Star Lore Obsolete Western Constellations

For almost 2000 years, the 48 constellations introduced by Ptolemy have been the astronomical standard in Europe. But for as long as Ptolemy's star map existed, astronomers and politicians alike have tried to add new features to the map. Some were short lived, others lasted for centuries - the longest lasting now defunct constellation was Argo Navis - introduced by Ptolemy himself around the year 150 and dismantled by the IAU in 1928. Most of these constellations were created out of faint stars located between the outlines of the main constellations, others were attempts to replace classical constellations with new interpretations for a variety of reasons. The period of invention of new constellations reached a climax in 1801 with the publication of the star map Uranographia by Johann Elert Bode.

Northern Hemisphere of Bode's 1782 star map Source: atlascoelestis.com

Bode's artistic plates were the first major star atlas with boundary lines drawn between the constellations, laying the groundwork for a standardization of cosmic topography, which eventually led to the definition of today's 88 constellations. In 1801, however, there was no governing body and many astronomers tried to get their names (or their ideas) written in the sky and so, Bode's catalogue contained over 100 constellations, among them innovative ideas like Bode's creation Officina Typographica, commemorate Johannes Gutenberg’s printing press, but also an entire zoo with slugs, leeches, sea horses and even a flying squirrel.

At the end of the 19th century, the international astronomic community had worked out an understanding on which constellations should remain and which should be scraped. In 1922, the International Astronomical Union was founded. At its first General Assembly, the IAU officially adopted a list of 86 constellations covering the entire sky. After one final adjustment, 88 constellations were approved in 1928 and Belgian astronomer Eugčne Delporte was contracted to draw border lines between the constellations. The final results were published in 1930, rendering a large number of constellation designs obsolete. However, these constellations still have a historical and cultural significance. Below, you find a list of the most important ones of these artifacts, sorted chronologically and by their designer.

Constellations with modern boundaries Source: universalworkshop.com

Please note: this list only covers European designs since the time of ancient Greece. Constellations seen by prehistoric societies and by non-western cultures are listed on the respective sites in our Mythology section. Sources: Wikipedia, Ian Ridpath, Abrams Planetarium, SkyEye, astrocultura.uai.it

Antinous

Argo Navis

Caput Medusae

Tarabellum

Vexillum

Triangulus Antarcticus

Rosa

Phaeton

Polophylax

Siren

Ceneus

Apes

Cancer Minor

Gallus

Jordanis

Sagitta Australis

Tigris

Vespa

Sudarium Veronicae

Lilium

Sceptrum et Manus Iustitiae

Year	Creator	Name	Meaning	Constellations
132 / 1536	Hadrian / Vopel	Antinous	Antinous	Aquila
ca. 150	Ptolemy	Argo Navis	Ship of the Argonauts	Carina, Puppis, Vela
816	Leiden Arathea	Caput Medusae	The Head of the Medusa	Perseus
ca. 1225	Michael Scot	Tarabellum	Drill	Sagittarius, Virgo
ca. 1225	Michael Scot	Vexillum	Flag	Leo, Virgo
1503	Vespucci	Triangulus Antarcticus	Antarctic Triangle	Triangulum Australe
1540	Apianus	Rosa	Rose	Coma Berenices
1575	da Varese	Phaeton	Phaeton	Eridanus
1592	Plancius	Polophylax	Guardian of the Pole	Hydrus, Phoenix, Tucana
ca. 1603	Unknown	Siren	Siren	Triangulum Australe, Musca
ca. 1603	Unknown	Ceneus	Caeneus	Chamaeleon, Musca
1612	Plancius	Apes	Bees	Aries
1613	Plancius	Cancer Minor	Lesser Crab	Gemini
1613	Plancius	Gallus	Rooster	Canis Major
1613	Plancius	Jordanis	Jordanus River	Leo, LeoMinor, Lynx
1613	Plancius	Sagitta Australis	Southern Arrow	Scorpius
1613	Plancius	Tigris	River Tigris	Pegasus, Ophiuchus
1624	Bartsch	Vespa	River Tigris	Aries
1643	de Rheita	Sudarium Veronicae	Veronica's Veil	Leo, Sextans
1679	Royer	Lilium	Lilie	Aries
1679	Royer	Sceptrum et Manus Iustitiae	Scepter and Hand of Justice	Andromeda

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