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All circumpolar constellations fully-visible from the South Pole See also: Category:Northern constellations and Category:Equatorial constellations Subcategories
Download as PDF; Printable version; ... Southern constellations (45 C, 45 P) Pages in category "Southern celestial hemisphere"
The southern celestial hemisphere, also called the Southern Sky, is the southern half of the celestial sphere; that is, it lies south of the celestial equator. This arbitrary sphere, on which seemingly fixed stars form constellations , appears to rotate westward around a polar axis as the Earth rotates .
The constellations along the ecliptic are called the zodiac. When explorers mapped the stars of the southern skies, European astronomers proposed new constellations for that region, as well as ones to fill gaps between the traditional constellations. Because of their Roman and European origins, every constellation has a Latin name.
Constellations are groupings of stars as they are viewed, along a line-of-sight at a constant azimuth and elevation in the sky. This category identifies the 88 constellations currently recognised (areas of the sky) by the International Astronomical Union (IAU), plus some further subcategories. For individual stars, see also the category Stars
The following lists of constellations are available: IAU designated constellations – a list of the current, or "modern", constellations; Former constellations – a list of former constellations; Chinese constellations – traditional Chinese astronomy constellations; List of Nakshatras – sectors along the Moon's ecliptic
Hydra is the largest constellation, covering more than 1 ⁄ 32 of the night sky and 19 times the area of Crux, the smallest constellation. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) designates 88 constellations of stars.
The history of southern constellations is not straightforward. Different groupings and different names were proposed by various observers, some reflecting national traditions or designed to promote various sponsors. Southern constellations were important from the 14th to 16th centuries, when sailors used the stars for celestial navigation.