The matchstick figures which represent the constellations are entirely arbitrary and the diagrams in one star chart hardly ever coincide with those in another. Yet, they are a valuable aide-mémoire for beginners and experienced observers alike. A particularly attractive feature of the Stellarium software is the ease with which constellation diagrams can be altered to the ones one is accustomed to, or to whatever diagrams one finds convenient. The diagrams have no scientific significance and are used solely to make it easier to pinpoint where particular objects are located.
The data from which the software constructs the diagrams is held in the ASCII file Stellarium\data\sky_cultures\western\constellationship.fab. Each definition has the form
<name> is the three letter abbreviation identifying the constellation,
<spaces> is one or more space characters,
<number> is the number of constellation lines in the diagram definition,
<line> is a pair of Hipparcos star numbers separated by a space defining beginning and end point of a line, and
<carret> is a carriage return serving as terminator of the diagram definition.
A brief look at the file will make things much clearer than my long winded explanation possibly can.
A text line beginning with a hash (#) and ending with a carriage return appears to be treated as a comment, at least in my installation. If, however, after substituting the constellationship.fab file, the program does not run properly, remove all text lines beginning with #.
As an example and alternative to the diagrams provided with the program, I offer this substitute constellationship.fab file which reproduces the diagrams of H.A.Rey in his delightful book "The Stars, a new way to see them". Although originally published in 1952, it is, as far as I know, still in print (Houghton Mifflin ISBN: 0-395-08121-1) and if you are involved in education, I urge you to have a look at it.
Recommendations for viewing:
Useful key strokes: c - constellation lines
b - constellation boundaries
v - constellation names
1 (digit 1) - configuration screen
In the configuration screen select the "Rendering" tab and tick "Selected Constellations Only". This will enable you to isolate the selected attributes of a single constellation by clicking on a star which forms part of a constellation diagram. Clicking anywhere else will display the attributes of all constellations, even if you click on a star which lies in the same constellation but does not form part of the constellation diagram.
The feature is especially useful when you want to disentangle complex constellations such as Serpens, the constituent constellations of the Ship asterism, or when lines cross neighbouring constellations. So useful is the facility that one would like to save it as a default. However, in version 0.8.2 this can not yet be done via the configuration screen. The work-around is to go into the config file and set "flag_constellation_isolate_selected =" to "true" as well as "flag_constellation_pick ="
Rey's diagram includes HP88771 and HP88601, which lie well within Ophiuchus. I can see little justification for this and have retained the traditional depiction of nuOph (HP88048) as the eastern hand of the Serpentholder.
Sex 1 51437 49641
Rey has no diagram for this faint constellation. The Stellarium diagram is retained,
This is NOT a constellation. It has been added partly to conform to Rey's diagrams and partly to show the Great Square. It will not show up in isolated views of Pegasus or Andromeda.
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
Stellarium\data\sky_cultures\western\constellationship.fab
----------------------------------------------------------
The matchstick figures which represent the constellations are entirely arbitrary and the diagrams in one star chart hardly ever coincide with those in another. Yet, they are a valuable aide-mémoire for beginners and experienced observers alike. A particularly attractive feature of the Stellarium software is the ease with which constellation diagrams can be altered to the ones one is accustomed to, or to whatever diagrams one finds convenient. The diagrams have no scientific significance and are used solely to make it easier to pinpoint where particular objects are located.
The data from which the software constructs the diagrams is held in the ASCII file Stellarium\data\sky_cultures\western\constellationship.fab. Each definition has the form
<name><spaces><number><spaces><line><spaces><line><spaces>...<line><carret>
where
<name> is the three letter abbreviation identifying the constellation,
<spaces> is one or more space characters,
<number> is the number of constellation lines in the diagram definition,
<line> is a pair of Hipparcos star numbers separated by a space defining beginning and end point of a line, and
<carret> is a carriage return serving as terminator of the diagram definition.
A brief look at the file will make things much clearer than my long winded explanation possibly can.
A text line beginning with a hash (#) and ending with a carriage return appears to be treated as a comment, at least in my installation. If, however, after substituting the constellationship.fab file, the program does not run properly, remove all text lines beginning with #.
