Astronomical symbols

File:Astronomical symbols in 1833 Nautical Almanac.png

This excerpt from the 1833 Nautical Almanac illustrates the use of (upper left) astronomical symbols for the phases of the moon; and (right) the generic symbol for the moon and symbols for the planets and zodiacal constellations.

File:Bezeichnung der Himmelskörper Encke 1850.png

"Designation of celestial bodies" in a German almanac printed in 1850, with the first four asteroids ordered as planets, and the next five appended at the end<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Template:Special characters Astronomical symbols are abstract pictorial symbols used to represent astronomical objects, theoretical constructs and observational events in European astronomy. The earliest forms of these symbols appear in Greek papyrus texts of late antiquity. The Byzantine codices in which many Greek papyrus texts were preserved continued and extended the inventory of astronomical symbols.<ref name="neugebauer-1975"/><ref name="neugebauer-1987"/> New symbols have been invented to represent many planets and minor planets discovered in the 18th to the 21st centuries.

These symbols were once commonly used by professional astronomers, amateur astronomers, alchemists, and astrologers. While they are still commonly used in almanacs and astrological publications, their occurrence in published research and texts on astronomy is relatively infrequent,<ref name=pasko>Template:Cite book</ref> with some exceptions such as the Sun and Earth symbols appearing in astronomical constants, and certain zodiacal signs used to represent the solstices and equinoxes.

Unicode has encoded many of these symbols, mainly in the Miscellaneous Symbols,<ref name="Unicode-2600">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Miscellaneous Symbols and Arrows,<ref name="Unicode-2B00">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Miscellaneous Symbols and Pictographs,<ref name="Unicode-1F300">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and Alchemical Symbols blocks.<ref name="Unicode-1F700">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Symbols for the Sun and Moon

The use of astronomical symbols for the Sun and Moon dates to antiquity. The forms of the symbols that appear in the original papyrus texts of Greek horoscopes are a circle with one ray (old sun symbol) for the Sun and a crescent for the Moon.<ref name=neugebauer-1987>Template:Cite book</ref> The modern Sun symbol, a circle with a dot (☉), first appeared in Europe in the Renaissance.<ref name=neugebauer-1987/>

• Sun symbol (late classical and medieval mss).png

  The symbol for the Sun in late Classical (4th c.) and medieval Byzantine (11th c.) manuscripts<ref name=jones-1999/>

• Moon symbol (medieval ms).png

  The symbol for the Moon in a medieval Byzantine manuscript (11th c.). The late Classical appearance was similar.<ref name=jones-1999/>

In modern academic writing, the Sun symbol is used for astronomical constants relating to the Sun.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> T_eff☉ represents the solar effective temperature, and the luminosity, mass, and radius of stars are often represented using the corresponding solar constants (Template:Solar luminosity, Template:Solar mass, and Template:Solar radius, respectively) as units of measurement.<ref name="goswami">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="gray-2005">

Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="salaris-2005">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="tielens-2005">
Template:Cite book</ref>

Sun

Referent	Symbol	Unicode code point	Browser display	Represents
Sun	Sol <ref name=cox/><ref name=hilton/>	U+2609 Template:Small	Template:Resize	Standard astronomical symbol
	Sol <ref name=neugebauer-1987/>	U+1F71A Template:Small	Template:Resize	the Sun with one ray
	Sun with face <ref name=frey>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=ephemerides-1774>Template:Cite book</ref>	U+1F31E Template:Small	Template:Resize	the face of the Sun or "Sun in splendor"

Moon and lunar phases<ref>The American Practical Navigator, chapter 13, 'Navigational Astronomy'</ref>

Referent	Symbol	Unicode code point	Browser text display<ref name=text>Text display is forced by appending U+FE0E to the character. Emojis are forced by appending U+FE0F.</ref>	Represents
Moon	Crescent moon <ref name=penny-cyclopaedia/><ref name=encyclopedia-americana/><ref name=putnam>Template:Cite book</ref>	U+263D Template:Small	Template:Resize	an increscent (waxing) moon (as viewed from the northern hemisphere)
	Decrescent Moon <ref name=encyclopedia-americana/><ref name=putnam/>	U+263E Template:Small	Template:Resize	a decrescent (waning) moon (as viewed from the northern hemisphere)
new moon	New Moon <ref name=encyclopedia-americana /><ref name=putnam/>	U+1F311 Template:Small	Template:Resize	fully dark
	New Moon with face <ref name=frey/><ref name=gotha-158/><ref name=hachette-1908/>	U+1F31A Template:Small	Template:Resize
waxing crescent	File:Waxing crescent moon (fixed width).svg	U+1F312 Template:Small	Template:Resize	encrescent moon (northern hemisphere)
first-quarter (waxing) moon	First-quarter moon	U+1F313 Template:Small	Template:Resize	one week into the month, half the visible face illuminated
	First-quarter moon with face <ref name=maynard>Jim Maynard, Celestial Calendars</ref> or Crescent/quarter moon with face <ref name=frey/><ref name=gotha-158>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=hachette-1908>Template:Cite book</ref>	U+1F31B Template:Small	Template:Resize
waxing gibbous	File:Waxing gibbous moon (fixed width).svg	U+1F314 Template:Small	Template:Resize	(northern hemisphere)
full moon	Full Moon <ref name=encyclopedia-americana/><ref name=putnam/>	U+1F315 Template:Small	Template:Resize	fully illuminated
	Full Moon with face <ref name=frey/><ref name=gotha-158/><ref name=hachette-1908/>	U+1F31D Template:Small	Template:Resize
waning gibbous	File:Waning gibbous moon (fixed width).svg	U+1F316 Template:Small	Template:Resize	(northern hemisphere)
last-quarter (waning) moon	Last-quarter moon	U+1F317 Template:Small	Template:Resize	final week of the month, the other half of the visible face illuminated
	Last-quarter moon with face <ref name=maynard/> or Template:Nowrap <ref name=frey/><ref name=gotha-158/><ref name=hachette-1908/>	U+1F31C Template:Small	Template:Resize
waning crescent	File:Waning crescent moon (fixed width).svg	U+1F318 Template:Small	Template:Resize	decrescent moon (northern hemisphere)

