constellation

con·stel·la·tion  (knst-lshn)

n.

1. Astronomy

a. An arbitrary formation of stars perceived as a figure or design, especially one of 88 recognized groups named after characters from classical mythology and various common animals and objects.

b. An area of the celestial sphere occupied by one of the 88 recognized constellations.

2. The configuration of planets at the time of one's birth, regarded by astrologers as determining one's character or fate.

3. A gathering or an assemblage, especially of prominent persons or things: The symposium was attended by a constellation of artists and writers.

4. A set or configuration, as of related items, properties, ideas, or individuals: a constellation of demands ranging from better food to improved health care; a constellation of feelings about the divorce.

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[Middle English constellacioun, from Old French constellation, from Late Latin cnstellti, cnstelltin- : Latin com-, com- + Latin stlla, star; see ster-³ in Indo-European roots.]

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con·stella·tory (-stl-tôr, -tr) adj.

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constellation

Noun

1. a group of stars which form a pattern and are given a name

2. a group of people or things: the constellation of favourable circumstances [Latin com- together + stella star]

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constellation  (knst-lshn) 1. A group of stars seen as forming a figure or design in the sky, especially one of 88 officially recognized groups, many of which are based on mythological traditions from ancient Greek and Middle Eastern civilizations. 2. An area of the sky occupied by one of the 88 recognized constellations. These irregularly defined areas completely fill the celestial sphere and divide it into nonoverlapping sections used in describing the location of celestial objects. A Closer Look Various cultures throughout history have chosen different groups of stars in the night sky to form different constellations. While it was once thought that the Greeks were responsible for determining many of the constellations known today, it is now believed that the mythological origins of the 48 ancient constellations predate the Greeks and originate instead from ancient Middle Eastern civilizations. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries another 40 constellations were invented by Europeans for navigational purposes. The boundaries of the 88 constellations currently recognized were defined in the 1920s by the International Astronomical Union. There is no scientific reason why there are exactly 88; the modern constellations are only a convenient way to break up the sky to locate the position of celestial objects or track satellites. Although the stars in any given constellation may look like they're neighbors, they can actually be many light-years apart, and if seen from another part of the galaxy they would form different groups and shapes altogether. Constellation names are usually given in Latin, such as Ursa Major (Great Bear) or Centaurus (Centaur), and individual stars in constellations are named in order of brightness, using the Greek alphabet, with the genitive case of the constellation following. Therefore, Alpha Centauri is the brightest star in the constellation Centaurus, Beta Centauri is the second brightest star, and so on. The stars within our galaxy are rushing through space in various directions, and as the millennia pass, the arrangements of the star groups as seen from Earth will change, inevitably altering the constellations as we know them.

constellation

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Constellation a fixed group of stars; an assembly of great splendour; a group of famous people; a fixed pattern of individual elements functioning in a related way.

Examples: constellation of fair ladies, 1665; of genius; of computer programs; of prophets, 1860; of stars; of wax lights, 1739.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	constellation - an arrangement of parts or elements; "the outcome depends on the configuration of influences at the time" configuration design, plan - an arrangement scheme; "the awkward design of the keyboard made operation difficult"; "it was an excellent design for living"; "a plan for seating guests" redundancy - (electronics) a system design that duplicates components to provide alternatives in case one component fails network topology, topology - the configuration of a communication network chunking, unitisation, unitization - (psychology) the configuration of smaller units of information into large coordinated units
	2.	constellation - a configuration of stars as seen from the earth natural object - an object occurring naturally; not made by man asterism - (astronomy) a cluster of stars (or a small constellation) star - (astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior

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A number of like satellites that are part of a system. Satellites in a constellation generally have a similar orbit. For example, the Global Positioning System constellation consists of 24 satellites distributed in six orbital planes with similar eccentricities, altitudes, and inclinations. See also global positioning system.

Translations

constellation [kɔnstəˈleɪʃən] n → constelación f

constellation [kɔnstəˈleɪʃən] n → constellation f

constellation [kɔnstəˈleɪʃən] n → Sternbild nt

constellation [kɔnstəˈleɪʃən] n → costellazione f

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constellation

n constellation [konstəˈleiʃən]

a named group of stars The Plough and Orion are constellations.sterrebeeld, konstellasie; hemelteken, sodiakale tekenمَجْموعَة نُجوم، كَوكَبَهсъзвездиеsouhvězdístjernebillededas Sternbildαστερισμόςconstelacióntähtkujuصورت فلکیtähtikuvioconstellationקְבוּצַת כּוֹכָבִיםनक्षत्र, तारों का समूहzviježđecsillagzatkonstelasistjörnusamstæða; stjörnumerkicostellazione星座별자리žvaigždynaszvaigznājskumpulansterrenbeeldstjernebilde, konstellasjongwiazdozbiórconstelaçãoconstelaţieсозвездиеsúhvezdieozvezdjesazvežđekonstellation, stjärnbildกลุ่มดาวtakım yıldız, burç星座сузір'яجهرم‍ٹ، نچهترchòm sao星座