Learn and talk about List of constellations by area, Constellations, Lists of constellations

Hydra is the largest constellation.

Here is a list of the 88 modern constellations by their area in the sky, measured in square degrees.

These areas are determined by constellation boundaries drawn up by Eugène Delporte in 1930 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 and declination; however, he did so for the epoch B1875.0, which means that due to precession of the equinoxes, the borders on a modern star map (e.g., for epoch J2000) 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 ^[1]	Abbr	Constellation	Area (sq. deg.) ^[2]	Percentage	RA:^[3] h m	DEC: d m	Quad ^[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 ^[5]	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%	02 32.64	+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

^ '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).
^ The total area of all constellations is the total area of the sky, which is exactly 4π steradians, or 4π × (180/π)² = 129,600/π square degrees, or approximately 41,252.961 square degrees. The individual areas do not sum to this number due to rounding errors, which vanish when the areas are rounded instead to one decimal place.
^ Right Ascension & Declination of the midpoints of the constellations.
^ 'Quad' designates the quadrant of the sky as N for North or S for South, Quadrant 1 through 4.
^ Serpens is divided into two parts:
Serpens Caput ("Serpent's Head"; 428.484 sq. deg.; midpoint: RA: 15 46.49, Dec: +10 58.20), and
Serpens Cauda ( "Serpent's Tail" ; 208.444 sq. deg.; midpoint: RA: 18 07.60, Dec: -04 51.73)

External links [edit]

Star portal

Original courtesy of Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_constellations_by_area — Please support Wikipedia.
A portion of the proceeds from advertising on Digplanet goes to supporting Wikipedia.

List of constellations by area

External links [edit]

Talk About List of constellations by area

Support Wikipedia