From the December 2010 issue

When using my astronomy software or looking at various books, I notice that not everyone draws the constellations the same way. Why?

John Hinkamp, Andros Island, Bahamas
By | Published: December 27, 2010 | Last updated on May 18, 2023
Mural-Quadrant
Quadrans Muralis the Mural Quadrant doesn’t appear on any modern-day star charts. Elijah H. Burritt included it in his 1835 edition of Geography of the Heavens. The stars that make up this defunct constellation lie within the boundaries of Draco and Hercules. Michael E. Bakich Library

Then in 1928, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) imposed constellation boundaries based on lines of right ascension and declination — thus adopting 88 official constellations. The IAU did not set standards for the outlines of the constellations themselves, however.