There are 88 officially recognized constellations that are groups of stars that seem to form distinctive patterns in the sky. Within constellations are smaller star groupings called asterisms that also form patterns. The Big Dipper asterism, for example, is part of the larger Ursa Major constellation. The constellations visible depend on one's latitude and the time of night and year.

1. Asterisms and Constellations
 Constellation: a group of stars that seem
to form a distinctive pattern in the sky.
 88 officially recognized constellations
Asterisms = smaller groups of stars that form
patterns within a constellation
i.e. the Big Dipper (an asterism) is part of the
constellation Ursa Major

2. Asterisms and Constellations

3. Asterisms and Constellations

4. Asterisms and Constellations

5. Asterisms and Constellations

6. Asterisms and Constellations

7. Constellations
 The constellations you can see depend on
your latitude as well as the time of night
and time of year
The images below show the North Sky
viewed in the:
Spring vs Winter

8. Spring

9. Winter