Symbols for the planets

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}}

File:F4.v. zodiac circle with planets - NLW MS 735C.png

Medieval depiction of the zodiac and the classical planets. The planets are represented by seven faces.

Symbols for the classical planets appear in many medieval Byzantine codices in which many ancient horoscopes were preserved.<ref name=neugebauer-1975> Template:Cite book</ref> The written symbols for Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn have been traced to forms found in late Greek papyrus texts.<ref name=jones-1999>Template:Cite book </ref> The symbols for Jupiter and Saturn are identified as monograms of the corresponding Greek names, and the symbol for Mercury is a stylized caduceus.<ref name=jones-1999/> According to A.S.D. Maunder, antecedents of the planetary symbols were used in art to represent the gods associated with the classical planets; Bianchini's planisphere, discovered by Francesco Bianchini in the 18th century, produced in the 2nd century,<ref name=imss> {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} </ref> shows Greek personifications of planetary gods charged with early versions of the planetary symbols: Mercury has a caduceus; Venus has, attached to her necklace, a cord connected to another necklace; Mars, a spear; Jupiter, a staff; Saturn, a scythe; the Sun, a circlet with rays radiating from it; and the Moon, a headdress with a crescent attached.<ref name=maunder> Template:Cite magazine </ref>

A diagram in Byzantine astronomer Johannes Kamateros's 12th century Compendium of Astrology shows the Sun represented by the circle with a ray, Jupiter by the letter Zeta (the initial of Zeus, Jupiter's counterpart in Greek mythology), Mars by a shield crossed by a spear, and the remaining classical planets by symbols resembling the modern ones, without the cross-mark at the bottom of the modern versions of the symbols for Mercury and Venus. These cross-marks first appear around the 16th century. According to Maunder, the addition of crosses appears to be "an attempt to give a savour of Christianity to the symbols of the old pagan gods."<ref name=maunder/>

• Mercury symbol (late classical and medieval mss).png

  The symbol for Mercury in late Classical (4th c.) and medieval Byzantine (11th c.) manuscripts<ref name=jones-1999/>

• Venus symbol (late classical and medieval mss).png

  The symbol for Venus in late Classical (4th c.) and medieval Byzantine (11th c.) manuscripts<ref name=jones-1999/>

• Mars symbol (late classical and medieval mss).png

  The symbol for Mars in late Classical (6th c.) and medieval Byzantine (11th c.) manuscripts<ref name=jones-1999/>

• Jupiter symbol (late classical and medieval mss).png

  The symbol for Jupiter in late Classical (4th c.) and medieval Byzantine (11th c.) manuscripts<ref name=jones-1999/>

• Saturn symbol (late classical and medieval mss).png

  The symbol for Saturn in late Classical (4th & 5th c.) and medieval Byzantine (11th c.) manuscripts – cf. kappa-rho, Template:Angbr<ref name=jones-1999/>

The symbols for Uranus were created shortly after its discovery. One symbol, Uranus, invented by J. G. Köhler and refined by Bode, was intended to represent the newly discovered metal platinum; since platinum, commonly called white gold, was found by chemists mixed with iron, the symbol for platinum combines the alchemical symbols for the planetary elements iron, ♂, and gold, ☉.<ref name=bode-uranus> Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=gould-uranus>Template:Cite book </ref> Another symbol, Uranus, was suggested by Joseph Jérôme Lefrançois de Lalande in 1784. In a letter to William Herschel, Lalande described it as "un globe surmonté par la première lettre de votre nom" ("a globe surmounted by the first letter of your name").<ref name=Francisca> Template:Cite magazine </ref> Today, Köhler's symbol is more common among astronomers, and Lalande's among astrologers, although it is not uncommon to see each symbol in the other context.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Several symbols were proposed for Neptune to accompany the suggested names for the planet. Claiming the right to name his discovery, Urbain Le Verrier originally proposed the name Neptune<ref name="littmann-standish"> Template:Cite book </ref> and the symbol of a trident,<ref name="pillans"> Template:Cite journal</ref> while falsely stating that this had been officially approved by the French Bureau des Longitudes.<ref name="littmann-standish"/> In October, he sought to name the planet Leverrier, after himself, and he had loyal support in this from the observatory director, François Arago,<ref name="baum-sheehan"> Template:Cite book </ref> who in turn proposed a new symbol for the planet (proposed symbol for planet Leverrier).<ref name=an-25/> However, this suggestion met with stiff resistance outside France.<ref name=baum-sheehan/> French almanacs quickly reintroduced the name Herschel for Uranus, after that planet's discoverer Sir William Herschel, and Leverrier for the new planet.<ref> Template:Cite journal </ref> Professor James Pillans of the University of Edinburgh defended the name Janus for the new planet, and proposed a key for its symbol.<ref name="pillans"/> Meanwhile, German-Russian astronomer Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve presented the name Neptune on December 29, 1846, to the Saint Petersburg Academy of Sciences.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> In August 1847, the Bureau des Longitudes announced its decision to follow prevailing astronomical practice and adopt the choice of Neptune, with Arago refraining from participating in this decision.<ref name="connaissance-des-temps"> Template:Cite book </ref>

