asterism

English

WOTD – 14 April 2010

The "Summer Triangle", an asterism easily seen overhead during clear summer nights (in the northern hemisphere).

An asterism (mineralogy)

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἀστερισμός (asterismós, “group of stars”), from ἀστήρ (astḗr, “star”). Analyzable as aster- +‎ -ism.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /ˈæs.təˌɹɪz.əm/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Noun

asterism (plural asterisms)

1. (astronomy) An unofficial constellation (small group of stars that forms a visible pattern).

   The Big Dipper, Summer Triangle, and Orion's Belt are asterisms.

   • 1825, Geo G. Carey, Astronomy, as it is known at the present day, London, p. 66 f:

     Of the constellations, or asterisms. [...] It therefore became necessary to adopt a more general method of distinguishing them. This was accomplished by portioning out the heavens into imaginary figures, of men, birds, fishes, &c. called Constellations or Asterisms.

   • 2007, Matilde Battistini, Rosanna M. Giammanco Frongia (translation from Italian into English), Astrology, Magic, and Alchemy in Art, page 60:

     Like Pisces and Capricorn, Aquarius is located in that part of the sky known as "Astral Sea," a region inhabited by water asterisms such as Eridanus, Cetus (the Whale), and the Dolphin.

2. A rarely used typographical symbol of three asterisks arranged in a triangle, ⁂, used to call attention to a passage or to separate subchapters in a book. Distinct from a dinkus which also uses asterisks to separate.
3. (mineralogy) A star-shaped figure exhibited by some crystals by reflected light (as in a star sapphire) or by transmitted light (as in some mica).

Derived terms

• asterismal

 

Related terms

• aster
• asterisk
• asteroid
• catasterism

Translations

constellation

• Arabic: صُورَة نَجْمِيَّة f (ṣūra(t) najmiyya), صُورَة سَمَاوِيَّة (ṣūra(t) samāwiyya), كَوْكَبَة f (kawkaba), بُرْج (burj)
• Cebuano: asterismo
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 星群 (zh) (xīngqún)

• Finnish: tähdistö (fi)
• French: astérisme (fr) m, constellation (fr) f
• German: Sternbild (de) m, Asterismus (de) m
• Greek:

  Ancient: ἀστερισμός m (asterismós)

• Irish: réaltlach m, astaireacht f
• Japanese: 星座 (ja) (seiza)
• Latin: asterismus m
• Ottoman Turkish: نجم (necm)
• Persian: پیکره (fa) (peykare), صورتواره (suratvâre)
• Portuguese: asterismo m
• Spanish: asterismo (es) m, constelación (es) f

small group of stars

• Arabic: كُوَيْكِبَة f (kuwaykiba)
• Cebuano: asterismo
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 星群 (zh) (xīngqún)

• Finnish: tähdistö (fi), tähtikuvio (fi), asterismi (fi)
• Hungarian: csillagalakzat (hu)
• Irish: réaltlach m, astaireacht f
• Italian: asterismo
• Japanese: 星群 (ja) (seigun), アステリズム (asuterizumu)
• Korean: 성군(星群) (seonggun)
• Malay: asterisme
• Ottoman Turkish: نجم (necm)
• Persian: صورتک (fa) (suratak), اخترگان (axtargân), صورتواره (suratvâre)
• Portuguese: asterismo m
• Russian: астери́зм (ru) m (asterízm)
• Vietnamese: mảng sao (皿𣋀)

typographical symbol

• Cebuano: asterismo
• Dutch: asterisme n
• Finnish: tähdistö (fi), kolme asteriskia
• French: astérisme (fr) m
• German: Asterism m
• Italian: asterismo
• Japanese: アステリズム (asuterizumu)
• Norwegian:

  Nynorsk: asterisme f

• Portuguese: asterismo m
• Russian: астери́зм (ru) m (asterízm), три звёздочки (tri zvjózdočki)
• Serbo-Croatian: астеризам m (asterizam)
• Spanish: asterismo (es)
• Swedish: asterism c
• Turkish: asterizm

a star-shaped figure exhibited by some crystals

• Arabic: نَجْمِيَّة (najmiyya)
• Cebuano: asterismo
• Finnish: tähdistö (fi), asterismi (fi)
• French: astérisme (fr) m
• German: Asterismus (de) m
• Irish: astaireacht f
• Italian: asterismo m
• Japanese: スター効果 (sutākōka), アステリズム (asuterizumu), 星彩効果 (seisaikōka), 星形の光 (hoshigata no hikari), 星彩 (ja) (seisai)
• Polish: asteryzm (pl) m
• Portuguese: asterismo m
• Russian: астери́зм (ru) m (asterízm)
• Spanish: asterismo (es)

See also

• starstone
• syzygy

Anagrams

• smarties, semitars, Reitsmas, St. Maries, maisters, Maestris, Ritsemas, misrates, maistres, semistar

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French astérisme.

Noun

asterism n (plural asterisme)

1. asterism

Declension

	singular			plural
	indefinite	definite		indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	asterism	asterismul		asterisme	asterismele
genitive-dative	asterism	asterismului		asterisme	asterismelor
vocative	asterismule			asterismelor