List of constellations by area

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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 (e.g., 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 979.854 2.38% 22 17.38 −10 47.35 SQ4
11 Her Oph Ophiuchus 948.340 2.30% 17 23.69 −07 54.74 SQ3
12 Zod Leo Leo 946.964 2.30% 10 40.03 +13 08.32 NQ2
13 Urs Boo Boötes 906.831 2.20% 14 42.64 +31 12.16 NQ3
14 Zod Psc Pisces 889.417 2.16% 00 28.97 +13 41.23 NQ1
15 Zod Sgr Sagittarius 867.432 2.10% 19 05.94 −28 28.61 SQ4
16 Her Cyg Cygnus 803.983 1.95% 20 35.28 +44 32.70 NQ4
17 Zod Tau Taurus 797.249 1.93% 04 42.13 +14 52.63 NQ1
18 Urs Cam Camelopardalis 756.828 1.83% 08 51.37 +69 22.89 NQ2
19 Per And Andromeda 722.278 1.75% 00 48.46 +37 25.91 NQ1
20 Wat Pup Puppis 673.434 1.63% 07 15.48 −31 10.64 SQ2
21 Per Aur Auriga 657.438 1.59% 06 04.42 +42 01.68 NQ2
22 Her Aql Aquila 652.473 1.58% 19 40.02 +03 24.65 NQ4
23 Her Ser Serpens [5] 636.928 1.54% 16 57.04 +06 07.32 NQ3
24 Per Per Perseus 614.997 1.49% 03 10.50 +45 00.79 NQ1
25 Per Cas Cassiopeia 598.407 1.45% 01 19.16 +62 11.04 NQ1
26 Ori Ori Orion 594.120 1.44% 05 34.59 +05 56.94 NQ1
27 Per Cep Cepheus 587.787 1.42% 02 32.64 +71 00.51 NQ4
28 Urs Lyn Lynx 545.386 1.32% 07 59.53 +47 28.00 NQ2
29 Zod Lib Libra 538.052 1.30% 15 11.96 −15 14.08 SQ3
30 Zod Gem Gemini 513.761 1.25% 07 04.24 +22 36.01 NQ2
31 Zod Cnc Cancer 505.872 1.23% 08 38.96 +19 48.35 NQ2
32 Wat Vel Vela 499.649 1.21% 09 34.64 −47 10.03 SQ2
33 Zod Sco Scorpius 496.783 1.20% 16 53.24 −27 01.89 SQ3
34 Wat Car Carina 494.184 1.20% 08 41.70 −63 13.16 SQ2
35 Ori Mon Monoceros 481.569 1.17% 07 03.63 +00 16.93 NQ2
36 Lac Scl Sculptor 474.764 1.15% 00 26.28 −32 05.30 SQ1
37 Bay Phe Phoenix 469.319 1.14% 00 55.91 −48 34.84 SQ1
38 Urs CVn Canes Venatici 465.194 1.13% 13 06.96 +40 06.11 NQ3
39 Zod Ari Aries 441.395 1.07% 02 38.16 +20 47.54 NQ1
40 Zod Cap Capricornus 413.947 1.00% 21 02.93 −18 01.39 SQ4
41 Lac For Fornax 397.502 0.96% 02 47.88 −31 38.07 SQ1
42 Urs Com Coma Berenices 386.475 0.94% 12 47.27 +23 18.34 NQ3
43 Ori CMa Canis Major 380.118 0.92% 06 49.74 −22 08.42 SQ2
44 Bay Pav Pavo 377.666 0.92% 19 36.71 −65 46.89 SQ4
45 Bay Gru Grus 365.513 0.89% 22 27.39 −46 21.11 SQ4
46 Her Lup Lupus 333.683 0.81% 15 13.21 −42 42.53 SQ3
47 Her Sex Sextans 313.515 0.76% 10 16.29 −02 36.88 SQ2
48 Bay Tuc Tucana 294.557 0.71% 23 46.64 −65 49.80 SQ4
49 Bay Ind Indus 294.006 0.71% 21 58.33 −59 42.40 SQ4
50 Lac Oct Octans 291.045 0.71% 23 00.00 −82 09.12 SQ4
51 Ori Lep Lepus 290.291 0.70% 05 33.95 −19 02.78 SQ1
