History Main / ConstellationsAsLocations

In real life, constellations don't actually exist as discrete groupings of stars -- what we perceive as constellations are simply casual patterns created by our perception of the night sky as a two-dimensional surface, and the individual stars within them are usually very far away from one another. Furthermore, because their shape is specifically the product of where their stars are located compared to ''Earth,'' they also only exist from a point of view in the solar system -- extrasolar worlds would have alien night skies with entirely different constellations. [[note]]With variation being bigger the further you go from Earth. Incidentally, from the point of view of Alpha Centauri, the closest star system from us, our Sun [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassiopeia_(constellation)#Pattern_from_Alpha_Centauri would be in Cassiopeia.]][[/note]] However, it's a common astronomy error in science fiction is to treat constellations as though they were clusters of stars that are actually physically near each other, and to treat these as major astronomical areas and reference points. Often, this results in characters or cultures being described as being "from the so-and-so constellation", and in constellations being used to describe where a specific location is within the broader universe.

This trope typically uses real-life constellations, as part of the assumption that constellations are universal constants. However, some works may invent FictionalConstellations that will be used in the same manner. Such uses are arguably more justified -- while the stars in real constellations are not clustered close together, there is no reason why a fictional constellation might not be so. Alternately, the meaning of the word "constellation" may have shifted in-universe to refer to stars that are actually in the same region, as interstellar travel made it necessary to have some convenient way to refer to such things.

* ''Manga/TheFiveStarStories'': The story is set in a group of star systems that are physically near each other, which many characters refer to as a constellation.

* ''Animation/TheMindsEye (1990)'': In the first segment "Creation", [[AstronomicZoom the camera flies through Orion's belt]]. Orion is shown to have all its stars exist on the same 2D plane.

* ''Literature/BioOfASpaceTyrant'': When Earth nations begin to colonize the galaxy after discovering faster-than-light travel, they divide their claims by each getting exclusive rights to a specific constellations. [[NationalAnimalStereotypes The United States get the Eagle, Russia gets the Bear, and China gets the Dragon.]]

* ''Bio of a Space Tyrant'': When Earth nations begin to colonize the galaxy after discovering faster-than-light travel, they divide their claims by each getting exclusive rights to a specific constellations. [[NationalAnimalStereotypes The United States get the Eagle, Russia gets the Bear, and China gets the Dragon.]]

* ''Manga/TheFiveStarStories'' is set in a group of star systems that are physically near each other, which many characters refer to as a constellation.

* ''Literature/BioOfASpaceTyrant'': When Earth nations begin to colonize the galaxy after discovering faster-than-light travel, they divide their claims by each getting exclusive rights to a specific constellations. [[NationalAnimalStereotypes The United States get the Eagle, Russia gets the Bear, and China gets the Dragon.]]

In real life, constellations don't actually exist as discrete groupings of stars -- what we perceive as constellations are simply casual patterns created by our perception of the night sky as a two-dimensional surface, and the individual stars within them are usually very far away from one another. Furthermore, because their shape is specifically the product of where their stars are located compared to ''Earth,'' they also only exist from a point of view in the solar system -- extrasolar worlds would have alien night skies with entirely different constellations. However, it's a common astronomy error in science fiction is to treat constellations as though they were clusters of stars that are actually physically near each other, and to treat these as major astronomical areas and reference points. Often, this results in characters or cultures being described as being "from the so-and-so constellation", and in constellations being used to describe where a specific location is within the broader universe.

* ''Film/MenInBlack'': Discussed, lampshaded and ultimately subverted. A dying alien tells the heroes that "the [[MacGuffin Galaxy]] is on the Orion's Belt", which they first take to refer to the strip of stars forming the "belt" of the Orion constellation. However, they are quickly refuted when they are shown that the "belt" in reality consists of stars millions of light-years apart that only ''look'' like they are close together from Earth, and that there are no suitable galaxies in that particular direction of the sky. [[spoiler:The alien's words turn out to refer to their pet, also named Orion, who carries a tiny galaxy hidden on their collar.]]

* Several of the major factions in ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'', such as the Lyran Commonwealth (later Lyran Alliance), Draconis Combine and Taurian Concordat, are named for constellations and rule over large regions of space containing at least some of the stars in said constellations as seen from Earth, but their fanciful names are generally understood to be little more than poetic license ([[PeoplesRepublicOfTyranny as are the other parts of their names, in many cases]]).

* The twelve Houses of ''Literature/TheZodiacSeries'' are all Zodiac constellations, with several planets and moons in each one.

* Several of the major factions in ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'', such as the Lyran Commonwealth (later Lyran Alliance), Draconis Combine and Taurian Concordat, are named for constellations and rule over large regions of space containing at least some of the stars in said constellations as seen from Earth, but their fanciful names are generally understood to be little more than poetic license ([[PeoplesRepublicOfTyranny as are the other parts if their names, in many cases]]).

