +13 41.23 NQ1 15 Zod SGR Sagittarius 867.432 2.10% 19 05.94 -28 28.61 SQ4 16 Her CYG Cygnus 803.983 1.95% 20 35.28 +44 32.70 NQ4 17 Zod TAU Taurus 797.249 1.93% 04 42.13 +14 52.63 NQ1 18 Urs CAM Camelopardalis 756.828 1.83% 08 51.37 +69 22.89 NQ2 19 Per AND Andromeda 722.278 1.75% 00 48.46 +37 25.91 NQ1 20 Wat PUP Puppis 673.434 1.63% 07 15.48 -31 10.64 SQ2 21 Per AUR Auriga 657.438 1.59% 06 04.42 +42 01.68 NQ2 22 Her AQL Aquila 652.473 1.58% 19 40.02 +03 24.65 NQ4 23 Her SER Serpens [Serpens is divided into two parts:
Serpens Caput (428.48 sq. deg.; midpoint: RA: 15 46.49, Dec: +10 58.20), and
Serpens Cauda (208.44 sq. deg.; midpoint: RA: 18 07.60, Dec: -04 51.73)]636.928 1.54% 16 57.04 +06 07.32 NQ3 24 Per PER Perseus 614.997 1.49% 03 10.50 +45 00.79 NQ1 25 Per CAS Cassiopeia 598.407 1.45% 01 19.16 +62 11.04 NQ1 26 Ori ORI Orion 594.120 1.44% 05 34.59 +05 56.94 NQ1 27 Per CEP Cepheus 587.787 1.42% 22 +71 00.51 NQ4 28 Urs LYN Lynx 545.386 1.32% 07 59.53 +47 28.00 NQ2 29 Zod LIB Libra 538.052 1.30% 15 11.96 -15 14.08 SQ3 30 Zod GEM Gemini 513.761 1.25% 07 04.24 +22 36.01 NQ2 31 Zod CNC Cancer 505.872 1.23% 08 38.96 +19 48.35 NQ2 32 Wat VEL Vela 499.649 1.21% 09 34.64 -47 10.03 SQ2 33 Zod SCO Scorpius 496.783 1.20% 16 53.24 -27 01.89 SQ3 34 Wat CAR Carina 494.184 1.20% 08 41.70 -63 13.16 SQ2 35 Ori MON Monoceros 481.569 1.17% 07 03.63 +00 16.93 NQ2 36 Lac SCL Sculptor 474.764 1.15% 00 26.28 -32 05.30 SQ1 37 Bay PHE Phoenix 469.319 1.14% 00 55.91 -48 34.84 SQ1 38 Urs CVN Canes Venatici 465.194 1.13% 13 06.96 +40 06.11 NQ3 39 Zod ARI Aries 441.395 1.07% 02 38.16 +20 47.54 NQ1 40 Zod CAP Capricornus 413.947 1.00% 21 02.93 -18 01.39 SQ4 41 Lac FOR Fornax 397.502 0.96% 02 47.88 -31 38.07 SQ1 42 Urs COM Coma Berenices 386.475 0.94% 12 47.27 +23 18.34 NQ3 43 Ori CMA Canis Major 380.118 0.92% 06 49.74 -22 08.42 SQ2 44 Bay PAV Pavo 377.666 0.92% 19 36.71 -65 46.89 SQ4 45 Bay GRU Grus 365.513 0.89% 22 27.39 -46 21.11 SQ4 46 Her LUP Lupus 333.683 0.81% 15 13.21 -42 42.53 SQ3 47 Her SEX Sextans 313.515 0.76% 10 16.29 -02 36.88 SQ2 48 Bay TUC Tucana 294.557 0.71% 23 46.64 -65 49.80 SQ4 49 Bay IND Indus 294.006 0.71% 21 58.33 -59 42.40 SQ4 50 Lac OCT Octans 291.045 0.71% 23 00.00 -82 09.12 SQ4 51 Ori LEP Lepus 290.291 0.70% 05 33.95 -19 02.78 SQ1 52 