As an example and alternative to the diagrams provided with the program, I offer this substitute constellationship.fab file which reproduces the diagrams of H.A.Rey in his delightful book "The Stars, a new way to see them". Although originally published in 1952, it is, as far as I know, still in print (Houghton Mifflin ISBN: 0-395-08121-1) and if you are involved in education, I urge you to have a look at it.
Recommendations for viewing:
Useful key strokes: c - constellation lines
b - constellation boundaries
v - constellation names
1 (digit 1) - configuration screen
In the configuration screen select the "Rendering" tab and tick "Selected Constellations Only". This will enable you to isolate the selected attributes of a single constellation by clicking on a star which forms part of a constellation diagram. Clicking anywhere else will display the attributes of all constellations, even if you click on a star which lies in the same constellation but does not form part of the constellation diagram.
The feature is especially useful when you want to disentangle complex constellations such as Serpens, the constituent constellations of the Ship asterism, or when lines cross neighbouring constellations. So useful is the facility that one would like to save it as a default. However, in version 0.8.2 this can not yet be done via the configuration screen. The work-around is to go into the config file and set "flag_constellation_isolate_selected =" to "true" as well as "flag_constellation_pick ="
Jaap Creutzberg, La Gomera, Nov 2006
The diagram definitions start here:
And 17 0677 3092 3092 3031 3031 3693 3693 4463 3092 2912 2912 116631 116631 113726 116631 116805 116805 116584 2912 5447 3092 5447 9640 7513 7513 5447 5447 4436 4436 3881 3881 5434 5434 7607
Ant 1 51172 48926
Rey has no diagram for this faint constellation. The Stellarium diagram is retained,
Aps 4 72370 80057 80057 81065 81065 81852 81852 80057
Aql 10 98036 97649 97649 97278 97278 96229 96229 95501 95501 97804 99473 97804 95501 93747 93747 93244 95501 93805 93805 93429
Aqr 23 102618 103045 103045 104459 104459 106278 106278 109074 109074 110672 110672 111497 111497 110395 110395 109074 109074 110003 110003 112961 112961 114724 114724 114855 114855 113136 113136 112716 112716 112961 112961 114855 114855 115438 115438 115669 115669 116247 114119 114375 114375 114341 114341 114855 109139 106278
Ara 6 88714 85792 85792 83153 83153 83081 83081 82363 82363 85727 85727 88714
Ari 12 13209 12719 12719 9884 9884 8903 8903 9153 9153 9884 9884 10306 10306 8832 10306 13914 13914 13209 13209 13061 13061 12719 13914 14838
Aur 10 23767 24608 24608 28358 28358 28360 28360 28380 28380 23015 23015 23767 23767 23453 23453 23416 23416 24608 24608 28360
Boo 16 72105 71795 71795 69673 69673 72105 69732 70497 69732 69483 72105 74666 74666 73555 74666 75411 75411 73555 73555 71075 71075 69732 71075 71053 71284 72105 69673 67927 67927 67459 67459 67275
CMa 17 33160 34045 34045 33347 33347 32349 32349 33977 33977 34444 34444 35037 35037 35904 33579 33856 33856 34444 33579 33152 33152 31592 31592 31125 31592 30324 31592 32349 33579 32759 30122 33579 33347 33160
CMi 1 37279 36188
Cae 2 21060 21770 21770 21861
Rey has no diagram for this faint constellation. The Stellarium diagram is retained,
Cam 8 29997 33694 33694 22783 22783 23522 23522 17884 17884 17959 17959 22783 23522 23040 17884 16228