* Several of the major factions in ''TabletopeGame/BattleTech'', such as the Lyran Commonwealth (later Lyran Alliance), Draconis Combine and Taurian Concordat, are named for constellations and rule over large regions of space containing at least some of the stars in said constellations as seen from Earth, but their fanciful names are generally understood to be little more than poetic license ([[PeoplesRepublicOfTyranny as are the other parts if their names, in many cases]]).

* Not even Creator/StanislawLem was immune to this issue - in both ''Literature/TheInvincible'' and ''Literature/{{Fiasco}}'' protagonists' spaceships arrive at constellations.

* In ''Literature/TheStainlessSteelRat'' a planet is described as being "Second planet of a B star in Corona Borealis", but the setting is a sprawling interstellar civilization in which Earth (and the whole Solar System) is either unimportant, or even (in later books in the series) destroyed and its location no longer known.

Subtrope of ArtisticLicenseAstronomy.

In real life, constellations don't actually exist as discrete groupings of stars -- what we perceive as constellations are simply casual patterns created by our perception of the night sky as a two-dimensional surface, and the individual stars within them are usually very far away from one another. Furthermore, because their shape is specifically the product of where their stars are located compared to the Earth, they also only exist from a point of view in the solar system -- extrasolar worlds would have alien night skies with entirely different constellations. However, it's a common astronomy error in science fiction is to treat constellations as though they were clusters of stars that are actually physically near each other, and to treat these as major astronomical areas and reference points. Often, this results in characters or cultures being described as being "from the so-and-so constellation", and in constellations being used to describe where a specific location is within the broader universe.

This trope typically uses real-life constellations, as part of the assumption that constellations are universal constants. However, some works may invent FictionalConstellations that will be used in the same manner. Such uses are arguably more justified-- while the stars in real constellations are not clustered close together, there is no reason why a fictional constellation might not be so.

!!Examples

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]

** ''The Trial of a Time Lord'' -- the season 23 story arc -- repeatedly refers to Earth's entire constellation being moved by advanced aliens, ravaging Earth in the process.

* ''WesternAnimation/IlEtaitUneFois Space'': Cassiopeia is said to control the neighboring constellations of Cepheus, Draco, and Andromeda, and aliens are described as coming from constellations such as Auriga or Centaurus.

* ''Film/MenInBlack'': Discussed, lampshaded and ultimately averted. A dying alien tells the heroes that "the [[MacGuffin Galaxy]] is on the Orion's Belt", which they first take to refer to the strip of stars forming the "belt" of the Orion constellation. However, they are quickly refuted when they are shown that the "belt" in reality consists of stars millions of light-years apart that only ''look'' like they are close together from Earth, and that there are no suitable galaxies in that particular direction of the sky. [[spoiler:The alien's words turn out to refer to their pet, also named Orion, who carries a tiny galaxy hidden on their collar.]]

Worth noting that this does happens with (some of) the stars in certain constellations, such as as Ursa Major, Orion, or Scorpius, that share a common origin and are relatively close to each other. However, even in this case, these stars often hundreds of light years from each other.

* ''Film/MenInBlack'': Discussed, lampshaded and ultimately averted. A dying alien tells the heroes that "the [[MacGuffin Galaxy]] is on the Orion's Belt", which they first take to refer to the strip of stars forming the "belt" of the Orion constellation. However, they are quickly refuted when they are shown that the "belt" in reality consists of stars millions of light years apart that only ''look'' like they are close together from Earth, and that there are no suitable galaxies in that particular direction of the sky. [[spoiler:The alien's words turn out to refer to their pet, also named Orion, who carries a tiny galaxy hidden on their collar.]]

* ''VideoGame/KatamariDamacy'': Constellations are physical groupings of stars, until they were all destroyed by the King of All Cosmos on a drunken bender, and your job is to build new ones to place back in the sky.

* ''Film/MenInBlack'': Discussed, lampshades and ultimately averted. A dying alien tells the heroes that "the [[MacGuffin Galaxy]] is on the Orion's Belt", which they first take to refer to the strip of stars forming the "belt" of the Orion constellation. However, they are quickly refuted when they are shown that the "belt" in reality consists of stars millions of light years apart that only ''look'' like they are close together from Earth, and that there are no suitable galaxies in that particular direction of the sky. [[spoiler:The alien's words turn out to refer to their pet, also named Orion, who carries a tiny galaxy hidden on their collar.]]

* ''Film/MenInBlack'': Lambasted in the original film, where a dying alien tells the heroes that "the [[MacGuffin Galaxy]] is on the Orion's Belt", which they first take to refer to the strip of stars forming the "belt" of the Orion constellation. However, they are quickly refuted when they are shown that the "belt" in reality consists of stars millions of light years apart that only ''look'' like they are close together from Earth, and that there are no suitable galaxies in that particular direction of the sky. [[spoiler:The alien's words turn out to refer to their pet, also named Orion, who carries a tiny galaxy hidden on their collar.]]