Her LYR Lyra 286.476 0.69% 18 51.17 +36 41.36 NQ4 53 Her CRT Crater 282.398 0.68% 11 23.75 -15 55.74 SQ2 54 Wat COL Columba 270.184 0.65% 05 51.76 -35 05.67 SQ1 55 Her VUL Vulpecula 268.165 0.65% 20 13.88 +24 26.56 NQ4 56 Urs UMI Ursa Minor 255.864 0.62% 15 00.00 +77 41.99 NQ3 57 Lac TEL Telescopium 251.512 0.61% 19 19.54 -51 02.21 SQ4 58 Lac HOR Horologium 248.885 0.60% 03 16.56 -53 20.18 SQ1 59 Lac PIC Pictor 246.739 0.60% 05 42.46 -53 28.45 SQ1 60 Wat PSA Piscis Austrinus 245.375 0.59% 22 17.07 -30 38.53 SQ4 61 Bay HYI Hydrus 243.035 0.59% 02 20.65 -69 57.39 SQ1 62 Lac ANT Antlia 238.901 0.58% 10 16.43 -32 29.01 SQ2 63 Her ARA Ara 237.057 0.57% 17 22.49 -56 35.30 SQ3 64 Urs LMI Leo Minor 231.956 0.56% 10 14.72 +32 08.08 NQ2 65 Wat PYX Pyxis 220.833 0.54% 08 57.16 -27 21.10 SQ2 66 Lac MIC Microscopium 209.513 0.51% 20 57.88 -36 16.49 SQ4 67 Bay APS Apus 206.327 0.50% 16 08.65 -75 18.00 SQ3 68 Per LAC Lacerta 200.688 0.49% 22 27.68 +46 02.51 NQ4 69 Wat DEL Delphinus 188.549 0.46% 20 41.61 +11 40.26 NQ4 70 Her CRV Corvus 183.801 0.45% 12 26.52 -18 26.20 SQ3 71 Ori CMI Canis Minor 183.367 0.44% 07 39.17 +06 25.63 NQ2 72 Bay DOR Dorado 179.173 0.43% 05 14.51 -59 23.22 SQ1 73 Urs CRB Corona Borealis 178.710 0.43% 15 50.59 +32 37.49 NQ3 74 Lac NOR Norma 165.290 0.40% 15 54.18 -51 21.09 SQ3 75 Lac MEN Mensa 153.484 0.37% 05 24.90 -77 30.24 SQ1 76 Bay VOL Volans 141.354 0.34% 07 47.73 -69 48.07 SQ2 77 Bay MUS Musca 138.355 0.34% 12 35.28 -70 09.66 SQ3 78 Per TRI Triangulum 131.847 0.32% 02 11.07 +31 28.56 NQ1 79 Bay CHA Chamaeleon 131.592 0.32% 10 41.53 -79 12.30 SQ2 80 Her CRA Corona Australis 127.696 0.31% 18 38.79 -41 08.85 SQ4 81 Lac CAE Caelum 124.865 0.30% 04 42.27 -37 52.90 SQ1 82 Lac RET Reticulum 113.936 0.28% 03 55.27 -59 59.85 SQ1 83 Her TRA Triangulum Australe 109.978 0.27% 16 04.95 -65 23.28 SQ3 84 Her SCT Scutum 109.114 0.26% 18 40.39 -09 53.32 SQ4 85 Lac CIR Circinus 93.353 0.23% 14 34.54 -63 01.82 SQ3 86 Her SGE Sagitta 79.932 0.19% 19 39.05 +18 51.68 NQ4 87 Wat EQU Equuleus 71.641 0.17% 21 11.26 +07 45.49 NQ4 88 Her CRU Crux 68.447 0.17% 12 26.99 -60 11.19 SQ3 ;Notes:
External links
* http://www.ianridpath.com/constellations1.htm
* http://calgary.rasc.ca/constellation.htm
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