There are currently 88 accepted constellations listed by the
International Astronomical Union (IAU). Ptolemy was an ancient astronomer who
listed 48 known constellations by man up to this day. To present time,
astronomers have already discovered and named 88 constellations surrounding the
Earth. The numbers do not easily change through time and it has been centuries
since the last count was changed.
The closest constellation near Earth is Centaurus and the
closest star within that constellation is Proxima Centauri. This star is said
to be 4.2 light years away from Earth.
