Asterism

Quick meaning: Asterism is a noun meaning (astronomy) An unofficial constellation (small group of stars that forms a visible pattern).

Meaning

(astronomy) An unofficial constellation (small group of stars that forms a visible pattern).

More Meanings

1. A rarely used typographical symbol of three asterisks arranged in a triangle, ⁂, used to call attention to a passage or to separate subchapters in a book. Distinct from a dinkus which also uses asterisks to separate.
2. (mineralogy) A star-shaped figure exhibited by some crystals by reflected light (as in a star sapphire) or by transmitted light (as in some mica).

Example Sentences

The Big Dipper, Summer Triangle, and Orion's Belt are asterisms.

Like Pisces and Capricorn, Aquarius is located in that part of the sky known as "Astral Sea," a region inhabited by water asterisms such as Eridanus, Cetus (the Whale), and the Dolphin.

Of the constellations, or asterisms. [...] It therefore became necessary to adopt a more general method of distinguishing them. This was accomplished by portioning out the heavens into imaginary figures, of men, birds, fishes, &c. called Constellations or Asterisms.

Word Forms

• asterisms

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include constellation, aberration, megaconstellation, uranometry, arclet, instellation.

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