Over the years, many constellations have been described by many different astronomers in vastly different time periods and cultures. As a result, "gaps" without constellations were left in the sky, and other brighter areas were described by multiple constellations. Worse, there were no standards associated with the invention of constellations, so astronomers were free to add anything they liked. Some of these constellations were enormous (like Argo Navis) and difficult to utilize in modern systematic observation of the stars; others were tributes to monarchs or patrons or held religious symbolism, both of which alienated some astronomers. As a result, many of these constellations have been removed or broken up by modern astronomers. Today, 88 recognized constellations cover the sky with no gaps - each star or object detectable from Earth is assigned to a constellation. Presented here is a list of the old, "dead" constellations with their original composition and symbolism.
| Constellation | Original Composition | Original Symbolism |
| Antinoüs | 8 stars of Aquila | There were two myths to Antinoüs - the newer one represented it as the figure of a slave to Emperor Hadrian who drowned himself in a river so his master could have a longer life; the older said that it represented Ganymede brought to Jupiter by Aquila. |
| Apes | 4 stars in Aries | Represented a fly, but that role has now been assigned to Musca. |
| Apis | The stars of Musca | Occupied the position now held by the modern fly, Musca. |
| Apparatus Chemicus | Stars of Fornax | Another name for modern Fornax. |
| Argo Navis | The stars of Carina, Puppis, and Vela | This "monster" constellation depicted the ship Argo, built for Jason and his crew in their search for the Golden Fleece and, after the journey, placed in the sky by Athena. It is the only one of Ptolemy's original 48 constellations which is no longer used. The use of its designations, however, was so ingrained that the stars of Carina, Puppis, and Vela retain their designations to the present day. As a result, only Carina has an alpha star. |
| The Battery of Volta | Two dim stars between Delphinus, Equuleus, and Pegasus | Invented in 1806 by Thomas Young to honor Alessandro Volta's invention of the trough battery. |
| Cancer Minor | Stars between Cancer and Gemini | Formed around 1614 by Plancius to depict a small crab. |
| Cesaries | Stars of Coma Berenices | Another name for Coma Berenices, still occasionally referred to as Cesaries Berenices. |
| Cerberus | 4 stars between Hercules and Cygnus | Represented Cerberus, the three-headed dog of Greek myth that guarded Hades. Invented by Havelius in 1687. |
| Cor Caroli | Stars of Canes Venatici | Invented by Sir Charles Scarborough, physician to Charles I of England, to represent the king's crowned heart. It was first published in 1675 with the name Cor Caroli Regis Martyris. The alpha star of Canes Venatici now bears the name Cor Caroli. |
| Corona Firmiana Vulgo Septentrionalis | Stars of Corona Borealis | Corona Borealis was replaced by this constellation in 1730 to honor Leopold Anton von Firmian, but the change did not stick. |
| Custos Messium | Stars between Camelopardalis, Cassiopeia, and Cepheus. | Represented a harvest-keeper and was possibly a pun by Lalande, originator of the constellation, on the name of his friend Charles Messier. |
| Felis | Stars between Antlia and Hydra | Represented a cat. Was suggested by Lalande and published in an 1801 atlas by J.E. Bode. |
| Fornax Chemica | Stars of Fornax | The original name of modern Fornax, introduced by Lacaille in 1754-5 along with eleven others representing instruments of science. |
| Friedrichs Ehre (Frederici Honores) | Stars of Lacerta and Andromeda | Represented a sword, pen, olive branch, and laurel wreath in honor of Frederick II of Prussia. |
| Gallus | Stars between the old Argo Navis and Canis Major | Formed by Plancius in 1613 to depict the rooster of Christian legend that crowed twice after Peter denied Jesus three times. |
| Gladii Electorales Saxonici | 5 stars from Boötes, Serpens, Libra, and Virgo | Represented the crossed sword of the Electors of Saxony and was formed in honor of German emperor Leopold I. |
| Globus Aerostaticus | Stars of southern Capricornus | Another constellation proposed by Lalande and introduced by Bode. Represented a hot-air balloon to honor the ballooning pioneers, the Montgolfier brothers. |
| Horologium Oscillatorium | Stars of Horologium | Original name for Horologium. |
| Jordanus (Iordanus) | Stars to the east, south, and west of Ursa Major | Formed by Plancius in 1613 to represent the Jordan River. |
| Leo Palatinus | Stars between Aquarius and Aquila | Formed by Karl-Joseph König in 1785 to honor his patrons, Charles Theodore and Elisabeth Augusta of Germany. |
