Astronomy:Stellar constellations in fiction

Some stellar constellations have been featured in fictional works.

Overview

Stellar constellations are primarily a product of the human mind and often associated with important myths in many of the cultures that have shaped and named them. In addition, some stellar constellations have also featured in fictional works at some point. This is an attempt to give an overview of the latter and a short description of the role they played in these works.

List of stellar systems in fiction

Constellations listed by Ptolemy

Andromeda

• Stargate, military science-fiction franchise. Counting clockwise from the point-of-origin symbol, Andromeda is the glyph at position 22 on stargates in the Milky Way galaxy. The original 1994 Stargate movie created by Roland Emmerich stipulated that the actual constellations were used as points in space and targeted the gate's wormhole at the point of intersection between them. However, the 2004 Stargate SG-1 episode "Lost City" indicated that, in at least some cases, the glyphs actually spelled out the names of target planets in an alternate syllabary of the language of the Ancients.

Aries

• Stargate, military science-fiction franchise. Counting clockwise from the point-of-origin symbol, Aries is the glyph at position 24 on stargates in the Milky Way galaxy.

Aquarius

• Stargate, military science-fiction franchise. Counting clockwise from the point-of-origin symbol, Aquarius is the glyph at position 18 on stargates in the Milky Way galaxy.

Aquila

• Stargate, military science-fiction franchise. Counting clockwise from the point-of-origin symbol, Aquila is the glyph at position 13 on stargates in the Milky Way galaxy.

Auriga

• Stargate, military science-fiction franchise. Counting clockwise from the point-of-origin symbol, Auriga is the glyph at position 28 on stargates in the Milky Way galaxy.

Boötes

• Stargate, military science-fiction franchise. Counting clockwise from the point-of-origin symbol, Boötes is the glyph at position four on stargates in the Milky Way galaxy.

Cancer

• Stargate, military science-fiction franchise. Counting clockwise from the point-of-origin symbol, Cancer is the glyph at position 36 on stargates in the Milky Way galaxy.

Canis Minor

• Stargate, military science-fiction franchise. Counting clockwise from the point-of-origin symbol, Canis Minor is the glyph at position 31 on stargates in the Milky Way galaxy.

Capricornus

• Stargate, military science-fiction franchise. Counting clockwise from the point-of-origin symbol, Capricornus is the glyph at position 15 on stargates in the Milky Way galaxy.

Cassiopeia

• Once Upon a Time… Space, French cartoon. The militaristic Republic of Cassiopeia, that uses as symbol the W formed by the brightest stars of said constellation as seen from Earth, is one of the main antagonists.

Centaurus

• Stargate, military science-fiction franchise. Counting clockwise from the point-of-origin symbol, Centaurus is the glyph at position five on stargates in the Milky Way galaxy.

Cetus

• Stargate, military science-fiction franchise. Counting clockwise from the point-of-origin symbol, Cetus is the glyph at position 26 on stargates in the Milky Way galaxy.

Corona Australis

• Stargate, military science-fiction franchise. Counting clockwise from the point-of-origin symbol, Corona Australis is the glyph at position 10 on stargates in the Milky Way galaxy.

Corona Borealis

• The constellation of Corona Borealis was featured as a main plot ingredient in the short story of "Hypnos" by H. P. Lovecraft.

Crater

• Stargate, military science-fiction franchise. Counting clockwise from the point-of-origin symbol, Crater is the glyph at position two on stargates in the Milky Way galaxy.

Cygnus

• Star Trek: Voyager. In the 1996 episode "Lifesigns", the Doctor points out Cygnus to Denara Pel on a holodeck recreation of Mars.

Equuleus

• Stargate, military science-fiction franchise. Counting clockwise from the point-of-origin symbol, Equuleus is the glyph at position 17 on stargates in the Milky Way galaxy.

Eridanus

• The stars 40 Eridani and Epsilon Eridani within this constellation are commonly used in science fiction. See Stars and planetary systems in fiction.
• Stargate, military science-fiction franchise. Counting clockwise from the point-of-origin symbol, Eridanus is the glyph at position 29 on stargates in the Milky Way galaxy.

Gemini

• Stargate, military science-fiction franchise. Counting clockwise from the point-of-origin symbol, Gemini is the glyph at position 33 on stargates in the Milky Way galaxy.

Hydra

• Stargate, military science-fiction franchise. Counting clockwise from the point-of-origin symbol, Hydra is the glyph at position 34 on stargates in the Milky Way galaxy.

Leo

• Star Trek: First Contact, 1996 Star Trek theatrical film. While separated from the rest of the crew aboard USS Enterprise, Lily Sloane asks Captain Jean-Luc Picard what an object visible outside the viewport is. Picard thinks she's pointing at the constellation Leo; however, Lily is actually referring to Borg energy weapons fire incoming from that direction.
• Stargate, military science-fiction franchise. Counting clockwise from the point-of-origin symbol, Leo is the glyph at position 39 on stargates in the Milky Way galaxy.

