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As I have already mentioned, this is an idiosyncratic listing. I have left out, for example, the constellation of Hercules, which always seems to me a bit boring despite its namesake. It doesn’t have any bright stars to speak of and I always have trouble making out its shape. I’ve also totally excluded any of the very southerly constellations such as the small and bright Southern Cross. Still, anyone knowing all the constellations on this list will know his or her way around the sky and possess a good basis for learning the remaining constellation.
Quite a few constellation names have fallen into disuse. Some were used on a map or two and then quickly forgotten. For instance, in the area between Cepheus and Pegasus, is any area now occupied by the fairly new constellation of Lacerta, was once located the constellation of “Scepter and Hand of Justice” which commemorated the French king, Louis XIV. The constellation of Officin Typographica was once placed near the star Sirius; its name means “The Printing Office”. My personal favorite for obscure constellation names is “Felis the Cat”. This memorable constellation was named in the beginning of the nineteenth century by La Lande who gave the following justification for this new constellation and perhaps displayed the most sensible attitude to the whole subject of placing names in the sky.
I am very fond of cats. I will let this figure scratch on the chart. The starry sky has worried me quite enough in my life, so that now I can have my joke with it.