Asterism
The Northern Cross
The cross-shaped main pattern of Cygnus, laid along the summer Milky Way with Deneb at its head.
Constellations
The constellation this pattern draws its stars from.
Stars
An asterism is a recognisable star pattern that is not one of the 88 official IAU constellations. Explore the 88 constellations →
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- BritannicaEncyclopaedia Britannica
General reference for the history of astronomy, biographies, and cultural context.