History Main / FictionalConstellations

* ''Literature/TheVoyageOfTheDawnTreader'': A brief scene has the Pevensies looking at the Narnian night sky and identifying constellations they'd seen on their previous trips. They're completely different from Earth's.

* Fans have actually found some of those 3,192 ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' constellations. This is [[https://www.deviantart.com/agprov/art/Skippy-Wezen-the-stellar-kangaroo-359477419 Wezen The Stellar Kangaroo]].

* ''Fanfic/TriptychContinuum'': The focus of ''[[Recap/TriptychContinuumTwilightSparkleVsTheECMCR Twilight Sparkle Vs. The Equestrian Cutie Mark Constellation Registry]]'', where Twilight ends up in conflict with an agency that makes constellations out of pony's Cutie Marks. The Barding of the Ancients, a band of constellations representing [[spoiler: Celestia and Luna's dead comrades]], is also brought up.

-->'''Shrek:''' Well, there's, um...Gabby, the small, and annoying.
-->'''Donkey:''' Okay, okay. I see it, I see it now, yeah. The big shiny one, right there. Right? That-That one there?

* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' has its own constellations, some of which change noticeably as the Turtle goes past them. They're usually used for the FictionalZodiac, but in ''Literature/TheLastContinent'' they're used as a sign the wizards have travelled back in time, and to estimate how far.

* ''Series/{{Beastmaster}}'': After one of her unicorns is killed by an ambitious and corrupt royal advisor, The Sorceress takes the remaining two and places them in the sky as a constellation (later removed by her mentor The Ancient One as punishment for her inappropriate behavior).
* ''Series/DoctorWho'': Gallifrey is in the "constellation of Kasterborous". Exactly what this means is open to debate, given a constellation only exists from a certain frame of reference, and we're never given one. The ''Franchise/DoctorWhoExpandedUniverse'' has come up with a number of theories, including that Time Lords define "constellations" four-dimensionally, which somehow means it's possible for Gallifrey's system to be in one from its own perspective; that it's a constellation in Earth's sky, but in the distant future; and that the Doctor meant to say "star system" but got confused. The same issues apply to other constellations the Doctor has used as reference points, including Scythia (location of Ribos, "The Ribos Operation"), Cetus (location of Varos, "Vengeance on Varos") and Canthares (location of the Canthares supernova, "Image of the Fendahl").

--> '''Crow:''' ''(sarcastic)'' It's a pencil. The eraser's almost gone.

* ''ComicStrip/TheFarSide'': One strip has a character pointing out the constellation known as "The Big Dip", which is the profile of a dorky-looking man.

** The 5th Edition sourcebook ''Tasha's Cauldron of Everything'' describes three constellations, The Archer, The Chalice and The Dragon, and the ways a druid who joins the [[StarPower Circle of Stars]] can draw power from each of them.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV: Heavensward'' introduced Astrologian, a healing Job that taps into ThePowerOfTheSun, {{Lunacy}} and most importantly StarPower, for their magic. They gain their power by attuning their aether to that of six constellations: The Balance, The Bole, The Spire, The Ewer, The Arrow and the Spear, using CardsOfPower (which references {{Tarot|Motifs}} cards and their own use of zodiacal iconography). The six constellations are said to depict the six heavens, the homes of [[FantasyPantheon the Twelve]].

* ''VideoGame/KingdomOfLoathing'': There is an area called "The Hole in the Sky". All of the monsters within are constellations that are also {{Double Entendre}}s for male or female genitalia, such as "the Burrowing Bishop," "the Trouser Snake," or "the Little Man in the Canoe". Except for "the Astronomer", because the astronomers of the Days of Old were fond of not only childish visual puns, but of ShamelessSelfPromotion.

** ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'' introduced constellations based on the western zodiac; a couple of these appeared in the anime as well.

* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld2YoshisIsland'': The boss fight against Raphael the Raven takes place on the moon. While up there, you can see the stars, and a group of them have lines connecting them to form a goonie. Upon defeating Raphael, he flies off and becomes a constellation of his own.

** "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS6E14BartsComet Bart's Comet]]": Principal Skinner points out some constellation to Bart: First is "The Chariot Race", which consists of a ''single star''. Then "The Three Wise Men", which looks like an improbably detailed constellation of Film/TheThreeStooges.
* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'': In "[[Recap/SouthParkS2E11RogerEbertShouldLayOffTheFattyFoods Roger Ebert Should Lay Off the Fatty Foods]]", the constellations in Dr. Adams' planetarium include "The Big Dipper", "Taurus, the Bull", "Roger Ebert", and "The Crusades", each composed of less stars than the last, but with more and more complex drawings superimposed over them. "The Crusades" is only two stars.

