constellation

    Article

    A term in astronomy referring to a group of stars that can be seen from Earth as forming a certain shape. Various ancient mythologies (such as Greek, Euphratean, and Native American) contain stories based on star constellations that were imagined as characters and objects that interacted with humans on earth. Modern astronomy has defined and categorized 88 constellations that aid in mapping star systems and tracking artificial satellites.

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    "Constellations, Bellefeuille, Quebec, Canada, June 15, 2011" by Charles de Mille-Isles is licensed under CC BY.

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    References

     
    Encyclopedia Britannica Online
    N.d. Constellation. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/134125/constellation, accessed October 17, 2014.