The International Astronomical Union discourages the use of these symbols in journal articles, though they do occur.<ref>E.g. p. 10, fig. 3 in Chen & Kipping (2017) Probabilistic Forecasting of the Masses and Radii of Other Worlds Template:Webarchive, The Astrophysical Journal, 834: 1.</ref> In certain cases where planetary symbols might be used, such as in the headings of tables, the IAU Style Manual permits certain one- and (to disambiguate Mercury and Mars) two-letter abbreviations for the names of the planets.<ref name=iau-style-manual> Template:Cite book </ref>

Planets

Planet	IAU abbreviation	Symbol	Unicode code point	Browser display	Represents
Mercury	H, Me	Mercury <ref name=cox> Template:Cite book </ref><ref name=high-school-astronomy> Template:Cite book </ref>	U+263F Template:Small	Template:Resize	Mercury's caduceus, with a cross<ref name=jones-1999/>
Venus	V	Venus <ref name=cox/><ref name=high-school-astronomy/>	U+2640 Template:Small	Template:Resize	Perhaps Venus's necklace or a (copper) hand mirror, with a cross<ref name=penny-cyclopaedia/><ref name=high-school-astronomy/>
Earth	E	Earth <ref name=cox/><ref name=high-school-astronomy/>	U+1F728 Template:Small	Template:Resize	the four quadrants of the world, divided by the four rivers descending from Eden<ref>Unicode characters with a similar shape: :U+2295 ⊕ CIRCLED PLUS; :U+2A01 ⨁ N-ARY CIRCLED PLUS OPERATOR; U+1F310 🌐︎ GLOBE WITH MERIDIANS</ref>Template:Efn
		Earth <ref name=cox/><ref name=penny-cyclopaedia> Template:Cite book </ref><ref name=encyclopedia-americana> Template:Cite book </ref>	U+2641 Template:Small	Template:Resize	a globus cruciger
Mars	M, Ma	Mars <ref name=cox/><ref name=high-school-astronomy/>	U+2642 Template:Small	Template:Resize	Mars's shield and spear<ref name=penny-cyclopaedia/><ref name=high-school-astronomy/>
Jupiter	J	Jupiter <ref name=cox/><ref name=high-school-astronomy/>	U+2643 Template:Small	Template:Resize	the letter Zeta with an abbreviation stroke (for Zeus, the Greek equivalent to the Roman god Jupiter)<ref name=jones-1999/>
Saturn	S	Saturn <ref name=cox/><ref name=high-school-astronomy/>	U+2644 Template:Small	Template:Resize	the letters kappa-rho with an abbreviation stroke (for Kronos, the Greek equivalent to the Roman god Saturn), with a cross<ref name=jones-1999/>
Uranus	U	Uranus <ref name=bode-uranus/><ref name=gould-uranus/>	U+26E2 Template:Small	Template:Resize	symbol of the recently described element platinum, which was invented to provide a symbol for Uranus<ref name=bode-uranus/><ref name=gould-uranus/>
		Uranus <ref name=encyclopedia-americana/><ref name=putnam/><ref name=high-school-astronomy/>	U+2645 Template:Small	Template:Resize	a globe surmounted by the letter H (for Herschel, who discovered Uranus)<ref name=Francisca /> (more common in older or British literature)
Neptune	N	Neptune <ref name=cox/><ref name=putnam/>	U+2646 Template:Small	Template:Resize	Neptune's trident
		Neptune (alternate symbol) <ref name=an-25> Template:Cite journal </ref><ref name=high-school-astronomy/>	U+2BC9 Template:Small	Template:Resize	a globe surmounted by the letters "L" and "V", (for Le Verrier, who discovered Neptune)<ref name=an-25 /><ref name=high-school-astronomy/> (more common in older, especially French, literature)

Symbols for asteroids

File:Asteroid symbols (1864).png

Asteroid symbols as listed in Webster's Dictionary in 1864. All but the first 4 were already obsolete by this time. ("Pomona" is a mistake for "Proserpina".)<ref name=astunicode/>

Following the discovery of Ceres in 1801 by the astronomer and Catholic priest Giuseppe Piazzi, a group of astronomers ratified the name, which Piazzi had proposed. At that time, the sickle was chosen as a symbol of the planet.<ref name=bode-1801>Template:Cite book</ref>

The symbol for 2 Pallas, the spear of Pallas Athena, was invented by Baron Franz Xaver von Zach, who organized a group of twenty-four astronomers to search for a planet between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. The symbol was introduced by von Zach in 1802.<ref name=mcbeh-v6>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In a letter to von Zach, discoverer Heinrich Wilhelm Matthäus Olbers (who had discovered and named Pallas) expressed his approval of the proposed symbol, but wished that the handle of the sickle of Ceres had been adorned with a pommel instead of a crossbar, to better differentiate it from the sign of Venus.<ref name=mcbeh-v6 />