* Fans have actually found some of those 3,192 Literature/{{Discworld}} constellations. This is [[https://www.deviantart.com/agprov/art/Skippy-Wezen-the-stellar-kangaroo-359477419 Wezen The Stellar Kangaroo]].

* ''Series/TheLordOfTheRingsTheRingsOfPower'': The ''Hermit's Hat'' is a constellation fictional even for the ''Franchise/TolkiensLegendarium'' because it was invented solely for the show. The Meteor Man was send to Middle-earth to find this particular constellation. He learns from the Mystics that he can find the constellation in the lands of Rhûn, in the far east.

* ''Film/EternalSunshineOfTheSpotlessMind'': Discussed when Clementine and Joel have their (apparently) first date on a frozen lake at night. Clem asks Joel to point out constellations though he doesn't know any, so he makes one up off the top of his head: Osidious The Emphatic ("Right over there, kind of a swoop and a cross.")

[[folder:TabletopGames]]

[[folder:VideoGames]]

* ''VideoGame/KingdomOfLoathing'' features an area called "The Hole in the Sky". All of the monsters within are constellations that are also {{Double Entendre}}s for male or female genitalia, such as "The Burrowing Bishop," "The Trouser Snake," or "The Little Man in the Canoe". Except for "The Astronomer", because the astronomers of the Days of Old were fond of not only childish visual puns, but of ShamelessSelfPromotion.

** The sequel, ''VideoGame/{{Okamiden}}'', adds another five constellations; in this case, the stars are already there, but they must be connected correctly to unlock the Brush God and their associated skill.

* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld2YoshisIsland'': The boss fight against Raphael the Raven takes place on the moon. While up there, you can see the stars, and a group of them have lines connecting them to form a goonie. Upon defeating Raphael, he flies off and becomes a constellation of his own.

** In the ''[[Anime/PokemonTheOriginalSeries Original Series]]'' episode "A Friend In Deed", Ash and Ritchie are tracking Team Rocket (up to their usual hijinks) and decide to pitch camp for the night. Looking up at the stars, they trace lines between them to form images of specific Pokémon.

* In ''Anime/StarTwinklePrettyCure'', Hikaru draws her own constellation that turns into the mascot Fuwa.

* ''Fanfic/TriptychContinuum'': The focus of ''[[Recap/TriptychContinuumTwilightSparkleVsTheECMCR Twilight Sparkle Vs. The Equestrian Cutie Mark Constellation Registry]]'', where Twilight ends up in conflict with an agency that makes constellations out of pony's Cutie Marks. The Barding of the Ancients, a band of constellations representing [[spoiler: Celestia and Luna's dead comrades]] are also brought up.

* ''WesternAnimation/Shrek1'' tells Donkey the names the ogres give to several constellations.

** In ''Literature/PrinceCaspian'', Lucy observes the Narnian sky and notices three constellations; the Ship, the Hammer, and the Leopard.
** In ''Literature/TheVoyageOfTheDawnTreader'', as the titular ship travels further and further east, new constellations are seen that neither the Pevensies nor the native Narnians have ever glimpsed.
* Literature/TheCosmere has a variety of different constellations; a map of them can be seen [[https://coppermind.net/wiki/Scar#/media/File:Cosmere_constellation_map.jpg here]]. Of particular note is the Scar, which is visible from multiple planets and known by different names on each of them.

* In the ''Literature/{{Earthsea}}'' series novel ''Literature/AWizardOfEarthsea''. Wizards know that the land of the dead has constellations which do not match those of the living world. Their names include the Sheaf, the Tree, the Door and the One Who Turns.
* In the Literature/{{Dragonlance}} setting, the gods each have their own constellation in the night sky - Paladine's is a platinum dragon, Reorx's is a hammer, and Takhisis's is a multiheaded dragon, for example. When a god is active on Krynn, their constellation vanishes from the sky. In the BadFuture where Raistlin defeated the gods to take a place among them, his new constellation (an hourglass) was dominant in the sky, pushing the constellations of the remaining gods aside.
* In ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', Westeros has different constellations. The Ice Dragon's blue eye is the setting's North Star, and at one point Jon and Ygritte talk about the different names the constellations have in their cultures.
* Canines in ''Literature/SurvivorDogs'' have their own constellations: the Rabbit, the Wolf and her cub, the Great Tree, and the Running Squirrel.
* Mentioned in the [[Creator/RobertAHeinlein "Heinlein Juvenile"]] novel ''Literature/StarmanJones'', in which a starship is lost in space due to a navigational error. They don't actually navigate by them, but seeing familiar constellations (that is, familiarly alien) lets the crew know they're in a known star system.

