Former constellations are old historical Western constellations that for various reasons are no longer widely recognised or are not officially recognised by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).[1] Prior to 1930, many of these defunct constellations were traditional in one or more countries or cultures. Some only lasted decades but others were referred to over many centuries. All are now recognised only for having classical or historical value.[2] Many former constellations had complex Latinised names after objects, people, or mythological or zoological creatures.[2] Others with unwieldy names were shortened for convenience. For example, Scutum Sobiescianum was reduced to Scutum, Mons Mensae to Mensa, and Apparatus Sculptoris to Sculptor.
Some of the Northern Sky's former constellations were placed in the less populated regions between the traditional brighter constellations just to fill gaps. In the Southern Sky, new constellations were often created from about the 15th century by voyagers who began journeying south of the Equator. European countries like England, France, the Netherlands, German or Italian states, etc., often supported and popularised their own constellation outlines. In some cases, different constellations occupied overlapping areas and included the same stars. These former constellations are often found in older books, star charts, or star catalogues.
The 88 modern constellation names and boundaries were standardised by Eugene Delporte for the IAU in 1930, under an international agreement, removing any possible astronomical ambiguities between astronomers from different countries.[3] Nearly all former or defunct constellations differ in their designated boundaries in as much as they have outlines that do not follow the exact lines of right ascension and declination.[4]
Argo Navis is the only constellation from Ptolemy's original list of 48 constellations that is no longer officially recognized. Due to its large size, it was split into three constellations by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille: Carina (the keel), Puppis (the poop deck), and Vela (the sails).[5] The new constellations were introduced in the 1763 star catalog Coelum Australe Stelliferum, which was published soon after de Lacaille's death.
Quadrans Muralis was originally created in 1795, placed in the northern skies between the still-accepted constellations Boötes and Draco. The Quadrantids meteor shower is named after this former constellation.
| Name | Pronunciation | Genitive | Meaning | Date created | Created by | Notable stars | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anguilla | Anguillae | 1754 | John Hill | between Equuleus, Delphinus, Aquila and Serpens | |||
| Antinoi | Emperor Hadrian[8] | δ, η, θ, ι, κ, λ and ν Aquilae | Southern Aquila | ||||
| Apes | Apium | Bees (renamed to Vespa, then Lilium, then to Musca Borealis) | 1612 | between Perseus and Aries | |||
| Apis | Bee (obsolete name and renamed to Musca Australis, and then shortened to Musca) | 1598 | where Musca is now | ||||
| Aranea | Araneae | 1754 | between Virgo and Corvus | ||||
| Argus Navis | The Ship Argo (now divided into Carina, Puppis, and Vela) | List (Carina, Puppis, Vela) | where Carina, Puppis and Vela reside now | ||||
| Assellorum, Praesepis | Dionysus's Asses (Asellus Borealis and Asellus Australis) and Manger (Beehive Cluster) | Aratus[9] [10] | middle part of Cancer | ||||
| 1690 | Johannes Hevelius.[11] | where Canes Venatici is now | |||||
| Battery of Volta | 1807 | 1 and 9 Pegasi | between Delphinus and Pegasus | ||||
| Bufo | Bufonis | 1754 | tail of Hydra | ||||
| Cancri Minoris | 1613 | south-western Gemini | |||||
| Caprae, Haedorum | Goat Amalthea (stars surrounding Capella) and the Kids (Haedus I and Haedus II) | Aratus[12] | eastern Auriga | ||||
| Cerberi | Cerberus (guardian dog of Hades) | 1690 | eastern Hercules | ||||
| Cordis Caroli | 1673 | Charles Scarborough[13] | central Canes Venatici | ||||
| Corona Firmiana | Coronae Firmianae | 1730 | Corbinianus Thomas | where Corona Borealis is now | |||
| Custodis Messium | Keeper of harvests | 1775 | Jérôme Lalande[14] | between Cassiopeia and Camelopardalis | |||
| Deltoton | Delta (obsolete name for Triangulum Boreale) | 1540 | Petrus Apianus[15] | Triangulum | |||
| Dentalium | Dentalii | Tooth Shell | 1754 | between Aquila and Aquarius | |||
| Felis | 1799 | southern Hydra | |||||
| Frederici Honorum | Frederick's Honors | 1787 | Johann Elert Bode[16] | ||||
