Ways to use this list
- Constellation of the week: spin on Monday, mark its main stars as dots on black paper, join them with chalk and try to spot the real thing before Friday.
- Camping or a clear night in the garden: spin, then race to find it with a planisphere or a star map. Use Southern sky if you live in Australia or New Zealand.
- Myth storytelling: spin and tell the old story behind the shape. Andromeda, Perseus, Cassiopeia, Cepheus and Cetus all belong to one Greek tale.
- Pin-hole star viewers: punch the spun pattern into the bottom of a paper cup, shine a torch through it in a dark room and let others guess the name.
- Space-themed writing: spin to name the spaceship, the home star system or the planet your characters are travelling to.
Press Spin the wheel, tap the game or press the Space bar. Change the list in the box as you
like: add your own, delete what doesn't suit you, or write *2 after an entry to give it double the
chance. The game buttons switch the same list to a duck race, hat, claw machine and more.
The full list (50 entries)
- Andromeda – the Chained Princess
- Aquarius – the Water Bearer
- Aquila – the Eagle
- Aries – the Ram
- Auriga – the Charioteer
- Boötes – the Herdsman
- Camelopardalis – the Giraffe
- Cancer – the Crab
- Canis Major – the Great Dog
- Canis Minor – the Little Dog
- Capricornus – the Sea Goat
- Carina – the Keel of a ship
- Cassiopeia – the Queen
- Centaurus – the Centaur
- Cepheus – the King
- Cetus – the Sea Monster
- Corona Borealis – the Northern Crown
- Corvus – the Crow
- Crux – the Southern Cross
- Cygnus – the Swan
- Delphinus – the Dolphin
- Dorado – the Dolphinfish
- Draco – the Dragon
- Gemini – the Twins
- Grus – the Crane
- Hercules – the hero Hercules
- Hydra – the Water Snake
- Leo – the Lion
- Lepus – the Hare
- Libra – the Scales
- Lupus – the Wolf
- Lynx – the Lynx
- Lyra – the Lyre
- Monoceros – the Unicorn
- Musca – the Fly
- Ophiuchus – the Serpent Bearer
- Orion – the Hunter
- Pavo – the Peacock
- Pegasus – the Winged Horse
- Perseus – the hero Perseus
- Phoenix – the Phoenix
- Pisces – the Fishes
- Sagittarius – the Archer
- Scorpius – the Scorpion
- Taurus – the Bull
- Tucana – the Toucan
- Ursa Major – the Great Bear
- Ursa Minor – the Little Bear
- Vela – the Sails
- Virgo – the Maiden
Questions people ask
How many constellations are there?
The International Astronomical Union recognises 88 official constellations, a list fixed in 1922, with exact borders that cover the whole sky. This wheel holds a well-known selection of 50 of them, so it stays readable on a phone. You can type in any of the others.
Is the Big Dipper a constellation?
Not officially. The Big Dipper (called the Plough in the UK) is an asterism, a pattern of seven bright stars inside the much larger constellation Ursa Major. The Summer Triangle is another asterism: its three stars belong to Cygnus, Lyra and Aquila.
Which constellation is the easiest to find?
In the north, Orion on winter evenings: look for three bright stars in a short straight line, his belt. In the south, Crux, the Southern Cross, which appears on the flags of Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Samoa and Papua New Guinea.
What are the biggest and smallest constellations?
Hydra, the long Water Snake, covers the largest area of sky. Crux, the Southern Cross, is the smallest of all 88, yet it is one of the easiest to recognise because its four main stars are so bright.
Can I see every one of these from my home?
It depends on how far north or south you live. From the UK and most of the USA you will never see Crux, Pavo or Tucana, and from southern Australia the Little Bear never rises. The Northern sky and Southern sky buttons help you pick ones you can find.