Cap 12 100064 100345 100345 104139 104139 105515 105515 106985 106985 107556 105515 106039 105881 104139 100345 102485 102485 102978 104139 104019 104019 104234 101027 104019
Car 15 45238 50099 50099 52419 52419 51576 51576 52468 52468 53253 54463 53253 53253 51849 51849 51232 51232 50371 50371 45556 45556 41037 41037 38827 38827 39227 45238 30438 30438 30581
Cas 5 9598 8886 8886 6686 6686 4427 4427 3179 3179 746
Cen 31 72010 71865 71865 73334 73334 71352 71352 68245 68245 67464 67464 65936 65936 65109 65109 67153 67153 67786 67153 67669 67153 67457 68002 67472 67472 67464 67464 68933 68933 70090 70090 70300 70300 68862 68862 68245 68245 68282 68282 68523 68523 68002 68002 66657 66657 61932 61932 68002 66657 71683 66657 68702 61932 60823 60823 59449 59449 56561 60823 59196 59196 55425
Cep 12 101093 102422 102422 105199 105199 107259 107259 109857 109857 109492 109492 110991 110991 112724 112724 116727 116727 106032 106032 105199 109492 107418 112724 106032
Cet 14 8102 3419 3419 1562 1562 6537 3419 9347 9347 12387 6537 8497 10826 8645 10826 12387 12387 12706 12706 14135 14135 13954 13954 12828 12828 11484 11484 12706
Cha 5 40702 51839 51839 52633 52633 60000 60000 58484 58484 51839
Cir 2 71908 75323 71908 74824
Cnc 6 43103 42806 42806 40167 40167 40526 42806 42911 42911 40526 42911 44066
Col 8 30277 29807 29807 28199 28199 27628 27628 28328 27628 26634 26634 25859 28328 28199 28199 30277
Com 5 64241 64394 64394 60742 64394 60697 64394 60746 64394 60904
CrA 6 92989 93174 93174 93825 93825 94114 94114 94160 94160 94005 94005 93542
CrB 5 76127 75695 75695 76267 76267 76952 76952 77512 77512 78159
Crt 9 53740 54682 54682 55705 55705 55282 55282 53740 55282 55687 55687 56633 56633 58188 58188 57283 57283 55705
Rey includes the base of the cup (HP53740 and HP54682) in Hydra. I have not folllowed this.
Cru 2 61084 60718 62434 59747
Crv 7 61174 60965 60965 59803 59803 59316 59316 59199 59316 60189 60189 60965 60189 61359
Cvn 1 61317 63125
Cyg 14 104060 102098 104887 105102 105102 103413 104732 103413 103413 102098 102098 99785 99785 95853 95853 97165 97165 100453 100453 102098 100453 102488 102488 104732 100453 98110 98110 95947
Del 9 101421 101916 101597 101483 101483 101769 101769 101958 101958 102532 102532 102281 102281 101882 101882 101800 101800 101916
Dor 7 26069 23693 23693 21281 27100 27890 27890 26069 26069 27100 26069 21281 21281 19893
Dra 15 87585 87833 87833 85670 85670 85829 85829 87585 87585 94376 94376 89908 89908 83895 83895 80331 80331 78527 78527 75458 75458 68756 68756 61281 61281 56211 94376 97433 89908 89937
Equ 2 104521 104858 104858 104987
Eri 24 7588 9007 9007 10602 10602 11407 11407 12486 12486 13847 13847 15510 15510 17874 17874 20042 20042 20535 20535 21393 21393 17651 17651 16611 16611 15474 15474 14146 14146 13701 13701 16537 16537 17378 17378 18543 18543 19849 19849 19587 19587 21444 21444 22109 22109 23875 23875 21594
For 1 13147 14879
Rey has no diagram for this faint constellation. The Stellarium diagram is retained,
Gem 17 31681 34088 34088 35550 35550 35350 35350 32362 35550 36962 36962 37740 36962 37826 36962 36046 36046 34693 34693 36366 36366 36850 34693 33018 34693 32246 32246 30883 32246 30343 30343 29655 29655 28734
Gru 9 114131 110997 110997 109268 109268 112122 112122 114421 114421 114131 112122 113638 112122 112623 109268 109111 109111 108085
Her 25 86414 79992 79992 79101 79101 81126 81126 86414 86414 87808 87808 85112 85112 84380 84380 81833 81833 81693 81693 83207 83207 84380 84380 87933 87933 88794 88794 86974 86974 83207 83207 80816 80816 80170 88794 88267 88267 88886 88886 90139 90139 92043 92043 92161 86974 85693 85693 84379 84379 84345
