Science & Nature
Test your knowledge of The 88 Modern Constellations with a free trivia word search from thewordfind.com. Read each clue, work out the answer, then find it hidden in the letter grid — every puzzle is freshly generated, so no two plays are ever quite the same. Don't know an answer? Tap the hint button in-game to reveal the first letter, or just scan the grid — every answer is hiding in there somewhere. Between the clues and the full answer key below, this topic doubles as a quick study guide — good for a trivia night, a classroom quiz, or just picking up something new about The 88 Modern Constellations along the way.
Play This Puzzle →A few sample clues
This faint southern constellation represents a tool once used by carpenters to draw right angles.
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This faint southern constellation represents a furnace, honoring the chemistry laboratories of the 18th century.
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The 'southern triangle,' a small constellation near the plane of the Milky Way, is named Triangulum _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.
This zodiac constellation represents a maiden holding a sheaf of wheat, marked by the bright star Spica.
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This constellation is a faint companion to the nearby lion constellation. What is its three-letter IAU abbreviation?
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All 88 questions in this topic, with answers — use it to study, or just browse. Every actual play of the puzzle only pulls a random handful of these into one game, so knowing them all here won't spoil which ones show up or where they're hidden in the grid. Play it here.
This large southern constellation represents a mythical creature that is half-human and half-horse.
CENTAURUSThis constellation represents a charioteer and contains the bright star Capella.
AURIGAThis large constellation represents a winged horse that sprang from the blood of a slain Gorgon.
PEGASUSThis unusual constellation represents a snake being held by a nearby healer, and is split into two separate pieces on star charts.
SERPENSThis faint constellation straddling the celestial equator represents a navigational instrument once used at sea.
SEXTANSThis southern constellation represents a pendulum timekeeping device. What is its three-letter IAU abbreviation?
HORThis zodiac constellation represents a pair of fish tied together by their tails.
PISCESThe 'southern crown' constellation, found near the archer of the zodiac, is named Corona _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.
AUSTRALISThis constellation represents a large bird with long outstretched wings, flying along the Milky Way.
CYGNUSThis southern constellation represents a showy long-tailed bird native to India and Southeast Asia.
PAVOThis northern constellation represents a herdsman driving two bears across the sky, and contains the bright star Arcturus.
BOOTESThis tiny southern constellation represents a common flying insect.
MUSCAThis small southern constellation represents a raised platform used for burning offerings in ancient ritual.
ARAThis zodiac constellation represents a powerful horned animal, home to the Pleiades star cluster.
TAURUSThis long, winding constellation represents a river of Greek mythology into which a sun-god's son fell.
ERIDANUSThe 'lesser dog' constellation, containing the bright star Procyon, is named Canis _ _ _ _ _.
MINORThis zodiac constellation represents a set of scales, the only zodiac sign that depicts an object rather than a creature.
LIBRAThis small southern constellation represents a lizard famed for its shifting skin tones. What is its three-letter IAU abbreviation?
CHAThis faint northern constellation represents a reptile with a long tail, wedged between Cygnus and Andromeda.
LACERTAThis zodiac constellation, often shown as a centaur, represents a hunter with a bow. What is its three-letter IAU abbreviation?
SGRThis zodiac constellation represents a pair of brothers standing side by side.
GEMINIThis small constellation represents a bird that returned to Noah's ark carrying an olive branch.
COLUMBAThis constellation represents a chained princess from Greek myth, rescued from a sea monster by a hero.
ANDROMEDAThis faint southern constellation represents a native of the East Indies, added to star charts by European navigators.
INDUSThis faint northern constellation represents a long-necked, spotted animal native to Africa. What is its three-letter IAU abbreviation?
CAMThis southern star pattern honors an instrument used by astronomers to view distant objects. What is its three-letter IAU abbreviation?
TELThis small constellation represents a stringed instrument said to have been invented by the god Hermes.
LYRAThis faint northern constellation represents a wild cat said to require sharp eyesight to see at all.
LYNXThis far-southern constellation represents a navigational instrument used to measure a ship's position by the stars.
OCTANSThis small but famous southern constellation represents a cross and appears on several national flags.
CRUXThis large constellation represents a sea monster sent to threaten a chained princess in Greek myth.
CETUSThis constellation represents a carpenter's tool used to mark right angles and check level surfaces.
EQUULEUSThis constellation's name, which means 'hunting dogs,' is Canes _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.
VENATICIThis zodiac constellation represents a crab and is home to the Beehive star cluster.
CANCERThis small constellation represents a mariner's magnetic direction-finding tool.
