asterism
noun
as·ter·ism
ˈa-stə-ˌri-zəm
1
a
: a group of stars that form a pattern in the night sky
On October evenings, when the trees have shed their leaves and stars become visible through the twigs, our best-known asterism, the Big Dipper, passes under the north pole.—George Lovi
Note: The term asterism does not now usually refer to a constellation but to a star pattern that makes up part of a constellation or that includes stars from more than one constellation.
b
: a small group of stars
2
: a star-shaped figure exhibited by some crystals by reflected light (as in a star sapphire) or by transmitted light (as in some mica)
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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