Boundaries between the Constellations

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the boundaries between constellations, highlighting inconsistencies in their definitions. Key resources mentioned include the comprehensive dataset available at CDS and the IAU's official page on constellations at IAU. Nancy Roman's research paper on determining the constellation of celestial positions is also referenced as a significant contribution to this topic. The conversation emphasizes the arbitrary nature of constellation definitions based on historical astronomical observations.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of celestial coordinate systems
  • Familiarity with astronomical datasets
  • Knowledge of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) guidelines
  • Basic comprehension of historical astronomy
NEXT STEPS USEFUL FOR

Astronomers, astrophysics students, and anyone interested in the historical and technical aspects of constellation definitions and boundaries.

Philosophaie
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The below sites formulate the Boundaries between the Constellations.

These sites leave inconsistancies or open gaps between the Constellations where there is no definition.

I was wondering if there is a more comprehensive listing on the Web or in a book I could buy on these Constellation Borders.

ftp://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/pub/cats/VI/49/bound_18.dat (most comprehensive)
http://vizier.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/VizieR-4
http://www.iau.org/public/themes/constellations
 
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Constellations are arbitrarily defined by ancient astronomical observations. I fail to see any issue.
 
Nancy Roman published a paper on figuring out which constellation any celestial position is in: see here.
 

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