constellation

Etymology

From Middle English constellacioun, constillacioun, from Middle French constellation, from Latin cōnstēllātiō, from con- (“together”) + stēllātus (“starred”), from stēlla (“star, astral body”).

noun

1. (astronomy) An asterism, an arbitrary formation of stars perceived as a figure or pattern, or a division of the sky including it, especially one officially recognised by astronomers.
   Next the cold Bears, (the Cause t' himself best known) / Shines forth a kneeling Constellation. / Behind whose Back Arctophylax appears, / The same Boötes call'd, because yoak'd Steers / He seeming drives; who through the rapid Skies / (Bearing Arcturus in his Bosome) hies. 1675, Edward Sherburne, The Sphere of Marcus Manilius Made an English Poem: With Annotations and an Astronomical Appendix., London, page 25
   Harpa Georgii, or the Harp of George, is a new constellation introduced on the maps by one of the German astronomers, in honour of the late king of England, George III. 1824, Astronomical Recreations; or, Sketches of the Relative Position and Mythological History of the Constellations, Philadelphia, page 78
   Located 11,000 light-years away in the northern constellation Cassiopeia, Cas A is the remnant of a once massive star that died in a violent explosion 325 years ago. 2005-06-09, Francis Reddy, “Spitzer finds supernova's echo”, in Astronomy, photo caption
   There was a time when the soft glow of barn lights dotted Wisconsin’s rural landscape like stars in a constellation, connecting families who labored into the night milking cows, feeding calves and finishing chores. 2019-02-21, Rick Barrett, “Dairy farmers are in crisis—and it could change Wisconsin forever”, in USA Today Network
   1. (modern astronomy) Any of the 88 regions of the sky officially recognized by the IAU, including all stars and celestial bodies in the region.
2. An image associated with a group of stars.
3. (astrology) The configuration of planets at a given time (notably of birth), as used for determining a horoscope.
4. (figurative) A wide, seemingly unlimited assortment.
   A constellation of possibilities.
   Throughout the 1500s, the populace roiled over a constellation of grievances of which the forest emerged as a key focal point. The popular late Middle Ages fictional character Robin Hood, dressed in green to symbolize the forest, dodged fines for forest offenses and stole from the rich to give to the poor. But his appeal was painfully real and embodied the struggle over wood. 2006, Edwin Black, chapter 2, in Internal Combustion
5. (space flight) A fleet of satellites of the same purpose (such as the set of GPS satellites, or Iridium satcom fleet).
   With its Starlink program, SpaceX hopes to launch a constellation of as many as 42,000 satellites to provide Internet service to the world. December 13 2021, Molly Ball, Jeffrey Kluger, Alejandro de la Garza, “Elon Musk: Person of the Year 2021”, in Time
6. A configuration or grouping.
   This software constellation persists today as Microsoft Office, the most popular software tool set in history. 2010, Jason B. Ohler, Digital Community, Digital Citizen, page 15
7. A network of connections that exists between people who are in polyamorous relationships, for example between one person, their partner, and that person's partner.