Asterism
[AST-uh-riz-əm]
Part of speech: noun
Origin: Greek, late 16th century
1.
a prominent pattern or group of stars, typically having a popular name but smaller than a constellation
2.
A group of three asterisks (⁂) drawing attention to following text.
Examples of Asterism in a sentence
"Eagle-eyed astronomers will easily be able to pick out several asterisms tonight."
"I saw a flashing light to the left of that asterism."
About Asterism
Asterism evolved from the Greek word “asterismos,” from “aster” (star).
Did you Know?
Stargazers might be able to easily point out the Big Dipper in the night sky, but it’s not actually a constellation. Instead, the seven stars of the Big Dipper are an asterism, located within the larger constellation of Ursa Major.
