asterism

English

WOTD – 14 April 2010

The "Summer Triangle", an asterism easily seen overhead during clear summer nights (in the northern hemisphere).

An asterism (mineralogy)

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἀστερισμός (asterismós, “group of stars”), from ἀστήρ (astḗr, “star”). Analyzable as aster- +‎ -ism

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /ˈæs.təˌɹɪz.əm/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

Noun

asterism (plural asterisms)

1. (astronomy) An unofficial constellation (small group of stars that forms a visible pattern).

   The Big Dipper, Summer Triangle, and Orion's Belt are asterisms.

   • 1825, Geo G. Carey, Astronomy, as it is known at the present day, London, p. 66 f:

     Of the constellations, or asterisms. [...] It therefore became necessary to adopt a more general method of distinguishing them. This was accomplished by portioning out the heavens into imaginary figures, of men, birds, fishes, &c. called Constellations or Asterisms.

   • 2007, Matilde Battistini, Rosanna M. Giammanco Frongia (translation from Italian into English), Astrology, Magic, and Alchemy in Art, page 60:

     Like Pisces and Capricorn, Aquarius is located in that part of the sky known as "Astral Sea," a region inhabited by water asterisms such as Eridanus, Cetus (the Whale), and the Dolphin.

2. A rarely used typographical symbol (⁂, three asterisks arranged in a triangle), used to call attention to a passage or to separate subchapters in a book.
3. (mineralogy) A star-shaped figure exhibited by some crystals by reflected light (as in a star sapphire) or by transmitted light (as in some mica).

Related terms

• aster
• asterisk
• asteroid
• catasterism

Translations

constellation

• Cebuano: asterismo
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 星群 (zh) (xīngqún)

• Finnish: tähdistö (fi)
• French: astérisme (fr) m, constellation (fr) f
• German: Sternbild (de) m, Asterismus (de) m
• Greek:

  Ancient: ἀστερισμός m (asterismós)

• Irish: réaltlach m, astaireacht f
• Japanese: 星座 (ja) (seiza)
• Latin: asterismus m
• Ottoman Turkish: نجم (necm)
• Persian: پیکره (fa) (peykare), صورتواره (suratvâre)
• Portuguese: asterismo m
• Spanish: asterismo (es) m, constelación (es) f

small group of stars

• Cebuano: asterismo
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 星群 (zh) (xīngqún)

• Finnish: tähdistö (fi), tähtikuvio (fi), asterismi (fi)
• Hungarian: csillagalakzat (hu)
• Irish: réaltlach m, astaireacht f
• Italian: asterismo
• Japanese: 星群 (seigun), アステリズム (asuterizumu)
• Korean: 성군(星群) (seonggun)
• Malay: asterisme
• Ottoman Turkish: نجم (necm)
• Persian: صورتک (fa) (suratak), اخترگان (axtargân), صورتواره (suratvâre)
• Portuguese: asterismo m
• Russian: астери́зм (ru) m (asterízm)
• Vietnamese: mảng sao (皿𣋀)

typographical symbol

• Cebuano: asterismo
• Dutch: asterisme n
• Finnish: tähdistö (fi), kolme asteriskia
• French: astérisme (fr) m
• German: Asterism m
• Italian: asterismo
• Japanese: アステリズム (asuterizumu)
• Norwegian:

  Nynorsk: asterisme f

• Portuguese: asterismo m
• Russian: астери́зм (ru) m (asterízm), три звёздочки (tri zvjózdočki)
• Serbo-Croatian: астеризам m (asterizam)
• Spanish: asterismo (es)
• Swedish: asterism c
• Turkish: asterizm

a star-shaped figure exhibited by some crystals

• Cebuano: asterismo
• Finnish: tähdistö (fi), asterismi (fi)
• French: astérisme (fr) m
• German: Asterismus (de) m
• Irish: astaireacht f
• Italian: asterismo m
• Japanese: スター効果 (sutākōka), アステリズム (asuterizumu), 星彩効果 (seisaikōka), 星形の光 (hoshigata no hikari), 星彩 (ja) (seisai)
• Polish: asteryzm (pl) m
• Portuguese: asterismo m
• Russian: астери́зм (ru) m (asterízm)
• Spanish: asterismo (es)

See also

• starstone
• syzygy

Anagrams

• Maestris, Reitsmas, Ritsemas, St. Maries, maisters, maistres, misrates, semistar, smarties

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French astérisme.

Noun

asterism n (plural asterisme)

1. asterism

Declension

Declension of asterism

	singular		plural
	indefinite articulation	definite articulation	indefinite articulation	definite articulation
nominative/accusative	(un) asterism	asterismul	(niște) asterisme	asterismele
genitive/dative	(unui) asterism	asterismului	(unor) asterisme	asterismelor
vocative	asterismule		asterismelor