List of constellations by area
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. In the table below, they are ranked by the solid angle that they subtend in the sky, measured in square degrees and millisteradians .
These solid angles depend on arbitrary boundaries between the constellations : the list below is based on 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, there was no standard list of the boundaries of each constellation.
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 (e.g., for epoch J2000 ) are already somewhat skewed and no longer perfectly vertical or horizontal. This skew will increase over the centuries to come. However, this does not change the solid angle of any constellation.
Rank
Abbrev.
Constellation
Solid angle ("Area") (sq. deg.) [ 1]
Solid angle (millisteradians)
Percentage
Right ascension (hours & mins) [ 2]
Declination (degs & mins) [ 3]
Quad [ 4]
01
Hya
Hydra
1302.844
396.869
3.16%
+11 36.73
−14 31.91
SQ2
02
Vir
Virgo
1294.428
394.305
3.14%
+13 24.39
−04 09.51
SQ3
03
UMa
Ursa Major
1279.660
389.807
3.10%
+11 18.76
+50 43.27
NQ2
04
Cet
Cetus
1231.411
375.109
2.99%
+01 40.10
−07 10.76
SQ1
05
Her
Hercules
1225.148
373.201
2.97%
+17 23.16
+27 29.93
NQ3
06
Eri
Eridanus
1137.919
346.630
2.76%
+03 18.02
−28 45.37
SQ1
07
Peg
Pegasus
1120.794
341.413
2.72%
+22 41.84
+19 27.98
NQ4
08
Dra
Draco
1082.952
329.886
2.63%
+15 08.64
+67 00.40
NQ3
09
Cen
Centaurus
1060.422
323.023
2.57%
+13 04.27
−47 20.72
SQ3
10
Aqr
Aquarius
979.854
298.481
2.38%
+22 17.38
−10 47.35
SQ4
11
Oph
Ophiuchus
948.340
288.881
2.30%
+17 23.69
−07 54.74
SQ3
12
Leo
Leo
946.964
288.462
2.30%
+10 40.03
+13 08.32
NQ2
13
Boo
Boötes
906.831
276.237
2.20%
+14 42.64
+31 12.16
NQ3
14
Psc
Pisces
889.417
270.932
2.16%
+00 28.97
+13 41.23
NQ1
15
Sgr
Sagittarius
867.432
264.235
2.10%
+19 05.94
−28 28.61
SQ4
16
Cyg
Cygnus
803.983
244.907
1.95%
+20 35.28
+44 32.70
NQ4
17
Tau
Taurus
797.249
242.856
1.93%
+04 42.13
+14 52.63
NQ1
18
Cam
Camelopardalis
756.828
230.543
1.83%
+08 51.37
+69 22.89
NQ2
19
And
Andromeda
722.278
220.018
1.75%
+00 48.46
+37 25.91
NQ1
20
Pup
Puppis
673.434
205.140
1.63%
+07 15.48
−31 10.64
SQ2
21
Aur
Auriga
657.438
200.267
1.59%
+06 04.42
+42 01.68
NQ2
22
Aql
Aquila
652.473
198.755
1.58%
+19 40.02
+03 24.65
NQ4
23
Ser
Serpens [ 5]
636.928
194.019
1.54%
+16 57.04
+06 07.32
NQ3
24
Per
Perseus
614.997
187.339
1.49%
+03 10.50
+45 00.79
NQ1
25
Cas
Cassiopeia
598.407
182.285
1.45%
+01 19.16
+62 11.04
NQ1
26
Ori
Orion
594.120
180.979
1.44%
+05 34.59
+05 56.94
NQ1
27
Cep
Cepheus
587.787
179.050
1.42%
+02 32.64
+71 00.51
NQ4
28
Lyn
Lynx
545.386
166.134
1.32%
+07 59.53
+47 28.00
NQ2
29
Lib
Libra
538.052
163.900
1.30%
+15 11.96
−15 14.08
SQ3
30
Gem
Gemini
513.761
156.501
1.25%
+07 04.24
+22 36.01
NQ2
31
Cnc
Cancer
505.872
154.097
1.23%
+08 38.96
+19 48.35
NQ2
32
Vel
Vela
499.649
152.202
1.21%
+09 34.64
−47 10.03
SQ2
33
Sco
Scorpius
496.783
151.329
1.20%
+16 53.24
−27 01.89
SQ3
34
Car
Carina
494.184
150.537
1.20%
+08 41.70
−63 13.16
SQ2
35
Mon
Monoceros
481.569
146.694
1.17%
+07 03.63
+00 16.93
NQ2
36
Scl
Sculptor
474.764
144.621
1.15%
+00 26.28
−32 05.30
SQ1
37
Phe
Phoenix
469.319
142.963
1.14%
+00 55.91
−48 34.84
SQ1
38
CVn
Canes Venatici
465.194
141.706
1.13%
+13 06.96
+40 06.11
NQ3
39
Ari
Aries
441.395
134.457
1.07%
+02 38.16
+20 47.54
NQ1
40
Cap
Capricornus
413.947
126.095
1.00%
+21 02.93
−18 01.39
SQ4
41
For
Fornax
397.502
121.086
0.96%
+02 47.88
−31 38.07
SQ1
42
Com
Coma Berenices
386.475
117.727
0.94%
+12 47.27
+23 18.34
NQ3
43
CMa
Canis Major
380.118
115.791
0.92%
+06 49.74
−22 08.42
SQ2
44
Pav
Pavo
377.666