* The Literature/StarTrekNovelverse mentions many alien constellations, like the Bajoran constellation the Five Brothers (only four are visible, the relevant myth being that the fifth, wisest brother is [[Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus avoiding being seen]]), the Romulan constellation Dhael the Raptor, and the Cardassian constellation the Flower of Knowledge.
* Often subverted in Franchise/TolkiensLegendarium, as the names of constellations are fictional, but the constellations of Arda themselves are implied to be more or less identical with our real world constellations. For example, hobbits of The Shire refer to the Big Dipper as "The Sickle".
* In the Literature/TortallUniverse, constellations are either depictions of existing gods, or become gods in their own right. Alanna's magic black cat is the Cat constellation come to life to be her spirit guide.
* Creator/HBeamPiper's ''Uller Uprising'' mentions a constellation called "Finnegan's Goat", visible in the sky of Uller (a planet orbiting the star Beta Hydrae).

* In ''Series/TheAdventuresOfPeteAndPete'', Artie (the strongest man...in the wooooorld!) has his own unofficial constellation.

* ''Series/GekisouSentaiCarranger'': {{Parodied}} (like pretty much everything else); the five members of Pegasus Garage get their power from constellations based on cars, because this show is gloriously stupid and likes being that way.

* ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'': The episode "[[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S05E02Hercules Hercules]]" deconstructs the whole constellations-as-a-motif when Crow complains he doesn't see the figures of ancient legend in the night sky. Servo attempts to update the constellations to reflect "modern sensibilities", creating elaborate constructs such as "The Ham Sandwich", "The New Christy Minstrels" and, out of a mere eleven stars, "[[Creator/PabloPicasso Picasso]]'s ''Art/{{Guernica}}''." Frustrated, Crow comes back with a "modern" constellation of his own, consisting of two stars:

* ''Series/TheOrville'': One episode features an alien civilization entirely governed by astrology. One of the stars in one of their constellations died millennia ago making the sign (and every born under it) an ill omen.
* ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'': In the episode "Second Sight" Sisko points out that the Bajorans call a particular constellation "The Runners. I can never figure out if they're running toward something or away from something."

* ''ComicStrip/TheFarSide:'' One strip has a character pointing out the constellation known as "The Big Dip", which is the profile of a dorky-looking man.

* ''Tabletopgame/DungeonsAndDragons 5th Edition'': the sourcebook ''Tasha's Cauldron of Everything'' describes three constellations, The Archer, The Chalice and The Dragon, and the ways a druid who joins the [[StarPower Circle of Stars]] can draw power from each of them.
* As in ''Literature/{{Dragonlance}}'', the major gods in ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'' have their own constellations. In ''The Avatar Trilogy'' a constellation based on the new Mystra's holy symbol (a circle of seven stars with a red mist in the middle) appears when she ascends to godhood.
* The Empire in ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasyRoleplay'' distinguishes constellations such as the Big Cross and the Piper. Crosses over with FictionalZodiac since many assign influence on these constellations based on the day of birth.

* Constellations in the ''Franchise/DragonAge'' universe are partially based on the religious leanings of ancient Tevinter, which at one time ruled the majority of the continent. They don't really become apparent to the player until ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'', which utilizes them in a series of in-universe puzzles which lead the heroes to hidden treasure caches.
* In ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'', the thirteen FictionalZodiac signs are based on constellations in their AlienSky, twelve to represent each month and one that appears randomly. Each sign grants its own powers, and in different ways, depending on the game.

* In ''VideoGame/GenshinImpact'', there's a constellation system. Each character has an unique fictional constellation that can be expanded by using a character-exclusive star powder that can be obtained by getting the character that you already have in the gacha.
* In ''VideoGame/GrimDawn'', the world of Cairn has its own constellation of stars. To the PC, restoring devotion shrines grant you [[StarPower the power of the stars]] in the form of passive bonuses. Some power stars can be bound to your active skills and proc under certain conditions.

* In the lore of ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'' constellations are a significant cultural aspect on Mount Targon, as the constellations are each a symbol of the [[PhysicalGods Aspects]].

** At the end of ''Mario Party 4'''s story mode, a cutscene shows the character who was played as receiving a constellation in their likeness. It can then be viewed in the Present Room above that character's presents.
** Drawing constellations is the objective of the ''Island Tour'' mini-game "Starring Artist".
* In ''VideoGame/{{Myst}}'', the player must make use of constellations in the night sky of Myst Island to solve a puzzle.
* In the backstory of ''VideoGame/NexusWar'' games, the four-pointed symbol of the Nexal death god [[DontFearTheReaper Hashaa]] is said to be one of the few constellations visible in the plane of Purgatorio. It's fitting since Hashaa's symbol represents the application of entropy and decay to all things, while Purgatorio is a cosmic-scale junkyard filled with faded, crumbling mementos of past worlds.