52 Her Lyr Lyra 286.476 0.69% 18 51.17 +36 41.36 NQ4
53 Her Crt Crater 282.398 0.68% 11 23.75 −15 55.74 SQ2
54 Wat Col Columba 270.184 0.65% 05 51.76 −35 05.67 SQ1
55 Her Vul Vulpecula 268.165 0.65% 20 13.88 +24 26.56 NQ4
56 Urs UMi Ursa Minor 255.864 0.62% 15 00.00 +77 41.99 NQ3
57 Lac Tel Telescopium 251.512 0.61% 19 19.54 −51 02.21 SQ4
58 Lac Hor Horologium 248.885 0.60% 03 16.56 −53 20.18 SQ1
59 Lac Pic Pictor 246.739 0.60% 05 42.46 −53 28.45 SQ1
60 Wat PsA Piscis Austrinus 245.375 0.59% 22 17.07 −30 38.53 SQ4
61 Bay Hyi Hydrus 243.035 0.59% 02 20.65 −69 57.39 SQ1
62 Lac Ant Antlia 238.901 0.58% 10 16.43 −32 29.01 SQ2
63 Her Ara Ara 237.057 0.57% 17 22.49 −56 35.30 SQ3
64 Urs LMi Leo Minor 231.956 0.56% 10 14.72 +32 08.08 NQ2
65 Wat Pyx Pyxis 220.833 0.54% 08 57.16 −27 21.10 SQ2
66 Lac Mic Microscopium 209.513 0.51% 20 57.88 −36 16.49 SQ4
67 Bay Aps Apus 206.327 0.50% 16 08.65 −75 18.00 SQ3
68 Per Lac Lacerta 200.688 0.49% 22 27.68 +46 02.51 NQ4
69 Wat Del Delphinus 188.549 0.46% 20 41.61 +11 40.26 NQ4
70 Her Crv Corvus 183.801 0.45% 12 26.52 −18 26.20 SQ3
71 Ori CMi Canis Minor 183.367 0.44% 07 39.17 +06 25.63 NQ2
72 Bay Dor Dorado 179.173 0.43% 05 14.51 −59 23.22 SQ1
73 Urs CrB Corona Borealis 178.710 0.43% 15 50.59 +32 37.49 NQ3
74 Lac Nor Norma 165.290 0.40% 15 54.18 −51 21.09 SQ3
75 Lac Men Mensa 153.484 0.37% 05 24.90 −77 30.24 SQ1
76 Bay Vol Volans 141.354 0.34% 07 47.73 −69 48.07 SQ2
77 Bay Mus Musca 138.355 0.34% 12 35.28 −70 09.66 SQ3
78 Per Tri Triangulum 131.847 0.32% 02 11.07 +31 28.56 NQ1
79 Bay Cha Chamaeleon 131.592 0.32% 10 41.53 −79 12.30 SQ2
80 Her CrA Corona Australis 127.696 0.31% 18 38.79 −41 08.85 SQ4
81 Lac Cae Caelum 124.865 0.30% 04 42.27 −37 52.90 SQ1
82 Lac Ret Reticulum 113.936 0.28% 03 55.27 −59 59.85 SQ1
83 Her TrA Triangulum Australe 109.978 0.27% 16 04.95 −65 23.28 SQ3
84 Her Sct Scutum 109.114 0.26% 18 40.39 −09 53.32 SQ4
85 Lac Cir Circinus 93.353 0.23% 14 34.54 −63 01.82 SQ3
86 Her Sge Sagitta 79.932 0.19% 19 39.05 +18 51.68 NQ4
87 Wat Equ Equuleus 71.641 0.17% 21 11.26 +07 45.49 NQ4
88 Her Cru Crux 68.447 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 exactly 4π steradians, or 4π × (180/π)2 = 129,600/π square degrees, or approximately 41,252.961 square degrees. The individual areas do not sum to this number due to rounding errors, which vanish when the areas are rounded instead to one decimal place.
  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 ("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)

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