• Ceres and Pallas symbols, 1802.png

  Symbols for Ceres and Pallas, as rendered in 1802

• 3 Juno symbol (1804).png

  Symbol for Juno, as rendered in 1804 with the available type sorts of an asterisk * and a rotated dagger †

• Vesta symbol, 1807.png

  Symbol for Vesta, as rendered in 1807

German astronomer Karl Ludwig Harding created the symbol for 3 Juno. Harding, who discovered this asteroid in 1804, proposed the name Juno and the use of a scepter topped with a star as its astronomical symbol.<ref name=mcbeh-v10>Template:Cite book</ref>

The symbol for 4 Vesta was invented by German mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss. Olbers, having previously discovered and named 2 Pallas, gave Gauss the honor of naming his newest discovery. Gauss decided to name the new asteroid for the goddess Vesta, and also designed the symbol (Vesta): the altar of the goddess, with the sacred fire burning on it.<ref name=mcbeh-v15>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=effemeridi-1809>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="faulks">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Other contemporaneous writers use a more elaborate symbol (VestaVesta) instead.<ref name=annuaire-1808>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Karl Ludwig Hencke, a German amateur astronomer, discovered the next two asteroids, 5 Astraea (in 1845) and 6 Hebe (in 1847). Hencke requested that the symbol for 5 Astraea be an upside-down anchor;<ref name=berlin-1845> Template:Cite book</ref> however, a weighing scale was sometimes used instead.<ref name=hilton/><ref name=schmadel/> Gauss named 6 Hebe at Hencke's request, and chose a wineglass as the symbol.<ref name=wudfagw-1947>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=steger>Template:Cite book</ref>

As more new asteroids were discovered, astronomers continued to assign symbols to them. Thus, 7 Iris (discovered 1847) had for its symbol a rainbow with a star;<ref name=ras-v8>Template:Cite journal</ref> 8 Flora (discovered 1847), a flower;<ref name=ras-v8/> 9 Metis (discovered 1848), an eye with a star;<ref name=ras-v8-metis> Template:Cite journal</ref> 10 Hygiea (discovered 1849), an upright snake with a star on its head;<ref name=ras-v11>Template:Cite journal</ref> 11 Parthenope (discovered 1850), a standing fish with a star;<ref name=ras-v11/> 12 Victoria (discovered 1850), a star topped with a branch of laurel;<ref name=ras-v11-victoria>Template:Cite journal</ref> 13 Egeria (discovered 1850), a buckler;<ref name=academie-v32>Template:Cite journal</ref> 14 Irene (discovered 1851), a dove carrying an olive branch with a star on its head;<ref name=ras-v11-irene>Template:Cite journal</ref> 15 Eunomia (discovered 1851), a heart topped with a star;<ref name=an-eunomia>Template:Cite journal</ref> 16 Psyche (discovered 1852), a butterfly wing with a star;<ref name=an-34-psyche>Template:Cite journal</ref> 17 Thetis (discovered 1852), a dolphin with a star;<ref name=an-34-thetis>Template:Cite journal</ref> 18 Melpomene (discovered 1852), a dagger over a star;<ref name=hind>Template:Cite book</ref> and 19 Fortuna (discovered 1852), a star over Fortuna's wheel.<ref name=hind />Template:Efn

In most cases the discovery reports only describe the symbols and do not draw them; from Hygiea onward, there are significant glyph variants as well as a significant delay between the discovery and the symbols having been communicated to the astronomical community as a whole.<ref name=encke/><ref name=schumacher/> Consequently, astronomical publications were not always complete.<ref name=astunicode/> The discovery reports for Melpomene<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> and Fortuna<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> do not even describe the symbols, which only appear in a later reference work by the discoverer;<ref name=hind/> the symbols are drawn in the reports for Astraea,<ref name=berlin-1845/> Hebe,<ref name=wudfagw-1947/> and Thetis.<ref name=an-34-thetis/> Benjamin Apthorp Gould criticised the symbols in 1852 as being often inefficient at suggesting the bodies they represented and difficult to draw, and pointed out that the symbol that had been described for Irene had to his knowledge never actually been drawn.<ref name=gould>Template:Cite journal</ref> The same year, John Russell Hind expressed the contrary view that the symbols were easier to remember than the numbers, but also admitted that the names were more commonly used than either the numbers or the symbols.<ref name=hind/>