PYXISThis small constellation represents a piece of armor carried by soldiers of the 17th-century Polish army.
SCUTUMThis zodiac constellation represents a great cat, home to the bright star Regulus.
LEOThis large southern constellation represents the sail of the great ship Argo.
VELAThe 'greater dog' constellation, home to the bright star Sirius, is named _ _ _ _ _ Major.
CANISThe 'northern crown,' shaped like a semicircle of stars, is named Corona _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.
BOREALISThis constellation represents a mythical bird said to rise anew from its own ashes.
PHOENIXThis constellation represents a long-eared, fast-running mammal found crouching beneath the hunter Orion.
LEPUSThe 'great bear' constellation, containing the Big Dipper asterism, is named Ursa _ _ _ _ _.
MAJORThis zodiac constellation represents a mythical creature that is part goat, part fish. What is its three-letter IAU abbreviation?
CAPThis southern constellation represents a tall wading bird known for its long legs and neck.
GRUSThis constellation represents the stern deck of the great ship Argo, once part of a single, much larger constellation.
PUPPISThis famous constellation represents a mighty hunter, easily spotted by the three stars forming his belt.
ORIONThis small southern constellation represents a bird found only in New Guinea, prized for its colorful plumage.
APUSThis faint southern constellation represents the fine crosshairs inside a telescope's eyepiece.
RETICULUMThis constellation represents a cup or mixing bowl used for wine in ancient Greece.
CRATERThis small constellation represents a small aquatic mammal known for leaping and playful acrobatics.
DELPHINUSThis constellation represents a mythical single-horned horse, hiding near the celestial hunter and his dogs.
MONOCEROSThis small southern constellation represents an air pump, one of many 18th-century scientific instruments honored in the sky.
ANTLIAThis constellation represents a mythological king of Ethiopia, husband of a boastful queen.
CEPHEUSThis small constellation represents an arrow, one of the smallest constellations in the entire sky.
SAGITTAThis faint southern constellation represents a magnifying instrument used to view tiny objects. What is its three-letter IAU abbreviation?
MICThis tiny constellation represents a small woodland fox.
VULPECULAThis faint southern constellation represents an artist's easel.
PICTORThis zodiac constellation represents a horned animal, the first sign of the zodiac year.
ARIESThis faint southern constellation is named for a tabletop mountain overlooking Cape Town, South Africa.
MENSAThis faint southern constellation represents an artist who shapes stone or clay into figures.
SCULPTORHome to Polaris, the North Star, the 'lesser bear' constellation is named _ _ _ _ Minor.
URSAThis southern constellation represents a fish able to glide above the ocean's surface on wing-like fins.
VOLANSThis southern constellation represents a brightly colored fish prized by anglers, its name meaning 'the golden one.'
DORADOThis zodiac constellation represents a venomous arachnid known for the stinger at the tip of its tail.
SCORPIUSNamed for an Egyptian queen who cut off her hair as an offering, this constellation is called Coma _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.
BERENICESThis constellation represents an eagle, and shares its name with a bright star that marks its head.
AQUILAThis W-shaped northern constellation is named for a boastful mythological queen. What is its three-letter IAU abbreviation?
CASThis small southern constellation represents a lesser water snake, distinct from its much larger northern namesake.
HYDRUSThis faint southern constellation represents an engraving tool used by sculptors.
CAELUMThis southern constellation represents a bird native to Australia, known for its dark feathers and pale throat.
TUCANAHome to the bright star Fomalhaut, the 'southern fish' constellation is named Piscis _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.
AUSTRINUSThis southern constellation represents a wild canine, speared by the neighboring centaur.
LUPUSThis constellation represents the keel of the ship Argo, once part of a much larger ancient constellation.
CARINAThis small northern constellation is shaped like a simple three-sided figure. What is its three-letter IAU abbreviation?
TRIThis faint southern constellation represents a draftsman's compasses, a tool for drawing circles.
CIRCINUSThis long constellation represents a many-headed serpent slain by a legendary Greek hero.
HYDRAThis constellation represents a crow perched near the celestial cup and water snake.
CORVUSThis large constellation represents a kneeling hero famed for completing twelve legendary labors.
HERCULESThis zodiac constellation represents a figure pouring water from a jar.
AQUARIUSThis large northern constellation represents a long-bodied reptile that winds between the two bears.
DRACOThis large constellation represents a man wrestling a giant snake, and lies along the celestial equator.
OPHIUCHUSThis constellation represents the hero who beheaded the snake-haired Gorgon Medusa.
PERSEUS