List of constellations by area

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Hydra is the largest constellation.
Hydra is the largest constellation.

Here is a list of the 88 modern constellations by their area in the sky, measured in square degrees.

These areas are determined by 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, the precise boundaries of each constellation were only vaguely defined.

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 (eg, for epoch J2000) are already somewhat skewed and no longer perfectly vertical or horizontal. This skew will increase over the years and centuries to come. However, this does not change the area of any constellation.

Rank Family [1] Abbr Constellation Area (sq. deg.) [2] Percentage RA: [3] h m DEC: d m Quad [4]
01 Her HYA Hydra 1302.844 3.16% 11 36.73 -14 31.91 SQ2
02 Zod VIR Virgo 1294.428 3.14% 13 24.39 -04 09.51 SQ3
03 Urs UMA Ursa Major 1279.660 3.10% 11 18.76 +50 43.27 NQ2
04 Per CET Cetus 1231.411 2.99% 01 40.10 -07 10.76 SQ1
05 Her HER Hercules 1225.148 2.97% 17 23.16 +27 29.93 NQ3
06 Wat ERI Eridanus 1137.919 2.76% 03 18.02 -28 45.37 SQ1
07 Per PEG Pegasus 1120.794 2.72% 22 41.84 +19 27.98 NQ4
08 Urs DRA Draco 1082.952 2.63% 15 08.64 +67 00.40 NQ3
09 Her CEN Centaurus 1060.422 2.57% 13 04.27 -47 20.72 SQ3
10 Zod AQR Aquarius 0979.854 2.38% 22 17.38 -10 47.35 SQ4
11 Her OPH Ophiuchus 0948.340 2.30% 17 23.69 -07 54.74 SQ3
12 Zod LEO Leo 0946.964 2.30% 10 40.03 +13 08.32 NQ2
13 Urs BOO Boötes 0906.831 2.20% 14 42.64 +31 12.16 NQ3
14 Zod PSC Pisces 0889.417 2.16% 00 28.97 +13 41.23 NQ1
15 Zod SGR Sagittarius 0867.432 2.10% 19 05.94 -28 28.61 SQ4
16 Her CYG Cygnus 0803.983 1.95% 20 35.28 +44 32.70 NQ4
17 Zod TAU Taurus 0797.249 1.93% 04 42.13 +14 52.63 NQ1
18 Urs CAM Camelopardalis 0756.828 1.83% 08 51.37 +69 22.89 NQ2
19 Per AND Andromeda 0722.278 1.75% 00 48.46 +37 25.91 NQ1
20 Wat PUP Puppis 0673.434 1.63% 07 15.48 -31 10.64 SQ2
21 Per AUR Auriga 0657.438 1.59% 06 04.42 +42 01.68 NQ2
22 Her AQL Aquila 0652.473 1.58% 19 40.02 +03 24.65 NQ4
23 Her SER Serpens [5] 0636.928 1.54% 16 57.04 +06 07.32 NQ3
24 Per PER Perseus 0614.997 1.49% 03 10.50 +45 00.79 NQ1
25 Per CAS Cassiopeia 0598.407 1.45% 01 19.16 +62 11.04 NQ1
26 Ori ORI Orion 0594.120 1.44% 05 34.59 +05 56.94 NQ1
27 Per CEP Cepheus 0587.787 1.42% 22 +71 00.51 NQ4
28 Urs LYN Lynx 0545.386 1.32% 07 59.53 +47 28.00 NQ2
29 Zod LIB Libra 0538.052 1.30% 15 11.96 -15 14.08 SQ3
30 Zod GEM Gemini 0513.761 1.25% 07 04.24 +22 36.01 NQ2
31 Zod CNC Cancer 0505.872 1.23% 08 38.96 +19 48.35 NQ2
32 Wat VEL Vela 0499.649 1.21% 09 34.64 -47 10.03 SQ2
33 Zod SCO Scorpius 0496.783 1.20% 16 53.24 -27 01.89 SQ3
34 Wat CAR Carina 0494.184 1.20% 08 41.70 -63 13.16 SQ2
35 Ori MON Monoceros 0481.569 1.17% 07 03.63 +00 16.93 NQ2
36 Lac SCL Sculptor 0474.764 1.15% 00 26.28 -32 05.30 SQ1
37 Bay PHE Phoenix 0469.319 1.14% 00 55.91 -48 34.84 SQ1
38 Urs CVN Canes Venatici 0465.194 1.13% 13 06.96 +40 06.11 NQ3
39 Zod ARI Aries 0441.395 1.07% 02 38.16 +20 47.54 NQ1
40 Zod CAP Capricornus 0413.947 1.00% 21 02.93 -18 01.39 SQ4
41 Lac FOR Fornax 0397.502 0.96% 02 47.88 -31 38.07 SQ1
42 Urs COM Coma Berenices 0386.475 0.94% 12 47.27 +23 18.34 NQ3
43 Ori CMA Canis Major 0380.118 0.92% 06 49.74 -22 08.42 SQ2
44 Bay PAV Pavo 0377.666 0.92% 19 36.71 -65 46.89 SQ4
45 Bay GRU Grus 0365.513 0.89% 22 27.39 -46 21.11 SQ4
