Constellation Names
Compiled by R. Block

Name (Short form, Genitive form): meaning

1. ANDROMEDA (And, ANDROMEDAE): the daughter of Cassiopeia
2. ANTLIA (Ant, ANTLIAE): the pump
3. APUS (Aps, APODIS): the bird of paradise
4. AQUARIUS (Aqr, AQUARII): the water carrier
5. AQUILA (Aql, AQUILAE): the eagle
6. ARA (Ara, ARAE): the altar
7. ARIES (Ari, ARIETIS): the ram
8. AURIGA (Aur, AURIGAE): the charioteer
9. BOOTES (Boo, BOOTIS): the oxherd
10. CAELUM (Cae, CAELI): the graving tool
11. CAMELOPARDALIS (Cam, CAMELOPARDALIS): the giraffe
12. CANCER (Cnc, CANCRI): the crab
13. CANES VENATICI (CVn, CANUM VENATICORUM): the hunting dogs
14. CANIS MAJOR (CMa, CANIS MAJORIS): the greater dog
15. CANIS MINOR (CMi, CANIS MINORIS): the lesser dog
16. CAPRICORNUS (Cap, CAPRICORNI): the horned goat
17. CARINA (Car, CARINAE): the keel of the Argo
18. CASSIOPEIA (Cas, CASSIOPEIAE): the wife of Cepheus
19. CENTAURUS (Cen, CENTAURI): the centaur
20. CEPHEUS (Cep, CEPHEI): the king of Ethiopia or Joppa
21. CETUS (Cet, CETI): the whale (or whatever) menacing Andromeda
22. CHAMAELEON (Cha, CHAMAELEONTIS): the chamaeleon
23. CIRCINUS (Cir, CIRCINI): a pair of compasses
24. COLUMBA (Col, COLUMBAE): the dove
25. COMA BERENICES (Com, COMAE BERENICES): Bernice's lock of hair
26. CORONA AUSTRALIS (CrA, CORONAE AUSTRALIS): the southern crown
27. CORONA BOREALIS (CrB, CORONAE BOREALIS): the northern crown
28. CORVUS (Crv, CORVI): the crow
29. CRATER (Crt, CRATERIS): the cup
30. CRUX (Cru, CRUCIS): the cross
31. CYGNUS (Cyg, CYGNI): the swan
32. DELPHINUS (Del, DELPHINI): the dolphin
33. DORADO (Dor, DORADUS): the goldfish
34. DRACO (Dra, DRACONIS): the dragon
35. EQUULEUS (Equ, EQUULEI): the little horse
36. ERIDANUS (Eri, ERIDANI): the river
37. FORNAX (For, FORNACIS): the furnace
38. GEMINI (Gem, GEMINORUM, or -IUM): the twins, Castor and Pollux
39. GRUS (Gru, GRUIS): the crane
40. HERCULES (Her, HERCULIS): Heracles, the hero
41. HOROLOGIUM (Hor, HOROLOGII): the clock
42. HYDRA (Hya, HYDRAE): water serpent (female)
43. HYDRUS (Hyi, HYDRI): the water serpent (male)
44. INDUS (Ind, INDI): the (American) Indian
45. LACERTA (Lac, LACERTAE): the lizard
46. LEO (Leo, LEONIS): the lion
47. LEO MINOR (LMi, LEONIS MINORIS): the lesser lion
48. LEPUS (Lep, LEPORIS): the hare
49. LIBRA (Lib, LIBRAE): the scales (weighing)
50. LUPUS (Lup, LUPI): the wolf
51. LYNX (Lyn, LYNCIS): the lynx
52. LYRA (Lyr, LYRAE): the lyre
53. MENSA (Men, MENSAE): the Table (mountain)
54. MICROSCOPIUM (Mic, MICROSCOPII): the microscope
55. MONOCEROS (Mon, MONOCEROTIS): the unicorn
56. MUSCA (Mus, MUSCAE): the fly
57. NORMA (Nor, NORMAE): the carpenter's level
58. OCTANS (Oct, OCTANTIS): the octant
59. OPHIUCHUS (Oph, OPHIUCHI): the snake holder
60. ORION (Ori, ORIONIS): the hunter
61. PAVO (Pav, PAVONIS): the peacock
62. PEGASUS (Peg, PEGASI): the winged horse
63. PERSEUS (Per, PERSEI): the rescuer of Andromeda
64. PHOENIX (Phe, PHOENICIS): the phoenix
65. PICTOR (Pic, PICTORIS): the painter (originally his easel)
66. PISCES (Psc, PISCIUM): the fish
67. PISCIS AUSTRINUS (PsA, PISCIS AUSTRINI): the southern fish
68. PUPPIS (Pup, PUPPIS): the poop deck of the Argo
69. PYXIS (Pyx, PYXIDIS): the box, or compass, of the Argo
70. RETICULUM (Ret, RETICULI): the net (optical instrument)
71. SAGITTA (Sge, SAGITTAE): the arrow
72. SAGITTARIUS (Sgr, SAGITTARII): the archer
73. SCORPIUS (Sco, SCORPII): the scorpion
74. SCULPTOR (Scl, SCULPTORIS): the sculptor (originally his studio)
75. SCUTUM (Sct, SCUTI): the shield
76. SERPENS (Ser, SERPENTIS): the snake
77. SEXTANS (Sex, SEXTANTIS): the sextant
78. TAURUS (Tau, TAURI): the bull
79. TELESCOPIUM (Tel, TELESCOPII): the telescope
80. TRIANGULUM (Tri, TRIANGULI): the triangle
81. TRIANGULUM AUSTRALE (TrA, TRIANGULI AUSTRALIS): southern triangle
82. TUCANA (Tuc, TUCANAE): the toucan
83. URSA MAJOR (UMa, URSAE MAJORIS): the greater bear
84. URSA MINOR (UMi, URSAE MINORIS): the lesser bear
85. VELA (Vel, VELORUM): the sails of the Argo
86. VIRGO (Vir, VIRGINIS): the virgin
87. VOLANS (Vol, VOLANTIS): the flying fish
88. VULPECULA (Vul, VULPECULAE): the little fox