List of constellations by area

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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 (eg, 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	0979.854	2.38%	22 17.38	-10 47.35	SQ4
11	Her	OPH	Ophiuchus	0948.340	2.30%	17 23.69	-07 54.74	SQ3
12	Zod	LEO	Leo	0946.964	2.30%	10 40.03	+13 08.32	NQ2
13	Urs	BOO	Boötes	0906.831	2.20%	14 42.64	+31 12.16	NQ3
14	Zod	PSC	Pisces	0889.417	2.16%	00 28.97	+13 41.23	NQ1
15	Zod	SGR	Sagittarius	0867.432	2.10%	19 05.94	-28 28.61	SQ4
16	Her	CYG	Cygnus	0803.983	1.95%	20 35.28	+44 32.70	NQ4
17	Zod	TAU	Taurus	0797.249	1.93%	04 42.13	+14 52.63	NQ1
18	Urs	CAM	Camelopardalis	0756.828	1.83%	08 51.37	+69 22.89	NQ2
19	Per	AND	Andromeda	0722.278	1.75%	00 48.46	+37 25.91	NQ1
20	Wat	PUP	Puppis	0673.434	1.63%	07 15.48	-31 10.64	SQ2
21	Per	AUR	Auriga	0657.438	1.59%	06 04.42	+42 01.68	NQ2
22	Her	AQL	Aquila	0652.473	1.58%	19 40.02	+03 24.65	NQ4
23	Her	SER	Serpens [5]	0636.928	1.54%	16 57.04	+06 07.32	NQ3
24	Per	PER	Perseus	0614.997	1.49%	03 10.50	+45 00.79	NQ1
25	Per	CAS	Cassiopeia	0598.407	1.45%	01 19.16	+62 11.04	NQ1
26	Ori	ORI	Orion	0594.120	1.44%	05 34.59	+05 56.94	NQ1
27	Per	CEP	Cepheus	0587.787	1.42%	22	+71 00.51	NQ4
28	Urs	LYN	Lynx	0545.386	1.32%	07 59.53	+47 28.00	NQ2
29	Zod	LIB	Libra	0538.052	1.30%	15 11.96	-15 14.08	SQ3
30	Zod	GEM	Gemini	0513.761	1.25%	07 04.24	+22 36.01	NQ2
31	Zod	CNC	Cancer	0505.872	1.23%	08 38.96	+19 48.35	NQ2
32	Wat	VEL	Vela	0499.649	1.21%	09 34.64	-47 10.03	SQ2
33	Zod	SCO	Scorpius	0496.783	1.20%	16 53.24	-27 01.89	SQ3
34	Wat	CAR	Carina	0494.184	1.20%	08 41.70	-63 13.16	SQ2
35	Ori	MON	Monoceros	0481.569	1.17%	07 03.63	+00 16.93	NQ2
36	Lac	SCL	Sculptor	0474.764	1.15%	00 26.28	-32 05.30	SQ1
37	Bay	PHE	Phoenix	0469.319	1.14%	00 55.91	-48 34.84	SQ1
38	Urs	CVN	Canes Venatici	0465.194	1.13%	13 06.96	+40 06.11	NQ3
39	Zod	ARI	Aries	0441.395	1.07%	02 38.16	+20 47.54	NQ1
40	Zod	CAP	Capricornus	0413.947	1.00%	21 02.93	-18 01.39	SQ4
41	Lac	FOR	Fornax	0397.502	0.96%	02 47.88	-31 38.07	SQ1
42	Urs	COM	Coma Berenices	0386.475	0.94%	12 47.27	+23 18.34	NQ3
43	Ori	CMA	Canis Major	0380.118	0.92%	06 49.74	-22 08.42	SQ2
44	Bay	PAV	Pavo	0377.666	0.92%	19 36.71	-65 46.89	SQ4
45	Bay	GRU	Grus	0365.513	0.89%	22 27.39	-46 21.11	SQ4
46	Her	LUP	Lupus	0333.683	0.81%	15 13.21	-42 42.53	SQ3
47	Her	SEX	Sextans	0313.515	0.76%	10 16.29	-02 36.88	SQ2
48	Bay	TUC	Tucana	0294.557	0.71%	23 46.64	-65 49.80	SQ4
49	Bay	IND	Indus	0294.006	0.71%	21 58.33	-59 42.40	SQ4
50	Lac	OCT	Octans	0291.045	0.71%	23 00.00	-82 09.12	SQ4
51	Ori	LEP	Lepus	0290.291	0.70%	05 33.95	-19 02.78	SQ1
52	Her	LYR	Lyra	0286.476	0.69%	18 51.17	+36 41.36	NQ4
53	Her	CRT	Crater	0282.398	0.68%	11 23.75	-15 55.74	SQ2
