Myth, sky and sign

The constellations belong to astronomy and to the mythologies that named them, and this category treats them as star patterns and as bearers of myth, distinct from the astrological signs that borrowed their names. Many cultures (Chinese, Indian, Mesopotamian, Polynesian and others), mapped the sky differently, and the Western forty-eight are one scheme among several.

The atlas gives each constellation its figure, its principal stars, and the myth or lore attached to it. The individual named stars within them are treated in the star category, and the zodiacal signs, which share their names, under the sign category.