People started to see shapes in the star patterns in the sky, and began to give these shapes names, which became known as constellations. Although these constellations have varied through time and location, they have become increasingly organized and today the stars have collectedly been assigned to 88 scientifically recognized constellations. However many other constellations may be seen or described by different people around the world.

One of the things that make Hawaii such a fantastic place to star gaze is its geographic location. Due to the islands position near the equator almost every major star and constellation, both northern and southern can be seen at some point throughout the year.