* There are various examples from the ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' franchise, all of them of the titular [[{{Mons}} creatures]].
** One level of ''VideoGame/PokemonSnap'' has a constellation of Mewtwo as a secret.
** Other constellations seen in the Rainbow Cloud level include Kingler, Pinsir, Koffing, Cubone, and Dugtrio.

* In ''Franchise/TouhouProject'', it's explained that youkai have their own constellations, distinct from those known by humans. Of particular note is that they consider the Big Dipper to be a dragon. Not just a pattern of stars that resembles a dragon, or is based on some mythological dragon, but an [[OurDragonsAreDifferent actual living dragon made up of stars]] that lives in the sky and seeks to swallow the North Star.

* In the ''WebAnimation/StrongBadEmail'' "myths & legends", Strong Bad identifies a number of "Strong Badian" constellations: the snake seen on the Strong Badian flag, a man with a big knife, a hand giving the "OK" signal, a board with nails in it, a carton of General Tso's chicken, a fish wearing an afro wig, and a British distance runner. The latter two are said to have "combined forces to defeat the others... in paintball... or maybe Red Rover" and became the inspiration for the Bear Holding a Shark that protects Strong Badia's fence.

* In Season 8 of ''Podcast/DiceFunk'', Skitch's character is a Hobgoblin Circle of Stars druid called Azé. To match the setting, he created his own zodiac (for example, The Archer is replaced with The Hand).
* The ''Website/{{Neopets}}'' land [[AncientGrome Altador]] has 12 constellations representing the city's heroes.

* ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'': "The Mountain" introduces a pair of human-shaped constellations standing side-by-side, with the moment their hands touch colloquially known as the "Dap of the Heavens".
* ''WesternAnimation/IlEtaitUneFois''''Space'': the "constellation" of the Triton is actually a multiple star system formed by a red supergiant star orbited by a white dwarf and a red dwarf.

* ''WesternAnimation/SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower'': After the first season, Bow's tracker pad begins getting random signals in First Ones script that everyone believes is a degraded message, as Adora is only able to make out the gibberish word 'Serenia'. They later learn it's not a message, but coordinates to Mara's ship relying on the placement of the constellation Serenia, named after one of the First Ones' mythological heroes. The protagonists didn't know because both the stars and the First Ones disappeared thousands of years ago, though luckily Bow's dads had records of the constellations in their library.

** In one episode, Homer gets an orphan to be a "Bigger Brother" to, and the following exchange occurs.

** In "Bart's Comet" Principal Skinner points out some constellation to Bart: First is "The Chariot Race", which consists of a ''single star''. Then "The Three Wise Men", which looks like an improbably detailed constellation of Film/TheThreeStooges.
* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'': In "Roger Ebert Should Lay Off the Fatty Foods", the constellations in Dr. Adams' planetarium include "The Big Dipper", "Taurus, the Bull", "Roger Ebert", and "The Crusades", each composed of less stars than the last, but with more and more complex drawings superimposed over them. "The Crusades" is only two stars.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'' tells Donkey the names the ogres give to several constellations.

* ''Videogame/AnimalCrossing: Wild World'' allows the player to create and name their own constellations. At nighttime they're visible in the sky.

** ''Videogame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'' introduced constellations based on the western zodiac; a couple of these appeared in the anime as well.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'', it's explained that youkai have their own constellations, distinct from those known by humans. Of particular note is that they consider the Big Dipper to be a dragon. Not just a pattern of stars that resembles a dragon, or is based on some mythological dragon, but an [[OurDragonsAreDifferent actual living dragon made up of stars]] that lives in the sky and seeks to swallow the North Star.

* ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'': The episode "[[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S05E02Hercules Hercules]]" deconstructs the whole constellations-as-a-motif when Crow complains he doesn't see the figures of ancient legend in the night sky. Servo attempts to update the constellations to reflect "modern sensibilities", creating elaborate constructs such as "The Ham Sandwich", "The New Christy Minstrels" and, out of a mere eleven stars, "[[CreatorPabloPicasso Picasso]]'s ''Art/{{Guernica}}''." Frustrated, Crow comes back with a "modern" constellation of his own, consisting of two stars:

* ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'': The episode "[[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S05E02Hercules Hercules]]" deconstructs the whole constellations-as-a-motif when Crow complains he doesn't see the figures of ancient legend in the night sky. Servo attempts to update the constellations to reflect "modern sensibilities", creating elaborate constructs such as "The Ham Sandwich", "The New Christy Minstrels" and, out of a mere eleven stars, "Picasso's ''Guernica''." Frustrated, Crow comes back with a "modern" constellation of his own, consisting of two stars:

** ''Anime/PokemonJirachiWishmaker'': The film's closing credits rolls across a number of constellations, many which are non-existent or fictional, which turns out to be based on various Pokemon from the franchise. The very last constellation appears as a single, shiny star ? that dissolves into one of the dots on Pikachu's cheeks.

[[caption-width-right:350:Rubello, the Fire-Breathing Pope constellation]]

* ''Series/{{Beastmaster}}'': After one of her unicorns is killed by an ambitious and corrupt royal advisor, The Sorceress takes the remaining two and places them in the sky as a constellation (later removed my her mentor The Ancient One as punishment for her inappropriate behavior).

See also FictionalZodiac, when the constellations serve as birthsigns. Often runs in tandem with AlienSky on worlds other than Earth, especially if someone from Earth is present to remark on the differences.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV: Heavensward'' introduced a healing Job that taps into ThePowerOfTheSun, {{Lunacy}} and most importantly StarPower, for their magic. They gain their power by attuning their aether to that of 6 constellations: The Balence, The Bole, The Spire, The Ewer, The Arrow and the Spear, using CardsOfPower (which references {{Tarot|Motifs}} cards and their own use of zodiacal iconography).

* In the Literature/{{Dragonlance}} setting, the gods each have their own constellation in the night sky - Paladine's is a platinum dragon, Reorx's is a hammer, and Takhisis's is a multiheaded dragon, for example. When a god is active on Krynn, their constellation vanishes from the sky. In the bad future where Raistin defeated the gods to take a place among them, his new constellation (an hourglass) was dominant in the sky, pushing the constellations of the remaining gods aside.

* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'':
** In the episode ''A Friend In Deed'', Ash and Ritchie are tracking Team Rocket (up to their usual hijinks) and decide to pitch camp for the night. Looking up at the stars, they trace lines between them to form images of specific pokemon.

Constellations are a very important part of culture. Therefore, an easy way to get across that a ConstructedWorld or fictional culture is distinct from ours is to have different constellations, based on some aspect of that world or culture. Sometimes, constellations have magic powers or significance.

See FictionalZodiac, when the constellations serve as birthsigns. Often runs in tandem with AlienSky on worlds other than Earth, especially if someone from Earth is present to remark on the differences.

* {{Parodied}}, like pretty much everything else, in ''Series/GekisouSentaiCarranger'', where the five members of Pegasus Garage get their power from constellations based on cars, because this show is gloriously stupid and likes being that way.
* The ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' episode "[[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S05E02Hercules Hercules]]" deconstructs the whole constellations-as-a-motif when Crow complains he doesn't see the figures of ancient legend in the night sky. Servo attempts to update the constellations to reflect "modern sensibilities", creating elaborate constructs such as "The Ham Sandwich", "The New Christy Minstrels" and, out of a mere eleven stars, "Picasso's ''Guernica''." Frustrated, Crow comes back with a "modern" constellation of his own, consisting of two stars:

* Played for laughs in an episode of ''Series/Room101'': When Esther Rantzen expresses a dislike for astrology, Paul Merton shows the audience the stars that make up Capricorn, then says "No way are those stars showing a goat to me, if you can do that, you can take another part of the sky and do this to it", then shows another group of stars linked together to form a TV set, a chair and a lamp.
* In the ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' episode "Second Sight" Sisko points out that the Bajorans call a particular constellation "The Runners. I can never figure out if they're running toward something or away from something."
* In ''Series/DoctorWho'', Gallifrey is in the "constellation of Kasterborous". Exactly what this means is open to debate, given a constellation only exists from a certain frame of reference, and we're never given one. The ''Franchise/DoctorWhoExpandedUniverse'' has come up with a number of theories, including that Time Lords define "constellations" four-dimensionally, which somehow means it's possible for Gallifrey's system to be in one from its own perspective; that it's a constellation in Earth's sky, but in the distant future; and that the Doctor meant to say "star system" but got confused. The same issues apply to other constellations the Doctor has used as reference points, including Scythia (location of Ribos, "The Ribos Operation"), Cetus (location of Varos, "Vengeance on Varos") and Canthares (location of the Canthares supernova, "Image of the Fendahl").

* ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia''