Do the star-patterns of all constellations resemble the figures they are named for?
No. The fixed stars can be named and grouped into recognizable clusters or constellations. These constellation patterns are arbitrarily imposed upon the stars in honor of particular characters or stories, not because the pattern resembles the character in form. 88 constellations are officially recognized today, and many of these are of ancient origin; others, especially in the southern hemisphere, date from more recent times. As explained in Starstruck Tonight: Only the most imaginative can see a bear in the area of the Big Dipper. His nose is located…here. There are many star-patterns that look like dippers, triangles, or squares in the sky. There are very few that actually resemble bears or people. Yet constellations were named to honor particular figures in ancient stories, not because the star pattern actually looked like the figure being honored. It took imagination to invent them a long time ago, and it takes imagination to see them now. The “handles” of the dippers represent t