The last edition of the Berliner Astronomisches Jahrbuch (BAJ, Berlin Astronomical Yearbook) to use asteroid symbols was for the year 1853, published in 1850: although it includes eleven asteroids up to Parthenope, it only includes symbols for the first nine (up to Metis), noting that the symbols for Hygiea and Parthenope had not yet been made definitively known.<ref name=encke>Template:Cite book</ref> The last edition of the British The Nautical Almanac and Astronomical Ephemeris to include asteroid ephemerides was that for 1855, published in 1852: despite fifteen asteroids being known (up to Eunomia), symbols are only included for the first nine.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Johann Franz Encke made a major change in the BAJ for the year 1854, published in 1851. He introduced encircled numbers instead of symbols, although his numbering began with Astraea, the first four asteroids continuing to be denoted by their traditional symbols.<ref name=hilton/> This symbolic innovation was adopted very quickly by the astronomical community. The following year (1852), Astraea's number was bumped up to 5, but Ceres through Vesta were not listed by their numbers until the 1867 edition.<ref name=hilton/> The Astronomical Journal edited by Gould adopted the symbolism in this form, with Ceres at 1 and Astraea at 5.<ref name=gould/> This form had previously been proposed in an 1850 letter by Heinrich Christian Schumacher to Gauss.<ref name=schumacher>Template:Cite book</ref> The circle later became a pair of parentheses, which were easier to typeset,<ref name=astunicode/> and the parentheses were sometimes omitted altogether over the next few decades.<ref name="hilton"/> Thus the iconic asteroid symbols fell out of use; reference works continued giving them for the next few decades, though they often noted them as being obsolete.<ref name=astunicode/>

A few asteroids were given symbols by their discoverers after the encircled-number notation became widespread. 26 Proserpina (discovered 1853), 28 Bellona (discovered 1854), 35 Leukothea (discovered 1855), and 37 Fides (discovered 1855), all discovered by German astronomer Robert Luther, were assigned, respectively, a pomegranate with a star inside;<ref name=an-proserpina>Template:Cite journal</ref> a whip and spear;<ref name=an-bellona>Template:Cite journal</ref> an antique lighthouse;<ref name=an-leukothea>Template:Cite journal</ref> and a cross.<ref name=an-fides>Template:Cite journal</ref> These symbols were drawn in the discovery reports. 29 Amphitrite was named and assigned a shell for its symbol by George Bishop, the owner of the observatory where astronomer Albert Marth discovered it in 1854, though the symbol was not drawn in the discovery report.<ref name=an-amphitrite>Template:Cite journal</ref>

File:Psyche insignia.svg

Insignia of the NASA Psyche mission

All these symbols are rare or obsolete in modern astronomy, though NASA has used Ceres' symbol when describing the dwarf planets,<ref name=DP/> and Psyche's symbol may have influenced the design of the insignia for the Psyche mission.<ref name=astunicode/> The major use of symbols for minor planets today is by astrologers, who have invented symbols for many more objects, though they sometimes use symbols that differ from the historical symbols for the same bodies.<ref name="L216080"/>

The symbol for 99942 Apophis, a near-Earth asteroid discovered in 2004 that attracted interest when initial observations suggested a significant probability of an Earth impact in 2029 (a possibility since eliminated), is much later. It was designed by Denis Moskowitz, who also designed many of the dwarf-planet symbols, at a time when asteroid symbols had become extremely rare in astronomy. Nonetheless, its inclusion of a star is meant to recall the 19th-century asteroid symbols.<ref name=stardiary/>

