Constellation
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A constellation is an area on the celestial sphere in which a group of visible stars forms a perceived pattern or outline, typically representing an animal, mythological subject, or inanimate object.
The relationship of the Earth's tilt to the Sun's apparent path governs how the zodiac will be orientated overnight.
Babylonian tablet recording Halley's Comet in 164 BC
Egyptian star chart and decanal clock, from the ceiling of Senenmut's tomb, c. 1473 BC
The Milky Way as seen from Earth, with prominent dark features labeled in white, as well as prominent star clouds labeled in black. Below center left are the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. The star-like objects are globular clusters of the Milky Way.
Chinese constellations
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Traditional Chinese astronomy has a system of dividing the celestial sphere into asterisms or constellations, known as "officials".
Reproduction of the Suzhou star chart (13th century)
