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.

RankAbbrev.ConstellationSolid angle("Area")(sq. deg.) 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.Solid angle(millisteradians)Per­cent­ageRight ascension(hours & mins) Average of the most eastward and most westward RA.Decli­nation(degs & mins) Average of the most northern and most southern declination.Quad "Quad" designates the quadrant of the sky as N for North or S for South, Quadrants 1 (–), 2 (–), 3 (–), or 4 (–).01HyaHydra 1302.844396.8693.16%+11 36.73−14 31.91SQ202VirVirgo 1294.428394.3053.14%+13 24.39−04 09.51SQ303UMaUrsa Major 1279.660389.8073.10%+11 18.76+50 43.27NQ204CetCetus 1231.411375.1092.99%+01 40.10−07 10.76SQ105HerHercules 1225.148373.2012.97%+17 23.16+27 29.93NQ306EriEridanus 1137.919346.6302.76%+03 18.02−28 45.37SQ107PegPegasus 1120.794341.4132.72%+22 41.84+19 27.98NQ408DraDraco 1082.952329.8862.63%+15 08.64+67 00.40NQ309CenCentaurus 1060.422323.0232.57%+13 04.27−47 20.72SQ310AqrAquarius 979.854298.4812.38%+22 17.38−10 47.35SQ411OphOphiuchus 948.340288.8812.30%+17 23.69−07 54.74SQ312LeoLeo 946.964288.4622.30%+10 40.03+13 08.32NQ213BooBoötes 906.831276.2372.20%+14 42.64+31 12.16NQ314PscPisces 889.417270.9322.16%+00 28.97+13 41.23NQ115SgrSagittarius 867.432264.2352.10%+19 05.94−28 28.61SQ416CygCygnus 803.983244.9071.95%+20 35.28+44 32.70NQ417TauTaurus 797.249242.8561.93%+04 42.13+14 52.63NQ118CamCamelopardalis 756.828230.5431.83%+08 51.37+69 22.89NQ219AndAndromeda 722.278220.0181.75%+00 48.46+37 25.91NQ120PupPuppis 673.434205.1401.63%+07 15.48−31 10.64SQ221AurAuriga 657.438200.2671.59%+06 04.42+42 01.68NQ222AqlAquila 652.473198.7551.58%+19 40.02+03 24.65NQ423SerSerpensSerpens 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) 636.928194.0191.54%+16 57.04+06 07.32NQ324PerPerseus 614.997187.3391.49%+03 10.50+45 00.79NQ125CasCassiopeia 598.407182.2851.45%+01 19.16+62 11.04NQ126OriOrion 594.120180.9791.44%+05 34.59+05 56.94NQ127CepCepheus 587.787179.0501.42%+02 32.64+71 00.51NQ428LynLynx 545.386166.1341.32%+07 59.53+47 28.00NQ229LibLibra 538.052163.9001.30%+15 11.96−15 14.08SQ330GemGemini 513.761156.5011.25%+07 04.24+22 36.01NQ231CncCancer 505.872154.0971.23%+08 38.96+19 48.35NQ232VelVela 499.649152.2021.21%+09 34.64−47 10.03SQ233ScoScorpius 496.783151.3291.20%+16 53.24−27 01.89SQ334CarCarina 494.184150.5371.20%+08 41.70−63 13.16SQ235MonMonoceros 481.569146.6941.17%+07 03.63+00 16.93NQ236SclSculptor 474.764144.6211.15%+00 26.28−32 05.30SQ137PhePhoenix 469.319142.9631.14%+00 55.91−48 34.84SQ138CVnCanes Venatici 465.194141.7061.13%+13 06.96+40 06.11NQ339AriAries 441.395134.4571.07%+02 38.16+20 47.54NQ140CapCapricornus 413.947126.0951.00%+21 02.93−18 01.39SQ441ForFornax 397.502121.0860.96%+02 47.88−31 