Howstuffworks "Constellations Channel"

Aquarius

Aquarius, a constellation and the 11th sign of the zodiac. The name means "water bearer." Aquarius contains no particularly bright or noteworthy stars.

Aquila

Aquila, a constellation visible from the Northern Hemisphere. The name means "eagle." The Great Rift of the Milky Way (a dark area in the bright band of stars) passes through Aquila.

Aries

Aries, a constellation and the first sign of the zodiac. The name means "The Ram." Aries is a small constellation that contains no noteworthy stars.

Auriga

Auriga, a constellation in the northern celestial hemisphere. The name means "The Charioteer." Capella, the brightest star in Auriga, is the sixth brightest star in the night sky.

Bootes

Botes, a constellation seen in the evening skies between March and September. It rises in the northeast and sets in the northwest.

Cancer

Cancer, a constellation and the fourth sign of the zodiac. Cancer is the Latin name for crab; presumably, the unknown person who named it thought the constellation resembled that animal in shape.

Canis Major

Canis Major, a constellation of the winter sky. Sirius, the brightest star in the sky, is in this constellation.

Capricornus

Capricornus, a constellation of the Southern Hemisphere. It is between Sagittarius and Aquarius and is the tenth sign of the zodiac.

Cassiopeia

Cassiopeia, in Greek legend, an Ethiopian queen. She was the wife of Cepheus and the mother of Andromeda.

Centaurus

Centaurus, a southern constellation. It is named for the centaur, a creature from Greek mythology.

Cygnus

Cygnus, a constellation that lies in the Milky Way between Lyra and Pegasus. It contains the first-magnitude star Deneb.

Dipper, Big and Little

Dipper, Big and Little, two groups of stars of the northern part of the sky, so called because of their resemblance to the outline of water dippers.

Gemini

Gemini, a constellation and the third sign of the zodiac. The name in Latin means the twins.

Hercules (constellation)

Hercules, a constellation of the Northern Hemisphere. It is best seen during the summer.

Leo, a constellation and the fifth sign of the zodiac. The name means The Lion. Leo is bordered on the north by Leo Minor and Ursa Major, on the east by Cancer, on the south by Crater and Sextans, and on the west by Coma Berenices and Virgo.

Libra

Libra, a constellation and the seventh sign of the zodiac. The sun formerly entered Libra in autumn, when days and nights balance each other in length.