<p>In the book <a href="https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/0544763440" rel="noreferrer" rel="nofollow noreferrer">The Stars: A New Way to See Them</a>, HA Rey redrew the stick figures to be much more sensible.  This is the source of many of the &quot;modern&quot; or &quot;western&quot; versions used by many applications.</p>
<p>There is no &quot;official&quot; source of constellation lines.  The IAU does define specific boundaries, but no stick figures.</p>
<p>Here is an <a href="https://celestialprogramming.com/snippets/ConstellationStickFigures/constellationStickFigures.html" rel="noreferrer">extract of the stick figures</a> used by Stellarium for the &quot;Western&quot; culture.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-07-06T16:40:03.213Z
2023-07-06T16:40:03.213Z
Greg Miller
<p>There are no official &quot;modern&quot; lines, or official &quot;traditional&quot; lines. Both are just choices for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asterism_(astronomy)" rel="noreferrer">asterisms</a> that the app developer made. You'd probably have to look into the credits or ask the developers to find out what sources the app developers used to draw them.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IAU_designated_constellations" rel="noreferrer">IAU designated constellation boundaries</a> were developed in 1922 to make sure every point of the sky was contained within a unique constellation, but there aren't any official lines inside those.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-07-06T13:34:03.343Z
2023-07-06T13:34:03.343Z
notovny
<p>The constellation lines in question resemble two of the &quot;sky cultures&quot; available in <a href="https://stellarium.org/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Stellarium</a>:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Modern (O. Hlad), based on Hlad et al. 1988, <em>Hvězdná obloha 2000.0</em>. <img src="https://i.sstatic.net/p1pGx.png" alt="Stellarium rendering of Sagittarius connected as in Hlad 1988" /></p>
</li>
<li><p>Modern (H.A. Rey), based on Rey 1952, <em><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stars:_A_New_Way_to_See_Them" rel="nofollow noreferrer">The Stars: A New Way to See Them</a></em>. <img src="https://i.sstatic.net/ORdUd.png" alt="Stellarium rendering of Sagittarius connected as in Rey 1952" /></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>Another choice is:</p>
<ul>
<li>Modern (IAU), based on the work of Alan MacRobert as produced by <a href="https://www.iau.org/public/themes/constellations/#n6" rel="nofollow noreferrer">IAU and <em>Sky &amp; Telescope</em></a> and contributed to <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sagittarius_IAU.svg" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Wikipedia</a> in 2011. <img src="https://i.sstatic.net/QIZZd.png" alt="Stellarium rendering of Sagittarius connected as in IAU/S&amp;T" /></li>
</ul>
<p>Data for these are in the Stellarium <a href="https://github.com/Stellarium/stellarium/tree/master/skycultures" rel="nofollow noreferrer">GitHub repository</a>, in files named <code>constellationship.fab</code>.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/startales2c.html#linking" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Ian Ridpath</a> credits Ruelle 1786 and Dien 1831 for the first uses of connecting lines instead of illustrated figures.
In any case, the lines are the cartographer's choice.
The only official standard is the boundary, shown in red in all three images here.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-07-07T07:50:57.790Z
Related: [Why do some images depict the same constellations differently?](https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/questions/53877/why-do-some-images-depict-the-same-constellations-differently/53879)
pela
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-07-06T18:02:46.553Z
2023-07-09T15:50:37.117Z
2023-07-09T15:50:37.117Z
Mike G
<p>In an astronomy app name SkyPortal you can see the constellation lines as Modern or Traditional lines.</p>
<p>The traditional ones rarely have a resemblance to what they are a symbol of. However, the modern lines make much more sense.</p>
<p>Is there any reference for modern constellation lines? Any online resource to show or discuss them?</p>
<hr />
<p>Traditional:<br />
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/JUqiH.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/JUqiH.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>Modern:<br />
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/XTn6s.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/XTn6s.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<hr />
<p>I was under the impression that these lines are historical. Just after asking this question, I looked at the images on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Book_of_Fixed_Stars" rel="nofollow noreferrer">the Book of Fixed Stars</a> and realized the original book doesn't have the lines at all. So these lines are something new.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/Fsvxt.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Fsvxt.jpg" alt="The Book of Fixed Stars" /></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-07-07T21:10:33.903Z
Older Western star atlases (Bayer 1603, Hevelius 1687, Flamsteed 1729) used such illustrations too.
Mike G
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-07-08T21:18:56.527Z
In case anyone was confused by the last picture (from the _Book of Fixed Stars_), I'm pretty sure it's a mirror image! The 6 leftmost stars, making up the bow, are μ, γ, η, λ, δ, and ε; in the first two images, those stars form a group of six connected by lines, at the top in the first image and the lower right in the second image. In the last picture, both the upper part of the bowstring and the arrow lead to the "teapot handle" of φ, σ, τ, and ζ; the second picture shows the "arrow" connecting from φ to δ, but the first picture connects φ to λ instead.
Sophie Swett
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-07-09T19:53:50.753Z
Related: [Why do some images depict the same constellations differently?](https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/questions/53877/why-do-some-images-depict-the-same-constellations-differently?noredirect=1&lq=1)
pela
<constellations>
Where are Modern Constellation lines defined?
Real Dreams
# Where are Modern Constellation lines defined?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-07-06)

In an astronomy app name SkyPortal you can see the constellation lines as Modern or Traditional lines.

