3D Constellation Models

Andromeda | Antlia | Apus | Aquarius | Aquila | Ara | Aries | Auriga| Boötes | Caelum | Camelopardalis | Cancer | Canes Venatici | Canis Major | Canis Minor | Capricornus | Carina | Cassiopeia | Centaurus | Cepheus | Cetus | Chamaeleon | Circinus | Columba | Coma Berenices | Corona Australis | Corona Borealis | Corvus | Crater | Crux | Cygnus | Delphinus | Dorado | Draco | Equuleus | Eridanus | Fornax | Gemini | Grus | Hercules | Horologium | Hydra | Hydrus | Indus | Lacerta | Leo | Leo Minor | Lepus | Libra | Lupus | Lynx | Lyra | Mensa | Microscopium | Monoceros | Musca | Norma | Octans | Ophiuchus | Orion | Pegasus | Perseus | Phoenix | Pictor | Pisces | Piscis Austrinus | Puppis | Pyxis | Reticulum | Sagitta | Sagittarius | Scorpius | Sculptor | Scutum | Serpens | Sextans | Taurus | Telescopium | Triangulum | Triangulum Australe | Tucana | Ursa Major | Ursa Minor | Vela | Virgo | Volans | Vulpecula

These are 3-dimensional models of the constellations constructed within a 9x9x9 matrix. The dimension of the model is 9" x 9" x 9" and is on a 1-ft square base. Materials to make the model are cardboard, bamboo skewers, about 2 ft of cord, Elmer’s glue, acrylic paint (if one wants to paint it, I painted mine black). Chips are cereal box cardboard with holes made from a 1/4" hole punch. This could easily make a great project for school science fairs (even add on a web component on medium.com with full navigation of the model, and you can make that easy. Medium is a really nice, simple flat-file db in a sense. These pages navigate like a flat-file). The model does require some effort to construct but it is fun to see it come together, your parents will need to get involved, it can be a fun family project.

The chips (stars) place to the closest XY square. Z-placements is relative to the constellation group, with nearer stars up front. The hypothetical viewer (Earth) would be floating somewhere outside the model, fairly close in most cases, somewhere around X5Y5Z-1 (?) I am not sure, have not done the math on where the Earth is relative to the star placements. To see the constellation correctly, the model should be held out at arm’s length and looked into at its center x5, y5.

Then you can rotate the model and see what the constellation would look like from other points of view. Below is a view of Andromeda constellation from above.