54	Wat	COL	Columba	0270.184	0.65%	05 51.76	-35 05.67	SQ1
55	Her	VUL	Vulpecula	0268.165	0.65%	20 13.88	+24 26.56	NQ4
56	Urs	UMI	Ursa Minor	0255.864	0.62%	15 00.00	+77 41.99	NQ3
57	Lac	TEL	Telescopium	0251.512	0.61%	19 19.54	-51 02.21	SQ4
58	Lac	HOR	Horologium	0248.885	0.60%	03 16.56	-53 20.18	SQ1
59	Lac	PIC	Pictor	0246.739	0.60%	05 42.46	-53 28.45	SQ1
60	Wat	PSA	Piscis Austrinus	0245.375	0.59%	22 17.07	-30 38.53	SQ4
61	Bay	HYI	Hydrus	0243.035	0.59%	02 20.65	-69 57.39	SQ1
62	Lac	ANT	Antlia	0238.901	0.58%	10 16.43	-32 29.01	SQ2
63	Her	ARA	Ara	0237.057	0.57%	17 22.49	-56 35.30	SQ3
64	Urs	LMI	Leo Minor	0231.956	0.56%	10 14.72	+32 08.08	NQ2
65	Wat	PYX	Pyxis	0220.833	0.54%	08 57.16	-27 21.10	SQ2
66	Lac	MIC	Microscopium	0209.513	0.51%	20 57.88	-36 16.49	SQ4
67	Bay	APS	Apus	0206.327	0.50%	16 08.65	-75 18.00	SQ3
68	Per	LAC	Lacerta	0200.688	0.49%	22 27.68	+46 02.51	NQ4
69	Wat	DEL	Delphinus	0188.549	0.46%	20 41.61	+11 40.26	NQ4
70	Her	CRV	Corvus	0183.801	0.45%	12 26.52	-18 26.20	SQ3
71	Ori	CMI	Canis Minor	0183.367	0.44%	07 39.17	+06 25.63	NQ2
72	Bay	DOR	Dorado	0179.173	0.43%	05 14.51	-59 23.22	SQ1
73	Urs	CRB	Corona Borealis	0178.710	0.43%	15 50.59	+32 37.49	NQ3
74	Lac	NOR	Norma	0165.290	0.40%	15 54.18	-51 21.09	SQ3
75	Lac	MEN	Mensa	0153.484	0.37%	05 24.90	-77 30.24	SQ1
76	Bay	VOL	Volans	0141.354	0.34%	07 47.73	-69 48.07	SQ2
77	Bay	MUS	Musca	0138.355	0.34%	12 35.28	-70 09.66	SQ3
78	Per	TRI	Triangulum	0131.847	0.32%	02 11.07	+31 28.56	NQ1
79	Bay	CHA	Chamaeleon	0131.592	0.32%	10 41.53	-79 12.30	SQ2
80	Her	CRA	Corona Australis	0127.696	0.31%	18 38.79	-41 08.85	SQ4
81	Lac	CAE	Caelum	0124.865	0.30%	04 42.27	-37 52.90	SQ1
82	Lac	RET	Reticulum	0113.936	0.28%	03 55.27	-59 59.85	SQ1
83	Her	TRA	Triangulum Australe	0109.978	0.27%	16 04.95	-65 23.28	SQ3
84	Her	SCT	Scutum	0109.114	0.26%	18 40.39	-09 53.32	SQ4
85	Lac	CIR	Circinus	0093.353	0.23%	14 34.54	-63 01.82	SQ3
86	Her	SGE	Sagitta	0079.932	0.19%	19 39.05	+18 51.68	NQ4
87	Wat	EQU	Equuleus	0071.641	0.17%	21 11.26	+07 45.49	NQ4
88	Her	CRU	Crux	0068.447	0.17%	12 26.99	-60 11.19	SQ3

Notes

1. ^ '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).
2. ^ The total area of all constellations is the total area of the sky, which is 4π steradians, or 4π × (180/π)² square degrees, or approximately 41252.961 square degrees.
3. ^ Right Ascension & Declination of the midpoints of the constellations.
4. ^ 'Quad' designates the quadrant of the sky as N for North or S for South, Quadrant 1 through 4.
5. ^ 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)

[edit] External links

• http://www.ianridpath.com/constellations1.htm
• http://calgary.rasc.ca/constellation.htm