The traditional ones rarely have a resemblance to what they are a symbol of. However, the modern lines make much more sense.

Is there any reference for modern constellation lines? Any online resource to show or discuss them?

---

Traditional:  
[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/JUqiH.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/JUqiH.png)

Modern:  
[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/XTn6s.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/XTn6s.png)

---

I was under the impression that these lines are historical. Just after asking this question, I looked at the images on [the Book of Fixed Stars](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Book_of_Fixed_Stars) and realized the original book doesn't have the lines at all. So these lines are something new.

[![The Book of Fixed Stars](https://i.sstatic.net/Fsvxt.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/Fsvxt.jpg)

**Tags:** constellations
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Older Western star atlases (Bayer 1603, Hevelius 1687, Flamsteed 1729) used such illustrations too.  
> **username_2**: In case anyone was confused by the last picture (from the _Book of Fixed Stars_), I'm pretty sure it's a mirror image! The 6 leftmost stars, making up the bow, are μ, γ, η, λ, δ, and ε; in the first two images, those stars form a group of six connected by lines, at the top in the first image and the lower right in the second image. In the last picture, both the upper part of the bowstring and the arrow lead to the "teapot handle" of φ, σ, τ, and ζ; the second picture shows the "arrow" connecting from φ to δ, but the first picture connects φ to λ instead.  
> **username_3**: Related: [Why do some images depict the same constellations differently?](https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/questions/53877/why-do-some-images-depict-the-same-constellations-differently?noredirect=1&lq=1)  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2023-07-06. Score: 11 | Accepted answer

The constellation lines in question resemble two of the "sky cultures" available in [Stellarium](https://stellarium.org/):

* Modern (O. Hlad), based on Hlad et al. 1988, *Hvězdná obloha 2000.0*. ![Stellarium rendering of Sagittarius connected as in Hlad 1988](https://i.sstatic.net/p1pGx.png)
* Modern (H.A. Rey), based on Rey 1952, *[The Stars: A New Way to See Them](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stars:_A_New_Way_to_See_Them)*. ![Stellarium rendering of Sagittarius connected as in Rey 1952](https://i.sstatic.net/ORdUd.png)

Another choice is:

* Modern (IAU), based on the work of Alan MacRobert as produced by [IAU and *Sky & Telescope*](https://www.iau.org/public/themes/constellations/#n6) and contributed to [Wikipedia](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sagittarius_IAU.svg) in 2011. ![Stellarium rendering of Sagittarius connected as in IAU/S&T](https://i.sstatic.net/QIZZd.png)

Data for these are in the Stellarium [GitHub repository](https://github.com/Stellarium/stellarium/tree/master/skycultures), in files named `constellationship.fab`.

[Ian Ridpath](http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/startales2c.html#linking) credits Ruelle 1786 and Dien 1831 for the first uses of connecting lines instead of illustrated figures.
In any case, the lines are the cartographer's choice.
The only official standard is the boundary, shown in red in all three images here.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: Related: [Why do some images depict the same constellations differently?](https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/questions/53877/why-do-some-images-depict-the-same-constellations-differently/53879)  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2023-07-06. Score: 13

In the book [The Stars: A New Way to See Them](https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/0544763440), HA Rey redrew the stick figures to be much more sensible. This is the source of many of the "modern" or "western" versions used by many applications.

There is no "official" source of constellation lines. The IAU does define specific boundaries, but no stick figures.

Here is an [extract of the stick figures](https://celestialprogramming.com/snippets/ConstellationStickFigures/constellationStickFigures.html) used by Stellarium for the "Western" culture.


---

### Answer by username_5 on 2023-07-06. Score: 9

There are no official "modern" lines, or official "traditional" lines. Both are just choices for [asterisms](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asterism_(astronomy)) that the app developer made. You'd probably have to look into the credits or ask the developers to find out what sources the app developers used to draw them.

The [IAU designated constellation boundaries](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IAU_designated_constellations) were developed in 1922 to make sure every point of the sky was contained within a unique constellation, but there aren't any official lines inside those.


---

