asterism
noun
as·ter·ism
ˈa-stə-ˌri-zəm 
1
a
: a group of stars that form a pattern in the night sky
On October evenings, when the trees have shed their leaves and stars become visible through the twigs, our best-known asterism, the Big Dipper, passes under the north pole.—
George Lovi
George LoviNote: The term asterism does not now usually refer to a constellation but to a star pattern that makes up part of a constellation or that includes stars from more than one constellation.
b
: a small group of stars
2
: a star-shaped figure exhibited by some crystals by reflected light (as in a star sapphire) or by transmitted light (as in some mica)
Examples of asterism in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Procyon, Sirius and Betelgeuse in Orion form the Winter Triangle asterism that is easy to see even from light-polluted locations in cities and suburbs.
—Jesse Emspak, Space.com, 27 Dec. 2024
Moon Nears Pleiades November and December are the best months to see the Pleiades star cluster, a shimmery asterism of more than 1,000 stars.
—Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 2 Dec. 2024
Find the other two that make up the famous asterism — Deneb in Cygnus, above Vega, and Altair in Aquila, to the left.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
This asterism, located within the Taurus constellation, is a fan favorite among stargazers.
—Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 1 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for asterism
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Jesse Emspak, Space.com, 27 Dec. 2024
Moon Nears Pleiades November and December are the best months to see the Pleiades star cluster, a shimmery asterism of more than 1,000 stars.
—Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 2 Dec. 2024
Find the other two that make up the famous asterism — Deneb in Cygnus, above Vega, and Altair in Aquila, to the left.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
This asterism, located within the Taurus constellation, is a fan favorite among stargazers.
—Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 1 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for asterism
Cite this Entry
“Asterism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/asterism. Accessed 16 Mar. 2025.
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