Table

Asteroids

Asteroid	Symbol	Unicode code point	Browser display	Represents
1 Ceres	1 Ceres <ref name=hilton>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=encyclopedia-americana/><ref name=high-school-astronomy/>	U+26B3 Template:Small	Template:Resize	A scythe.<ref name=high-school-astronomy/> In some fonts, the symbol for Saturn is the inverse.
2 Pallas	2 Pallas <ref name=mcbeh-v6/>	U+26B4 Template:Small	Template:Resize	A spear.<ref name=mcbeh-v6/><ref name=schmadel>Template:Cite book</ref> In modern renditions, the spearhead has a broader or narrower diamond shape. In 1802, it was given a cordate leaf shape. A variation has a triangular head, conflating it with the alchemical symbol for sulfur.
	2 Pallas <ref name=mcbeh-v6/>
3 Juno	3 Juno <ref name=mcbeh-v10/><ref name=chambers>Template:Cite book</ref>	U+26B5 Template:Small	Template:Resize	a scepter topped with a star<ref name=mcbeh-v10/>
	3 Juno <ref name=high-school-astronomy/><ref name=olmstead/>
4 Vesta	4 Vesta <ref name=mcbeh-v15/>	U+1F777 Template:Small	Template:Resize	The temple hearth with the sacred fire of Vesta. The original form was a box with what looks like the horns of Aries on top.<ref name=mcbeh-v15/><ref name="faulks"/>
	4 Vesta4 Vesta <ref name=hilton/><ref name=schmadel/><ref name=olmstead>Template:Cite book</ref>			An early elaborate form is an altar surmounted with a censer holding the sacred fire.<ref name=mcbeh-v15/><ref name="faulks"/>
	4 Vesta <ref name="faulks"/>	U+26B6 Template:Small	Template:Resize	The modern V-shaped form dates from astrological use in the 1970s; it is an abbreviation of the above.<ref name=mcbeh-v15/><ref name="faulks"/>
5 Astraea	5 Astraea <ref name=berlin-1845/><ref name=schmadel/>	U+1F778 Template:Small	Template:Resize	an inverted anchor<ref name=berlin-1845/><ref>Österreichischer Universal-Kalender, 1849, p. xxxix</ref>
	5 Astraea (alternate symbol) 5 Astraea (alternate symbol) <ref name=wilson/>	U+2696 Template:Small	Template:Resize	a weighing scale<ref name=high-school-astronomy/><ref name=schmadel/>
6 Hebe	6 Hebe <ref name=wudfagw-1947/><ref name="an610">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="austria-1849">Template:Cite book</ref>	U+1CEC0 Template:Small	Template:Resize	A wineglass. Originally typeset as a triangle ∇ set on a base ⊥.<ref name=wudfagw-1947 />
	6 Hebe <ref name=hilton/><ref name=high-school-astronomy/><ref name=schmadel/>
7 Iris	7 Iris <ref name=hilton/><ref name=high-school-astronomy/>	U+1CEC1 Template:Small	Template:Resize	a rainbow with a star inside it<ref name=ras-v8/>
	7 Iris <ref name=ras-v8/><ref name=hind/>
8 Flora	File:Flora symbol (fixed width).svg File:Flora symbol (simple, fixed width).svg <ref name=hilton/><ref name=schmadel/>	U+1CEC2 Template:Small	Template:Resize	a flower<ref name=ras-v8/>
9 Metis	9 Metis <ref name=hilton /><ref name=high-school-astronomy/><ref name=schmadel/>	U+1CEC3 Template:Small	Template:Resize	an eye with a star above it<ref name=ras-v8-metis/>
10 Hygiea	10 Hygiea <ref name=ras-v11/><ref name=hind/>	U+1F779 Template:Small	Template:Resize	a serpent with a star (from the Bowl of Hygiea U+1F54F File:Bowl of Hygieia (fixed width).svg)<ref name=ras-v11/>
	10 Hygiea <ref name=hilton/><ref name=schmadel/>	U+2695 Template:Small	Template:Resize	a Rod of Asclepius. Cf. the modern astrological symbol U+2BDA 10 Hygiea (astrological symbol), a caduceus (often confused with the Rod of Asclepius)<ref name="L216080">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
11 Parthenope	11 Parthenope <ref name=hilton/><ref name=ras-v11/>	U+1CEC4 Template:Small	Template:Resize	a fish with a star. This is the original symbol from the brief period when this asteroid was known and astronomers were still using iconic symbols.<ref name=ras-v11/>
	11 Parthenope <ref name=wilson>Template:Cite book</ref>	U+1F77A Template:Small	Template:Resize	a lyre. This symbol only appears in later 19th-century reference works that appeared when iconic symbols for asteroids had already become obsolete.<ref name=astunicode/>
12 Victoria	12 Victoria <ref name=hilton/><ref name=schmadel/>	U+1CEC5 Template:Small	Template:Resize	a star with a branch of laurel<ref name=ras-v11-victoria/>
	12 Victoria <ref name=webster/>
13 Egeria	File:Egeria symbol (original, fixed width).svg <ref name=webster/>	U+1CEC6 Template:Small	Template:Resize	a buckler<ref name=academie-v32/>
	13 Egeria <ref name=hind/>
14 Irene	14 Irene <ref name=wilson/>	U+1CEC7 Template:Small	Template:Resize	a dove carrying an olive-branch in its mouth and a star on its head<ref name=ras-v11-irene/>
15 Eunomia	15 Eunomia <ref name=hilton/><ref name=schmadel/>	U+1CEC8 Template:Small	Template:Resize	a heart with a star on top<ref name=an-eunomia/>
16 Psyche	16 Psyche <ref name=hind/>	U+1CEC9 Template:Small	Template:Resize	a butterfly's wing and a star<ref name=an-34-psyche/>
17 Thetis	File:Thetis symbol (fixed width).svg <ref name=an-34-thetis/>	U+1CECA Template:Small	Template:Resize	a dolphin and a star<ref name=an-34-thetis/>
18 Melpomene	18 Melpomene <ref name=hind/>	U+1CECB Template:Small	Template:Resize	a dagger over a star<ref name=hind/>
19 Fortuna	19 Fortuna <ref name=hind/>	U+1CECC Template:Small	Template:Resize	a star over a wheel<ref name=hind/>
26 Proserpina	26 Proserpina <ref name=an-proserpina/>	U+1CECD Template:Small	Template:Resize	a pomegranate with a star inside it<ref name=an-proserpina/>
28 Bellona	28 Bellona <ref name=an-bellona/>	U+1CECE Template:Small	Template:Resize	Bellona's whip / morning star and spear<ref name=an-bellona/>
29 Amphitrite	29 Amphitrite <ref name=webster> Template:Cite book </ref>	U+1CECF Template:Small	Template:Resize	a "shell".<ref name=an-amphitrite/> There is no mention of a star in the original description, but the only 19th-century drawing of the symbol includes one.<ref name=astunicode/>
35 Leukothea	35 Leukothea <ref name=an-leukothea/>	U+1CED0 Template:Small	Template:Resize	a pharos (ancient lighthouse)<ref name=an-leukothea/>
37 Fides	37 Fides <ref name=an-fides/>	U+271D Template:Small	Template:Resize	a Latin cross<ref name=an-fides/><ref name=webster/>
99942 Apophis	99942 Apophis <ref name=stardiary/>	Template:N/A	Template:N/A	a stylised depiction of the Egyptian god Apep, with a star<ref name=stardiary/>