| Lilium (Fleur de Lis) | 4 stars north of Ares that also formed Apes | Represented a flower and was known in the Middle Ages as "Flower of the Mary." Often used as a sign for the Holy Trinity of Christian teaching and used as a symbol of loyalty on shields, tapestries, amulets, or other similar objects. |
| Lochium Funis | Some stars of Pyxis | Formed by Bode in 1801 to depict a nautical log line. |
| Machina Electrica | Stars south of central Cetus | Formed by Bode in 1801 to depict an electrostatic generator. |
| Marmor Sculptile | Stars of Reticulum | Formed in 1810 by William Croswell to represent the bust of Christopher Columbus. |
| Mons Maenalus | Stars at the feet of Boötes | Represented a mountain upon which Boötes was supposedly standing. |
| Musca Australis | Stars of Musca | Lacaille replaced the name Apis with this title, but both have fallen into disuse and this constellation is now known as Musca. |
| Musca Borealis | Stars of Aries | Represented a fly; was composed of the same stars as Plancius' Apes. |
| Noctua | Stars on the tail of Hydra | Formed by Elijah Hinsdale Burritt in 1833 to represent a night owl. |
| Officina Typographica | Stars east of Sirius | Formed by Bode in 1801 to depict a printing office and honor the 350th anniversary of movable type. |
| Phoenicopterus | Stars of Grus | Name offered in the seventeenth century as an alternative to Grus. |
| Polophylax | Stars between Crux and Piscis Austrinus | Formed by Plancius in 1614. Its name represents a clever play on words by Plancius; it comes from two Greek words: polos, meaning pivot and referring to the celestial axis, and phylax, meaning guardian. Thus, the name of this constellation was "guardian of the pole," an appropriate name for a constellation so close to the southern celestial pole. |
| Pomum Imperiale | 7 stars to the southeast of Aquila | Formed in 1688 by Godfried Kirch to represent the orb of Leopold I. |
| Psalterium Georgianum | Stars between Taurus and Eridanus | Formed in 1789 by Jesuit astronomer Maximilian Hell to depict the harp of King George III of England. |
| Quadrans Muralis | Stars between Hercules, Boötes, and Draco | Represented the mural quadrant of Lalande, which he used at the College de France to chart 50,000 stars. |
| Renne (le Renne; Tarandus vel Rangifer) | Stars between Cassiopeia and Camelopardalis | Formed in 1743 by Pierre-Charles le Monnier to represent a reindeer and commemorate his expedition to measure the length of a degree of Earth's latitude near the north pole. |
| Robur Carolinum | 25 stars near Carina | Formed by Halley in 1679 to depict the Royal Oak of the English King Charles II. The story went that the king had laid in an oak tree for 24 hours after a defeat by Oliver Cromwell at the battle of Worcester. |
| Sagitta Australe | Stars north of Aquila | Formed around 1614 by Plancius to depict an arrow. |
| Sceptrum | Stars of Lacerta and between Pegasus and Cepheus | Formed in 1679 by Royer to honor Louis XIV of France, this figure of the French scepter and hand of justice was a failed attempt to replace the already-established Lacerta. |
| Sceptrum Brandenburgicum | 5 stars below first bend in Eridanus and west of Lepus | Formed in 1688 by Godfried Kirch, this constellation's name is a poor Latinization of its figure, the Brandenburg Scepter. |
| Sciurus Volans | 2 stars in the tail of Camelopardalis | Introduced by William Croswell of Boston in 1810 to depict a flying squirrel. |
| Solarium | Stars east of Horologium | Represented a sundial. |
| Solitaire (Turdus Solitarius) | 41 stars near the tail of Hydra | Formed in 1776 by Le Monnier to represent a solitary thrush, this group was later changed and manipulated by some to become Noctua, the night owl. |
| Tarandus vel Rangifer | Stars between Cassiopeia and Camelopardalis | Another name for Le Monnier's Renne, or reindeer. |
| Taurus Poniatowski | 16 stars of Ophiuchus | Formed by Abbé Poczobut of Poland to depict the bull of Stanislaus Poniatowski (Stanislaus II), King of Poland |
| Tigris | Stars between Cygnus and Aquila | Formed by Plancius in 1614 to represent the Tigris River. |
| Triangulum Minor | 3 stars south of Triangulum | Created by Hevelius in his 1687 atlas to depict a small triangle. |
| Tubus Herschelii Major | Stars near Lynx | One of two constellations formed in 1789 by Maximilian Hell to honor the discovery of Uranus by Sir William Herschel. It represented Herschel's 20-foot reflecting telescope. |
| Tubus Herschelii Minor | Stars in Taurus | The other constellation formed by Maximilian Hell to honor Herschel, this represents a 7-foot reflecting telescope. |
| Turdus Solitardus | 41 stars near the tail of Hydra | An alternate name for Solitaire. |
| Vulpecula Ansere | Stars of Vulpecula | Formed by Hevelius to depict a fox and goose; now simplified to Vulpecula. |
Created by Dan Corbett, Kate Stafford, and Patrick Wright for ThinkQuest.