46 Her LUP Lupus 0333.683 0.81% 15 13.21 -42 42.53 SQ3
47 Her SEX Sextans 0313.515 0.76% 10 16.29 -02 36.88 SQ2
48 Bay TUC Tucana 0294.557 0.71% 23 46.64 -65 49.80 SQ4
49 Bay IND Indus 0294.006 0.71% 21 58.33 -59 42.40 SQ4
50 Lac OCT Octans 0291.045 0.71% 23 00.00 -82 09.12 SQ4
51 Ori LEP Lepus 0290.291 0.70% 05 33.95 -19 02.78 SQ1
52 Her LYR Lyra 0286.476 0.69% 18 51.17 +36 41.36 NQ4
53 Her CRT Crater 0282.398 0.68% 11 23.75 -15 55.74 SQ2
54 Wat COL Columba 0270.184 0.65% 05 51.76 -35 05.67 SQ1
55 Her VUL Vulpecula 0268.165 0.65% 20 13.88 +24 26.56 NQ4
56 Urs UMI Ursa Minor 0255.864 0.62% 15 00.00 +77 41.99 NQ3
57 Lac TEL Telescopium 0251.512 0.61% 19 19.54 -51 02.21 SQ4
58 Lac HOR Horologium 0248.885 0.60% 03 16.56 -53 20.18 SQ1
59 Lac PIC Pictor 0246.739 0.60% 05 42.46 -53 28.45 SQ1
60 Wat PSA Piscis Austrinus 0245.375 0.59% 22 17.07 -30 38.53 SQ4
61 Bay HYI Hydrus 0243.035 0.59% 02 20.65 -69 57.39 SQ1
62 Lac ANT Antlia 0238.901 0.58% 10 16.43 -32 29.01 SQ2
63 Her ARA Ara 0237.057 0.57% 17 22.49 -56 35.30 SQ3
64 Urs LMI Leo Minor 0231.956 0.56% 10 14.72 +32 08.08 NQ2
65 Wat PYX Pyxis 0220.833 0.54% 08 57.16 -27 21.10 SQ2
66 Lac MIC Microscopium 0209.513 0.51% 20 57.88 -36 16.49 SQ4
67 Bay APS Apus 0206.327 0.50% 16 08.65 -75 18.00 SQ3
68 Per LAC Lacerta 0200.688 0.49% 22 27.68 +46 02.51 NQ4
69 Wat DEL Delphinus 0188.549 0.46% 20 41.61 +11 40.26 NQ4
70 Her CRV Corvus 0183.801 0.45% 12 26.52 -18 26.20 SQ3
71 Ori CMI Canis Minor 0183.367 0.44% 07 39.17 +06 25.63 NQ2
72 Bay DOR Dorado 0179.173 0.43% 05 14.51 -59 23.22 SQ1
73 Urs CRB Corona Borealis 0178.710 0.43% 15 50.59 +32 37.49 NQ3
74 Lac NOR Norma 0165.290 0.40% 15 54.18 -51 21.09 SQ3
75 Lac MEN Mensa 0153.484 0.37% 05 24.90 -77 30.24 SQ1
76 Bay VOL Volans 0141.354 0.34% 07 47.73 -69 48.07 SQ2
77 Bay MUS Musca 0138.355 0.34% 12 35.28 -70 09.66 SQ3
78 Per TRI Triangulum 0131.847 0.32% 02 11.07 +31 28.56 NQ1
79 Bay CHA Chamaeleon 0131.592 0.32% 10 41.53 -79 12.30 SQ2
80 Her CRA Corona Australis 0127.696 0.31% 18 38.79 -41 08.85 SQ4
81 Lac CAE Caelum 0124.865 0.30% 04 42.27 -37 52.90 SQ1
82 Lac RET Reticulum 0113.936 0.28% 03 55.27 -59 59.85 SQ1
83 Her TRA Triangulum Australe 0109.978 0.27% 16 04.95 -65 23.28 SQ3
84 Her SCT Scutum 0109.114 0.26% 18 40.39 -09 53.32 SQ4
85 Lac CIR Circinus 0093.353 0.23% 14 34.54 -63 01.82 SQ3
86 Her SGE Sagitta 0079.932 0.19% 19 39.05 +18 51.68 NQ4
87 Wat EQU Equuleus 0071.641 0.17% 21 11.26 +07 45.49 NQ4
88 Her CRU Crux 0068.447 0.17% 12 26.99 -60 11.19 SQ3
Notes
  1. ^ 'Family' abbreviations correspond to Constellation Family Abbreviations: Per=Perseus, Urs=Ursa Major, Her=Hercules, Zod=Zodiacal, Ori=Orion, Wat=Heavenly waters, Bay=J. Bayer, Lac=La Caille (see List of constellations).
  2. ^ The total area of all constellations is the total area of the sky, which is 4π steradians, or 4π × (180/π)2 square degrees, or approximately 41252.961 square degrees.
  3. ^ Right Ascension & Declination of the midpoints of the constellations.
  4. ^ 'Quad' designates the quadrant of the sky as N for North or S for South, Quadrant 1 through 4.
  5. ^ Serpens is divided into two parts:
    Serpens Caput (428.48 sq. deg.; midpoint: RA: 15 46.49, Dec: +10 58.20), and
    Serpens Cauda (208.44 sq. deg.; midpoint: RA: 18 07.60, Dec: -04 51.73)

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