Hor 2 19747 12484 12484 14240
Rey has no diagram for this faint constellation. The Stellarium diagram is retained,
Hya 15 42799 42402 42402 42313 42313 43109 43813 42799 43109 43813 43813 45336 45336 47431 47431 46390 46390 49841 49841 51069 51069 52943 52943 56343 56343 57936 57936 64962 64962 68895
Hyi 5 2021 17678 17678 12394 12394 11001 11001 8928 8928 9236
Ind 5 101772 102333 102333 103227 103227 108431 108431 108870 108870 103227
LMi 5 53229 51233 51233 49593 49593 46952 49593 51056 51056 53229
Lac 10 109937 109754 109754 111104 111104 111944 111944 111022 111022 110609 110609 110538 110538 111169 111169 111022 111022 110351 110351 111104
Leo 18 57632 54872 54872 53954 53954 50583 50583 50335 50335 48455 48455 46146 46146 46750 46750 47908 47908 49583 49583 54879 54879 55642 55642 55434 54872 54879 54879 51624 50583 49583 49583 49669 50583 47508 48455 47908 48455 47908
Lep 12 27654 28816 28816 28103 28103 27288 27288 25985 25985 24305 27654 27072 27072 25606 25606 23685 25985 25606 24305 24845 24305 24327 23685 24305
Lib 6 76333 74785 76333 72622 74785 72622 72622 73714 76333 76470 76470 76600
Lup 23 74395 74376 74376 73807 73807 71536 71536 71860 71860 72683 72683 73273 73273 75177 75177 75304 75304 75501 75501 75141 75141 74117 74117 74911 74911 75264 71536 71121 71860 69996 71860 70576 75177 77634 77634 78918 75177 78384 75501 76297 76297 76552 76552 76829 74117 73807
Lyn 6 45860 45688 45688 44248 44248 41075 41075 36145 36145 33449 33449 30060
Lyr 10 91971 92420 92420 89826 89826 91262 91262 91919 91919 92862 92862 94481 94481 94713 94713 93194 93194 92791 92420 93194
Men 1 25918 21949
Rey has no diagram for this faint constellation. The Stellarium diagram is retained,
Mic 2 105140 103738 103738 102831
Mon 10 31978 31216 31216 32578 32578 34769 34769 39211 39211 39863 39211 37447 34724 30867 30867 29651 32578 30419 30419 31216
Mus 6 62322 61585 61585 61199 61199 63613 63613 61585 61585 59929 59929 57363
Nor 4 80000 80582 80582 78914 78914 78639 78639 80000
Oct 3 107089 112405 112405 70638 70638 107089
Oph 20 85442 84405 84405 84970 84970 85340 85340 84893 84893 84012 84012 85365 85365 86742 86742 86032 86032 83000 83000 80894 80894 80569 80569 80343 80343 80975 80628 79882 79781 80883 80883 82810 83000 86742 86742 87108 87108 88048 81377 84012
Ori 21 27366 26727 26727 27989 27989 28614 28614 29239 29426 28716 28716 27913 27913 29038 29038 29426 24436 25281 25281 25930 25930 25336 25336 25813 25813 27989 23123 22797 22797 22549 22549 22449 22449 22509 22509 22833 22833 22957 22449 25336 25813 26207
Pav 13 100751 105858 105858 102395 102395 99240 99240 100751 99240 98495 98495 91792 91792 93015 93015 99240 93015 92609 92609 90098 90098 88866 88866 92609 88866 86929
Peg 18 114520 113963 113963 113881 113881 1067 1067 113963 113963 112440 112440 109176 109176 112447 112447 113963 113963 114144 109427 112029 112029 112447 107315 112029 107348 109176 105502 107354 107354 109176 109352 112158 112158 112748 112748 112440
Per 25 19167 20070 20070 19812 19812 19343 19343 17358 17358 16826 16826 15863 15863 14328 14328 13268 13268 13531 13531 14632 14632 14668 14668 14576 14576 18532 18532 17529 17529 16335 16335 15863 15863 14632 14632 12777 12777 8068 13531 14328 17448 18246 18246 18614 18614 18532 14576 14354 14354 13254