115.044
0.92%
+19 36.71
−65 46.89
SQ4
45
Gru
Grus
365.513
111.342
0.89%
+22 27.39
−46 21.11
SQ4
46
Lup
Lupus
333.683
101.646
0.81%
+15 13.21
−42 42.53
SQ3
47
Sex
Sextans
313.515
95.502
0.76%
+10 16.29
−02 36.88
SQ2
48
Tuc
Tucana
294.557
89.727
0.71%
+23 46.64
−65 49.80
SQ4
49
Ind
Indus
294.006
89.559
0.71%
+21 58.33
−59 42.40
SQ4
50
Oct
Octans
291.045
88.657
0.71%
+23 00.00
−82 09.12
SQ4
51
Lep
Lepus
290.291
88.428
0.70%
+05 33.95
−19 02.78
SQ1
52
Lyr
Lyra
286.476
87.266
0.69%
+18 51.17
+36 41.36
NQ4
53
Crt
Crater
282.398
86.023
0.68%
+11 23.75
−15 55.74
SQ2
54
Col
Columba
270.184
82.303
0.65%
+05 51.76
−35 05.67
SQ1
55
Vul
Vulpecula
268.165
81.688
0.65%
+20 13.88
+24 26.56
NQ4
56
UMi
Ursa Minor
255.864
77.941
0.62%
+15 00.00
+77 41.99
NQ3
57
Tel
Telescopium
251.512
76.615
0.61%
+19 19.54
−51 02.21
SQ4
58
Hor
Horologium
248.885
75.815
0.60%
+03 16.56
−53 20.18
SQ1
59
Pic
Pictor
246.739
75.161
0.60%
+05 42.46
−53 28.45
SQ1
60
PsA
Piscis Austrinus
245.375
74.745
0.59%
+22 17.07
−30 38.53
SQ4
61
Hyi
Hydrus
243.035
74.033
0.59%
+02 20.65
−69 57.39
SQ1
62
Ant
Antlia
238.901
72.773
0.58%
+10 16.43
−32 29.01
SQ2
63
Ara
Ara
237.057
72.212
0.57%
+17 22.49
−56 35.30
SQ3
64
LMi
Leo Minor
231.956
70.658
0.56%
+10 14.72
+32 08.08
NQ2
65
Pyx
Pyxis
220.833
67.270
0.54%
+08 57.16
−27 21.10
SQ2
66
Mic
Microscopium
209.513
63.821
0.51%
+20 57.88
−36 16.49
SQ4
67
Aps
Apus
206.327
62.851
0.50%
+16 08.65
−75 18.00
SQ3
68
Lac
Lacerta
200.688
61.133
0.49%
+22 27.68
+46 02.51
NQ4
69
Del
Delphinus
188.549
57.435
0.46%
+20 41.61
+11 40.26
NQ4
70
Crv
Corvus
183.801
55.989
0.45%
+12 26.52
−18 26.20
SQ3
71
CMi
Canis Minor
183.367
55.857
0.44%
+07 39.17
+06 25.63
NQ2
72
Dor
Dorado
179.173
54.579
0.43%
+05 14.51
−59 23.22
SQ1
73
CrB
Corona Borealis
178.710
54.438
0.43%
+15 50.59
+32 37.49
NQ3
74
Nor
Norma
165.290
50.350
0.40%
+15 54.18
−51 21.09
SQ3
75
Men
Mensa
153.484
46.754
0.37%
+05 24.90
−77 30.24
SQ1
76
Vol
Volans
141.354
43.059
0.34%
+07 47.73
−69 48.07
SQ2
77
Mus
Musca
138.355
42.145
0.34%
+12 35.28
−70 09.66
SQ3
78
Tri
Triangulum
131.847
40.163
0.32%
+02 11.07
+31 28.56
NQ1
79
Cha
Chamaeleon
131.592
40.085
0.32%
+10 41.53
−79 12.30
SQ2
80
CrA
Corona Australis
127.696
38.898
0.31%
+18 38.79
−41 08.85
SQ4
81
Cae
Caelum
124.865
38.036
0.30%
+04 42.27
−37 52.90
SQ1
82
Ret
Reticulum
113.936
34.707
0.28%
+03 55.27
−59 59.85
SQ1
83
TrA
Triangulum Australe
109.978
33.501
0.27%
+16 04.95
−65 23.28
SQ3
84
Sct
Scutum
109.114
33.238
0.26%
+18 40.39
−09 53.32
SQ4
85
Cir
Circinus
93.353
28.437
0.23%
+14 34.54
−63 01.82
SQ3
86
Sge
Sagitta
79.932
24.349
0.19%
+19 39.05
+18 51.68
NQ4
87
Equ
Equuleus
71.641
21.823
0.17%
+21 11.26
+07 45.49
NQ4
88
Cru
Crux
68.447
20.850
0.17%
+12 26.99
−60 11.19
SQ3
Notes
^ The total solid angle of all constellations is the total solid angle of the sky, which is exactly 4π steradians , or 4π × (180/π)2 = 129,600/π square degrees, or approximately 41,252.961 square degrees. The figures in the table do not sum precisely to this number due to rounding errors, which vanish when the areas are rounded instead to one decimal place.
^ Average of the most eastward and most westward RA.
^ Average of the most northern and most southern declination.
^ "Quad" designates the quadrant of the sky as N for North or S for South, Quadrants 1 (0h –6h ), 2 (6h –12h ), 3 (12h –18h ), or 4 (18h –0h ).
^ Serpens is divided into two parts: Serpens Caput ("Serpent's Head"; 428.484 sq. deg.; midpoint: RA: 15 46.49, Dec: +10 58.20), and Serpens Cauda ("Serpent's Tail"; 208.444 sq. deg.; midpoint: RA: 18 07.60, Dec: -04 51.73)
See also
Sources