Leo Minor

• Stargate, military science-fiction franchise. Counting clockwise from the point-of-origin symbol, Leo Minor is the glyph at position 38 on stargates in the Milky Way galaxy.

Libra

• Stargate, military science-fiction franchise. Counting clockwise from the point-of-origin symbol, Libra is the glyph at position six on stargates in the Milky Way galaxy.

Lynx

• Stargate, military science-fiction franchise. Counting clockwise from the point-of-origin symbol, Lynx is the glyph at position 35 on stargates in the Milky Way galaxy.

Microscopium

• Stargate, military science-fiction franchise. Counting clockwise from the point-of-origin symbol, Microscopium is the glyph at position 14 on stargates in the Milky Way galaxy.

Monoceros

• Stargate, military science-fiction franchise. Counting clockwise from the point-of-origin symbol, Monoceros is the glyph at position 32 on stargates in the Milky Way galaxy.

Norma

• Stargate, military science-fiction franchise. Counting clockwise from the point-of-origin symbol, Norma is the glyph at position eight on stargates in the Milky Way galaxy.

Orion

• Stargate, military science-fiction franchise. Counting clockwise from the point-of-origin symbol, Orion is the glyph at position 30 on stargates in the Milky Way galaxy. In the original 1994 film Stargate created by Roland Emmerich, this is the first gate symbol to be identified as an Earth constellation by Dr. Daniel Jackson.

Pegasus

• Stargate, military science-fiction franchise. Counting clockwise from the point-of-origin symbol, Pegasus is the glyph at position 19 on stargates in the Milky Way galaxy.

Perseus

• Stargate, military science-fiction franchise. Counting clockwise from the point-of-origin symbol, Perseus is the glyph at position 25 on stargates in the Milky Way galaxy.

Pisces

• Stargate, military science-fiction franchise. Counting clockwise from the point-of-origin symbol, Pisces is the glyph at position 21 on stargates in the Milky Way galaxy.

Piscis Austrinus

• Stargate, military science-fiction franchise. Counting clockwise from the point-of-origin symbol, Piscis Austrinus is the glyph at position 16 on stargates in the Milky Way galaxy.

Sagittarius

• Stargate, military science-fiction franchise. Counting clockwise from the point-of-origin symbol, Sagittarius is the glyph at position four on stargates in the Milky Way galaxy.

Scorpius

• Stargate, military science-fiction franchise. Counting clockwise from the point-of-origin symbol, Scorpius is the glyph at position 12 on stargates in the Milky Way galaxy.
• Star Trek: Enterprise, 2001-2005 Star Trek TV series. Scorpius is visible in the opening credits.

Sculptor

• Stargate, military science-fiction franchise. Counting clockwise from the point-of-origin symbol, Sculptor is the glyph at position 20 on stargates in the Milky Way galaxy.

Scutum

• Stargate, military science-fiction franchise. Counting clockwise from the point-of-origin symbol, Scutum is the glyph at position 11 on stargates in the Milky Way galaxy.

Serpens

• Stargate, military science-fiction franchise. Counting clockwise from the point-of-origin symbol, the Serpens Caput portion is the glyph at position seven on stargates in the Milky Way galaxy.

Sextans

• Stargate, military science-fiction franchise. Counting clockwise from the point-of-origin symbol, Sextans is the glyph at position 37 on stargates in the Milky Way galaxy.

Taurus

• Stargate, military science-fiction franchise. Counting clockwise from the point-of-origin symbol, Taurus is the glyph at position 27 on stargates in the Milky Way galaxy.

Triangulum

• The Rihannsu series of Star Trek novels by Diane Duane, in particular the second book The Romulan Way, states that the proto-Romulans visited several stars within the Triangulum constellation after leaving the planet Vulcan. They eventually settled two planets orbiting the fictional G9-class star 128 Trianguli, which would become known to the United Federation of Planets as Romulus and Remus upon their later discovery. The star Alpha Trianguli later lent its name to the treaty between the Federation and the Romulan Star Empire that established the Romulan Neutral Zone between the two powers.
• Stargate, military science-fiction franchise. Counting clockwise from the point-of-origin symbol, Triangulum is the glyph at position 23 on stargates in the Milky Way galaxy.

Virgo

• Stargate, military science-fiction franchise. Counting clockwise from the point-of-origin symbol, Virgo is the glyph at position three on stargates in the Milky Way galaxy.
• Star Trek: Enterprise, 2001-2005 Star Trek TV series. Virgo is visible in the opening credits.

See also

• List of constellations
• List of stars
• Stars and planetary systems in fiction