Phe 12 2072 2081 2081 765 765 2072 2072 3245 3245 5348 5348 5165 5165 3245 3245 6867 6867 5165 5165 7083 7083 8837 8837 5165
Pic 3 32607 27530 27530 27321 27321 32607
PsA 9 109285 107380 107380 107608 107608 109285 109285 111188 111188 112948 112948 113246 113246 113368 113368 111954 111954 109285
Psc 20 5586 5742 5586 6315 6315 5742 5742 6706 6706 7097 7097 8198 8198 9487 9487 7884 7884 7007 7007 5737 5737 4906 4906 3786 3786 118268 118268 116771 116771 116928 116928 115738 115738 114971 114971 115227 115227 115830 115830 116771
Pup 13 39757 38170 38170 37173 37173 37229 37229 36917 36917 35264 35264 31685 31685 30581 39429 39757 39429 39687 36917 37677 37677 38070 38070 38170 39429 41034
Pyx 3 41034 42515 42515 42828 42828 43409
Ret 4 19780 19921 19921 18597 18597 17440 17440 19780
Scl 3 116231 4577 4577 115102 115102 116231
Sco 19 87261 85927 85927 85696 85696 86170 86170 86670 86670 87073 87073 86228 86228 84143 84143 82671 82671 82514 82514 82396 82396 81266 81266 80763 80763 80112 78401 78820 78820 79374 79374 80112 80112 79404 79404 78104 78104 78265
Sct 4 92175 91726 91726 90595 90595 91117 91117 92175
Ser 15 79585 77516 77516 77622 77622 77070 77070 77257 77257 76276 76276 77233 77233 78072 78072 77450 77450 76852 76852 77233 89962 88048 88048 86565 86565 86263 86263 84880 92946 89962
Rey's diagram includes HP88771 and HP88601, which lie well within Ophiuchus. I can see little justification for this and have retained the traditional depiction of nuOph (HP88048) as the eastern hand of the Serpentholder.
Sex 1 51437 49641
Rey has no diagram for this faint constellation. The Stellarium diagram is retained,
Sge 3 96837 97365 97365 96757 97365 98337
Sgr 22 88635 89341 89341 90496 90496 89931 89931 90185 90185 89642 89642 88635 88635 89931 89931 92041 92041 92855 92855 93864 93864 98412 98412 98032 95176 95168 95168 94141 94141 92855 92855 93085 93085 94141 95241 95347 95347 93506 93506 92041 93506 93864 95347 98412
Tau 20 16852 15900 15900 16083 16083 18724 18724 20205 20205 20894 20894 21421 21421 26451 26451 21881 21881 20711 20711 20889 20889 20648 20648 20455 20455 20205 20205 21589 21589 21402 19860 20205 18907 16083 16083 16369 17702 20711 25428 21881
Tel 1 90568 90422
Tra 3 82273 74946 74946 77952 77952 82273
Tri 3 10670 10064 10064 8796 8796 10670
Tuc 5 110130 114996 114996 118322 118322 1599 1599 2484 2484 114996
UMa 19 50372 46853 46853 48319 48319 46733 46733 41704 41704 44127 44471 50372 50372 50801 50801 55219 55219 54539 54539 57399 57399 67301 67301 65378 65378 62956 62956 59774 59774 58001 58001 53910 53910 54061 54061 46733 54061 59774
UMi 7 11767 85822 85822 82080 82080 77055 77055 79822 79822 75097 75097 72607 72607 77055
Vel 11 39953 42913 42913 45941 45941 48774 48774 52727 52727 51986 51986 50191 50191 46651 46651 44816 44816 39953 39953 39687 39953 39227
Vir 17 61941 60129 60129 57757 57757 57380 57380 58948 58948 61941 61941 64238 64238 65474 65474 69427 69427 69701 69701 71957 65474 66249 66249 68520 68520 72220 66249 63090 63090 63608 63090 61941 69701 68520
Vol 8 37504 34481 34481 39794 39794 37504 39794 35228 39794 41312 41312 44382 44382 39794 39794 40834
Vul 1 95771 97886
GSq 2 113881 677 677 1067
This is NOT a constellation. It has been added partly to conform to Rey's diagrams and partly to show the Great Square. It will not show up in isolated views of Pegasus or Andromeda.
I bought Rey's book 30 years ago as a boy. Thanks for the code to draw the constellation lines as I know them. It work brilliantly