Symbols for trans-Neptunian objects

Pluto's name and symbol were announced by the discoverers on May 1, 1930.<ref name=popular-astronomy>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The symbol, a monogram of the letters PL, could be interpreted to stand for Pluto or for Percival Lowell, the astronomer who initiated Lowell Observatory's search for a planet beyond the orbit of Neptune. Pluto has an alternative symbol consisting of an orb over Pluto's bident: it is more common in astrology than astronomy, and was popularised by the astrologer Paul Clancy,<ref name=astrologicalpluto>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> but has been used by NASA to refer to Pluto as a dwarf planet.<ref name=DP/> There are a few other astrological symbols for Pluto that are used locally.<ref name=astrologicalpluto/> Pluto also had the IAU abbreviation P when it was considered the ninth planet.<ref name=iau-style-manual/>

The other large trans-Neptunian objects were only discovered around the dawn of the 21st century. They were not generally thought to be planets on their discovery, and planetary symbols had in any case mostly fallen out of use among astronomers by then. Denis Moskowitz, a software engineer in Massachusetts,<ref name=anderson/> proposed astronomical symbols for the dwarf planets Quaoar, Sedna, Orcus, Haumea, Eris, Makemake, and Gonggong.<ref name=DPU/><ref name=anderson/> These symbols are somewhat standard among astrologers (e.g. in the program Astrolog),<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> which is where planetary symbols are most used today. Moskowitz has also proposed symbols for Varuna, Ixion, and Salacia, and others have done so for additional TNOs, but there is little consistency between sources.<ref name=DPU>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

NASA has used Moskowitz's symbols for Haumea, Makemake, and Eris in an astronomical context, and Unicode labels the symbols for Haumea, Makemake, Gonggong, Quaoar, and Orcus (added to Unicode in 2022) as "astronomy symbols".<ref name=anderson>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Trans-Neptunian objects

Object	Symbol	Unicode code point	Browser display	Represents
50000 Quaoar	Quaoar <ref name=DPU/>	U+1F77E Template:Small	Template:Resize	a Q for Quaoar with the tail fashioned as a canoe, stylised to resemble the angular rock art of the Tongva<ref name=DPU/>
90377 Sedna	Sedna <ref name=DPU/>	U+2BF2 Template:Small	Template:Resize	a monogram of the Inuktitut syllabics ᓴ sa and ᓐ n, as Sedna's Inuit name is ᓴᓐᓇ Sanna<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
90482 Orcus	Orcus <ref name=DPU/>	U+1F77F Template:Small	Template:Resize	an O-R monogram for Orcus, stylised to resemble a skull and an orca's grin<ref name=DPU/>
134340 Pluto	Pluto <ref name=cox/>	U+2647 Template:Small	Template:Resize	a P-L monogram for Pluto and Percival Lowell
	Pluto <ref name=DP>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	U+2BD3 Template:Small	Template:Resize	a cap or planetary orb over Pluto's bident
136108 Haumea	Haumea <ref name=DP/>	U+1F77B Template:Small	Template:Resize	conflation of Hawaiian petroglyphs for woman and birth, as Haumea was the goddess of both<ref name=DPU/>
136199 Eris	Eris <ref name=DP/>	U+2BF0 Template:Small	Template:Resize	the Hand of Eris, a traditional symbol from Discordianism (a religion worshipping the goddess Eris)<ref name=faulks/>
136472 Makemake	Makemake <ref name=DP/>	U+1F77C Template:Small	Template:Resize	engraved face of the Rapa Nui god Makemake, also resembling an M<ref name=DPU/><ref>Compare the symbol of the Maza cryptocurrency of the Oglala Sioux, which has a similar 'M' shape.</ref>
225088 Gonggong	Gonggong <ref name=DPU/>	U+1F77D Template:Small	Template:Resize	Chinese character 共 gòng (the first character in Gonggong's name), combined with a snake's tail<ref name=DPU/>

Symbols for zodiac and other constellations

File:Nuremberg chronicles f 11r 2.png

A late-15th-century manuscript with the zodiac symbols

File:12 houses of heaven.jpg

A mid-18th-century manuscript with symbols for the zodiac and planets. Note the distinctive shapes of Virgo (6), Scorpius (8), Capricornus (10) and Aquarius (11).

The zodiac symbols have several astronomical interpretations. Depending on context, a zodiac symbol may denote either a constellation, or a point or interval on the ecliptic plane.

Lists of astronomical phenomena published by almanacs sometimes included conjunctions of stars and planets or the Moon; rather than print the full name of the star, a Greek letter and the symbol for the constellation of the star was sometimes used instead.<ref name=naae-1833> Template:Cite book </ref><ref name=american-almanac> Template:Cite book </ref> The ecliptic was sometimes divided into 12 signs, each subdivided into 30 degrees,<ref name=britannica-1823> Template:Cite book </ref><ref name=joyce> Template:Cite book </ref> and the sign component of ecliptic longitude was expressed either with a number from 0 to 11.<ref name=naae-1834-signs> Template:Cite book The 1834 edition of the Nautical Almanac and Astronomical Ephemeris abandoned the use of numerical signs (among other innovations); compare the representation of (ecliptic) longitude in the editions for the years 1834 and 1833.