38.07SQ142ComComa Berenices 386.475117.7270.94%+12 47.27+23 18.34NQ343CMaCanis Major 380.118115.7910.92%+06 49.74−22 08.42SQ244PavPavo 377.666115.0440.92%+19 36.71−65 46.89SQ445GruGrus 365.513111.3420.89%+22 27.39−46 21.11SQ446LupLupus 333.683101.6460.81%+15 13.21−42 42.53SQ347SexSextans 313.515 95.5020.76%+10 16.29−02 36.88SQ248TucTucana 294.557 89.7270.71%+23 46.64−65 49.80SQ449IndIndus 294.006 89.5590.71%+21 58.33−59 42.40SQ450OctOctans 291.045 88.6570.71%+23 00.00−82 09.12SQ451LepLepus 290.291 88.4280.70%+05 33.95−19 02.78SQ152LyrLyra 286.476 87.2660.69%+18 51.17+36 41.36NQ453CrtCrater 282.398 86.0230.68%+11 23.75−15 55.74SQ254ColColumba 270.184 82.3030.65%+05 51.76−35 05.67SQ155VulVulpecula 268.165 81.6880.65%+20 13.88+24 26.56NQ456UMiUrsa Minor 255.864 77.9410.62%+15 00.00+77 41.99NQ357TelTelescopium 251.512 76.6150.61%+19 19.54−51 02.21SQ458HorHorologium 248.885 75.8150.60%+03 16.56−53 20.18SQ159PicPictor 246.739 75.1610.60%+05 42.46−53 28.45SQ160PsAPiscis Austrinus 245.375 74.7450.59%+22 17.07−30 38.53SQ461HyiHydrus 243.035 74.0330.59%+02 20.65−69 57.39SQ162AntAntlia 238.901 72.7730.58%+10 16.43−32 29.01SQ263AraAra 237.057 72.2120.57%+17 22.49−56 35.30SQ364LMiLeo Minor 231.956 70.6580.56%+10 14.72+32 08.08NQ265PyxPyxis 220.833 67.2700.54%+08 57.16−27 21.10SQ266MicMicroscopium 209.513 63.8210.51%+20 57.88−36 16.49SQ467ApsApus 206.327 62.8510.50%+16 08.65−75 18.00SQ368LacLacerta 200.688 61.1330.49%+22 27.68+46 02.51NQ469DelDelphinus 188.549 57.4350.46%+20 41.61+11 40.26NQ470CrvCorvus 183.801 55.9890.45%+12 26.52−18 26.20SQ371CMiCanis Minor 183.367 55.8570.44%+07 39.17+06 25.63NQ272DorDorado 179.173 54.5790.43%+05 14.51−59 23.22SQ173CrBCorona Borealis 178.710 54.4380.43%+15 50.59+32 37.49NQ374NorNorma 165.290 50.3500.40%+15 54.18−51 21.09SQ375MenMensa 153.484 46.7540.37%+05 24.90−77 30.24SQ176VolVolans 141.354 43.0590.34%+07 47.73−69 48.07SQ277MusMusca 138.355 42.1450.34%+12 35.28−70 09.66SQ378TriTriangulum 131.847 40.1630.32%+02 11.07+31 28.56NQ179ChaChamaeleon 131.592 40.0850.32%+10 41.53−79 12.30SQ280CrACorona Australis 127.696 38.8980.31%+18 38.79−41 08.85SQ481CaeCaelum 124.865 38.0360.30%+04 42.27−37 52.90SQ182RetReticulum 113.936 34.7070.28%+03 55.27−59 59.85SQ183TrATriangulum Australe 109.978 33.5010.27%+16 04.95−65 23.28SQ384SctScutum 109.114 33.2380.26%+18 40.39−09 53.32SQ485CirCircinus 93.353 28.4370.23%+14 34.54−63 01.82SQ386SgeSagitta 79.932 24.3490.19%+19 39.05+18 51.68NQ487EquEquuleus 71.641 21.8230.17%+21 11.26+07 45.49NQ488CruCrux 68.447 20.8500.17%+12 26.99−60 11.19SQ3

Notes

See also

IAU designated constellations by geographical visibility Lists of astronomical objects Lists of stars by constellation

Sources Constellations – Ian Ridpath Constellations – RASC Calgary Centre