Constellation

A constellation is a group of stars that are considered to form imaginary outlines or meaningful patterns on the celestial sphere, typically representing animals, mythological people or creatures, or inanimate objects. Constellation in Hebrew is קבוצת כוכבים (kvuṣat kōḥavīm). In Ancient Greek, the term is ἄστρον (ástron), and in Latin, it is constellatio. Constellations are useful for navigating the night sky and are often used in astronomy, astrology, and cultural mythology. The sky is divided into 88 constellations with accepted boundaries that cover the entire celestial sphere. Some constellations date back to prehistory, while others were defined more recently by astronomers. The most commonly known constellations among these are the zodiac constellations, which are the constellations that lie along the apparent path of the Sun across the sky over the course of the year.