Asterism (astronomy) In astronomy, an asterism is a pattern of stars recognized on Earth's night sky.
It may form part of an official constellation, or be composed of stars from more than one. Like constellations, asterisms are in most cases composed of stars which, while they are visible in the same general direction, are not physically related, often being at significantly different distances from Earth. The mostly simple shapes and few stars make these patterns easy to identify, and thus particularly useful to those learning to familiarize themselves with the night sky. Asterisms. Asterisms. Introduction The article that kicked me off observing asterisms was by Phil Harrington writing in Sky & Telescope over 10 years ago in the May 1998 edition.
Here was an alternative to faint fuzzies. Something visible in binoculars and not requiring super dark skies. And what's more, they put a smile back on your face. If you are ready for some light relief - read on.