Page "Constellation" Paragraph 8

Colloquial usage does not distinguish the senses of " asterism " and " area surrounding an asterism ".

The modern system of constellations used in astronomy focuses primarily on constellations as grid-like segments of the celestial sphere rather than as patterns, while the term for a star-pattern is asterism.

For example, the asterism known as the Big Dipper corresponds to the seven brightest stars of the larger IAU constellation of Ursa Major.