The constellations in order of size
by Dominic Ford
The table below lists the 88 astronomical constellations in order of size.
| Constellation | First Appeared | Brightest Star | Size (% of sky) |
| Constellation | First Appeared | Brightest Star | Size (% of sky) | |
| 1 | Hydra | Ancient | Alphard | 3.2 |
| 2 | Virgo | Ancient | Spica | 3.1 |
| 3 | Ursa Major | Ancient | Alioth | 3.1 |
| 4 | Cetus | Ancient | Diphda | 3.0 |
| 5 | Hercules | Ancient | Kornephoros | 3.0 |
| 6 | Eridanus | Ancient | Achernar | 2.8 |
| 7 | Pegasus | Ancient | Enif | 2.7 |
| 8 | Draco | Ancient | Eltanin | 2.6 |
| 9 | Centaurus | Ancient | Rigil-Kentaurus | 2.6 |
| 10 | Aquarius | Ancient | Sadalsuud | 2.4 |
| 11 | Ophiuchus | Ancient | Rasalhague | 2.3 |
| 12 | Leo | Ancient | Regulus | 2.3 |
| 13 | Bootes | Ancient | Arcturus | 2.2 |
| 14 | Pisces | Ancient | η-Psc | 2.2 |
| 15 | Sagittarius | Ancient | Kaus-Australis | 2.1 |
| 16 | Cygnus | Ancient | Deneb | 1.9 |
| 17 | Taurus | Ancient | Aldebaran | 1.9 |
| 18 | Camelopardalis | 1612 (Plancius) | β-Cam | 1.8 |
| 19 | Andromeda | Ancient | Alpheratz | 1.8 |
| 20 | Puppis | 1756 (Lacaille) | Naos | 1.6 |
| 21 | Auriga | Ancient | Capella | 1.6 |
| 22 | Aquila | Ancient | Altair | 1.6 |
| 23 | Serpens | Ancient | Unukalhai | 1.5 |
| 24 | Perseus | Ancient | Mirfak | 1.5 |
| 25 | Cassiopeia | Ancient | γ-Cas | 1.5 |
| 26 | Orion | Ancient | Rigel | 1.4 |
| 27 | Cepheus | Ancient | Alderamin | 1.4 |
| 28 | Lynx | 1687 (Hevelius) | α-Lyn | 1.3 |
| 29 | Libra | Ancient (Roman) | Zubeneschamali | 1.3 |
| 30 | Gemini | Ancient | Pollux | 1.2 |
| 31 | Cancer | Ancient | β-Cnc | 1.2 |
| 32 | Vela | 1756 (Lacaille) | γ²-Vel | 1.2 |
| 33 | Scorpius | Ancient | Antares | 1.2 |
| 34 | Carina | 1756 (Lacaille) | Canopus | 1.2 |
| 35 | Monoceros | 1612 (Plancius) | α-Mon | 1.2 |
| 36 | Sculptor | 1756 (Lacaille) | α-Scl | 1.2 |
| 37 | Phoenix | 1598 (Keyser & de Houtman) | Ankaa | 1.1 |
| 38 | Canes Venatici | 1687 (Hevelius) | Cor-Caroli | 1.1 |
| 39 | Aries | Ancient | Hamal | 1.1 |
| 40 | Capricornus | Ancient | δ-Cap | 1.0 |
| 41 | Fornax | 1756 (Lacaille) | α-For | 1.0 |
| 42 | Coma Berenices | 1536 (Vopel) | β-Com | 0.9 |
| 43 | Canis Major | Ancient | Sirius | 0.9 |
| 44 | Pavo | 1598 (Keyser & de Houtman) | Peacock | 0.9 |
| 45 | Grus | 1598 (Keyser & de Houtman) | Alnair | 0.9 |
| 46 | Lupus | Ancient | α-Lup | 0.8 |
| 47 | Sextans | 1687 (Hevelius) | α-Sex | 0.8 |
| 48 | Tucana | 1598 (Keyser & de Houtman) | α-Tuc | 0.7 |
| 49 | Indus | 1598 (Keyser & de Houtman) | α-Ind | 0.7 |
| 50 | Octans | 1756 (Lacaille) | ν-Oct | 0.7 |
| 51 | Lepus | Ancient | Arneb | 0.7 |
| 52 | Lyra | Ancient | Vega | 0.7 |
| 53 | Crater | Ancient | δ-Crt | 0.7 |
| 54 | Columba | 1592 (Plancius) | Phact | 0.7 |
| 55 | Vulpecula | 1687 (Hevelius) | α-Vul | 0.7 |
| 56 | Ursa Minor | Ancient | Polaris | 0.6 |
| 57 | Telescopium | 1756 (Lacaille) | α-Tel | 0.6 |
| 58 | Horologium | 1756 (Lacaille) | α-Hor | 0.6 |
| 59 | Pictor | 1756 (Lacaille) | α-Pic | 0.6 |
| 60 | Piscis Austrinus | Ancient | Fomalhaut | 0.6 |
| 61 | Hydrus | 1598 (Keyser & de Houtman) | β-Hyi | 0.6 |
| 62 | Antlia | 1756 (Lacaille) | α-Ant | 0.6 |
| 63 | Ara | Ancient | α-Ara | 0.6 |
| 64 | Leo Minor | 1687 (Hevelius) | 46-LMi | 0.6 |
| 65 | Pyxis | 1756 (Lacaille) | α-Pyx | 0.5 |
| 66 | Microscopium | 1756 (Lacaille) | γ-Mic | 0.5 |
| 67 | Apus | 1598 (Keyser & de Houtman) | α-Aps | 0.5 |
| 68 | Lacerta | 1690 (Hevelius) | α-Lac | 0.5 |
| 69 | Delphinus | Ancient | Rotanev | 0.5 |
| 70 | Corvus | Ancient | Gienah | 0.4 |
| 71 | Canis Minor | Ancient | Procyon | 0.4 |
| 72 | Dorado | 1598 (Keyser & de Houtman) | α-Dor | 0.4 |
| 73 | Corona Borealis | Ancient | Alphecca | 0.4 |
| 74 | Norma | 1756 (Lacaille) | γ²-Nor | 0.4 |
| 75 | Mensa | 1756 (Lacaille) | α-Men | 0.4 |
| 76 | Volans | 1598 (Keyser & de Houtman) | γ²-Vol | 0.3 |
| 77 | Musca | 1598 (Keyser & de Houtman) | α-Mus | 0.3 |
| 78 | Triangulum | Ancient | β-Tri | 0.3 |
| 79 | Chamaeleon | 1598 (Keyser & de Houtman) | α-Cha | 0.3 |
| 80 | Corona Australis | Ancient | α-CrA | 0.3 |
| 81 | Caelum | 1756 (Lacaille) | α-Cae | 0.3 |
| 82 | Reticulum | 1756 (Lacaille) | α-Ret | 0.3 |
| 83 | Triangulum Australe | 1598 (Keyser & de Houtman) | Atria | 0.3 |
| 84 | Scutum | 1684 (Hevelius) | α-Sct | 0.3 |
| 85 | Circinus | 1756 (Lacaille) | α-Cir | 0.2 |
| 86 | Sagitta | Ancient | γ-Sge | 0.2 |
| 87 | Equuleus | Ancient (Ptolemy) | Kitalpha | 0.2 |
| 88 | Crux | 1598 (Plancius) | Acrux | 0.2 |