| Galli | 1613 | Petrus Plancius | |||||
| Gladii Electorales Saxonici | Gladiorum Electoralium Saxonicorum | 1684 | Gottfried Kirch | ||||
| Globi Aerostatici | 1798 | Jérôme Lalande[17] | |||||
| Gryphites | Gryphitis | Gryphaea shellfish | 1754 | John Hill | |||
| Hippocampus | Hippocampi | 1754 | John Hill | ||||
| Hirudo | Hirudinis | 1754 | John Hill | ||||
| Jordani | 1613 | Petrus Plancius | |||||
| Leonis Palatini | 1785 | Karl-Joseph König | |||||
| Lilii | Fleur de Lys (renamed Musca Borealis) | 1679 | Augustin Royer/P. Anthelme | ||||
| Limax | Limacis | 1754 | John Hill | ||||
| Linum Piscium | Lini Piscium | The line connecting the fish (renamed by Bode in 1801 from Hevelius's Linum Austrinum and Linum Boreum; known as Lineola too) | 1590 | Thomas Hood | |||
| Lochii Funis | Log line (renamed Linea Nautica in 1888 by Eliza A. Bowen[18]) | 1801 | Johann Elert Bode[19] | ||||
| Lumbricus | Lumbrici | 1754 | John Hill | ||||
| Machinae Electricae | Electricity generator | 1800 | Johann Elert Bode[20] | ||||
| Mali | Mast | 1844 | John Herschel | ||||
| Manis | Manis | 1754 | John Hill | ||||
| Marmor Sculptile | Marmoris Sculptilis | 1810 | William Croswell | ||||
| Montis Maenali | 1690 | Johannes Hevelius[21] | |||||
| Muscae Borealis | 1690 | Johannes Hevelius | |||||
| Noctuae | 1822 | Alexander Jamieson | |||||
| Nubeculae Majoris, Nubeculae Minoris | 1603 | Johann Bayer | |||||
| Officinae Typographicae | Printshop | 1801 | Johann Elert Bode[22] | ||||
| Patella | Patellae | 1754 | John Hill | ||||
| Phaethon | Phaethontis | Aratus/Hyginus | |||||
| Phoenicopteri | Flamingo (an obsolete name for Grus) | [23] | Petrus Plancius/Paul Merula | ||||
| Pinna Marina | Pinnae Marinae | 1754 | John Hill | ||||
| Piscis Noti | Southern Fish (obsolete name for Piscis Austrinus) | Aratus | |||||
| Pluteum | Plutei | Parapet (obsolete for Pictor) | 1881 | Richard Andree | |||
| Polophylacis | 1592 | Petrus Plancius | |||||
| Pomum Imperiale | Pomi Imperialis | Leopold's orb | 1688 | Gottfried Kirch | |||
| Psalterii Georgii | George's Psaltery (renamed to Harp Georgii by Lalande) | 1781 | Maximilian Hell[24] | ||||
| Quadrantis Muralis | 1795 | Jérôme Lalande[25] | |||||
| Quadratum | Quadrati | Rhombus (obsolete name for Reticulum Rhomboidalis) | 1706 | Carel Allard | |||
| Rami Pomiferi | Apple-bearing Branch | 1690 | Johannes Hevelius[26] | ||||
| Roboris Carolini | 1679 | Edmund Halley[27] | |||||
| Rosa | Rosae | 1536 | Petrus Apianus | ||||
| Sagitta Australis | Sagittae Australis | 1613 | Petrus Plancius | ||||
| Scarabaeus | Scarabaei | 1754 | John Hill | ||||
| Sceptri Brandenburgici | 1688 | Gottfried Kirch[28] | |||||
| Sceptri et Manus Iustitiae | Scepter and Hand of Justice | 1679 | Augustin Royer | ||||
| Sciurus Volans | Sciuri Volantis | Flying Squirrel (now part of Camelopardalis) | 1810 | William Croswell[29] | |||
| Sextantis Uraniae | Urania's Sextant (obsolete name for Sextans) | 1690 | Johannes Hevelius | ||||
| Siren, Ceneus and Lang | [30] | Unknown/Willem Jansz Blaeu | |||||
| Solarii | Sundial | 1822 | Alexander Jamieson | ||||
| Sudarium Veronicae | Sudarii Veronicae | 1643 | Antoine Marie Schyrle de Rheita[31] | ||||
| Tarabellum and Vexillum | Tarabelli, Vexilli | Michael Scot[32] | |||||
| Tarandi, Rangiferi | 1736 | Pierre Charles Lemonnier[33] | |||||
| Tauri Poniatovii | 1777 | Marcin Poczobut[34] | |||||
| Telescopii Herschelii | Herschel's Telescope (renamed from Tubus Herschelii Major by Bode in 1801) | 1781 | Maximilian Hell[35] | ||||
| Testudinis | 1754 | John Hill | |||||
| Tigridis | Tigris River | 1613 | Petrus Plancius | ||||
| Trianguli Majoris | Large Triangle (obsolete name for Triangulum) | 1690 | Johannes Hevelius | ||||
| Trianguli Minoris | Small Triangle | 1690 | Johannes Hevelius[36] | ||||
| Triangulus Antarcticus | Trianguli Antarctici | 1589 | Petrus Plancius | ||||
| Tubus Herschelii Minor | Tubi Herschelii Minoris | 1781 | Maximilian Hell | ||||
| Turdi Solitarii | Solitary Thrush (renamed to Mocking Bird and then to Noctua). Named in honor of the Rodrigues solitaire, an extinct flightless bird related to the dodo. | 1776 | Pierre Charles Lemonnier[37] | ||||
| Uranoscopus | Uranoscopi | 1754 | John Hill | ||||
| Urna | Urnae | 1596 | Zacharias Bornmann | ||||
| Vespae | Wasp (an obsolete name for Musca Borealis) | 1624 | Jakob Bartsch[38] | ||||
| Triangulae, Trianguli, Catulorum, Coronae, Corollae, Piscis, Cameli, Vulpis, Equi, Delphinis, Ursae Minoris, Canis, Felis, Leaenae, Cervi | 1873 | Richard Proctor[39] |