</ref> or with the corresponding zodiacal symbol.<ref name=joyce/>

In modern astronomical writing, all the constellations, including the 12 of the zodiac, have dedicated three-letter abbreviations, which specifically refer to constellations rather than signs.<ref name=iau-style-manual-constellations> Template:Cite book </ref> The zodiac symbols are also sometimes used to represent points on the ecliptic, particularly the solstices and equinoxes. Each symbol is taken to represent the "first point" of each sign, rather than the place in the visible constellation where the alignment is observed.<ref name=roy> Template:Cite book </ref><ref name=king-hele> Template:Cite book </ref> Thus, ♈︎ the symbol for Aries, represents the March equinox;Template:Efn ♋︎, for Cancer, the June solstice;Template:Efn ♎︎, for Libra, the September equinox;Template:Efn and ♑︎, for Capricorn, the December solstice.Template:Efn

Although the use of astrological sign symbols is rare, the particular symbol ♈︎ for Aries, is an exception; it is commonly used in modern astronomy to represent the location of the (slowly) moving reference point for the ecliptic and equatorial celestial coordinate systems.

Zodiacal symbols

Constellation	IAU abbreviation	Number	Astrological location	Symbol	Translation	Unicode code point	Browser display
Aries	Ari<ref name=iau-style-manual/>	0	0°	Aries <ref name=joyce/><ref name=Unicode-2600/>	ram<ref name=L&S>Template:Cite book</ref>	U+2648 Template:Small	Template:Resize
Taurus	Tau<ref name=iau-style-manual/>	1	30°	Taurus <ref name=joyce/><ref name=Unicode-2600/>	bull<ref name=L&S/>	U+2649 Template:Small	Template:Resize
Gemini	Gem<ref name=iau-style-manual/>	2	60°	Gemini <ref name=joyce/><ref name="Unicode-2600"/>	twinned<ref name=L&S/>	U+264A Template:Small	Template:Resize
Cancer	Cnc<ref name=iau-style-manual/> <ref name=joyce/><ref name="Unicode-2600"/>	3	90°	Cancer Cancer <ref name=joyce/><ref name=Unicode-2600/>	crab<ref name=L&S/>	U+264B Template:Small	Template:Resize
Leo	Leo<ref name=iau-style-manual/>	4	120°	Leo <ref name=joyce/><ref name=Unicode-2600/>	lion<ref name=L&S/>	U+264C Template:Small	Template:Resize
Virgo	Vir<ref name=iau-style-manual/>	5	150°	Virgo <ref name=joyce/><ref name=Unicode-2600/>	maiden<ref name=L&S/>	U+264D Template:Small	Template:Resize
Libra	Lib<ref name=iau-style-manual/>	6	180°	Libra <ref name=joyce/><ref name=Unicode-2600/>	scales<ref name=L&S/>	U+264E Template:Small	Template:Resize
Scorpio	Sco<ref name=iau-style-manual/>	7	210°	Scorpius <ref name=joyce/><ref name=Unicode-2600/>	scorpion<ref name=L&S/>	U+264F Template:Small	Template:Resize
Sagittarius	Sgr<ref name=iau-style-manual/>	8	240°	Sagittarius <ref name=joyce/><ref name=Unicode-2600/>	archer<ref name=L&S/>	U+2650 Template:Small	Template:Resize
Capricorn	Cap<ref name=iau-style-manual/>	9	270°	Capricornus File:Capricornus symbol (European, fixed width).svg <ref name=joyce/><ref name=Unicode-2600/>	having a goat's horns<ref name=L&S/>	U+2651 Template:Small	Template:Resize
Aquarius	Aqr<ref name=iau-style-manual/>	10	300°	Aquarius <ref name=joyce/><ref name=Unicode-2600/>	water-carrier<ref name=L&S/>	U+2652 Template:Small	Template:Resize
Pisces	Psc<ref name=iau-style-manual/>	11	330°	Pisces <ref name=joyce/><ref name=Unicode-2600/>	fishes<ref name=L&S/>	U+2653 Template:Small	Template:Resize

Ophiuchus has been proposed as a thirteenth sign of the zodiac by astrologer Walter Berg in 1995, who gave it a symbol that has become popular in Japan.Template:Cn

Constellation	IAU abbreviation	Symbol	Translation	Unicode code point	Browser display
Ophiuchus	Oph<ref name=iau-style-manual/>	Ophiuchus <ref name=Unicode-2600/>	the Serpent-holder<ref name=L&S/>	U+26CE Template:Small	Template:Resize

None of the constellations have official symbols. However, in addition to the zodiac, occasional symbols for other modern constellations, as well as older constellations that occur in modern nomenclature, have appeared in publication. The symbols below were devised by Denis Moskowitz (except those for the 13 constellations already listed above).<ref name=constellations>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Andromeda File:Andromeda symbol (fixed width).svg

Antlia File:Antlia symbol (fixed width).svg

Apus File:Apus symbol (fixed width).svg

Aquarius File:Aquarius symbol (fixed width).svg

Aquila File:Aquila symbol (fixed width).svg

Ara File:Ara symbol (fixed width).svg

Argo Navis File:Argo Navis symbol (fixed width).svg

Carina File:Carina symbol (fixed width).svg

Puppis File:Puppis symbol (fixed width).svg

Vela File:Vela symbol (fixed width).svg

Aries File:Aries symbol (fixed width).svg

Auriga File:Auriga symbol (fixed width).svg

Boötes File:Bootes symbol (fixed width).svg

Caelum File:Caelum symbol (fixed width).svg

Camelopardalis File:Camelopardalis symbol (fixed width).svg

Cancer File:Cancer symbol (fixed width).svg

Canes Venatici File:Canes Venatici symbol (fixed width).svg

Canis Major File:Canis Major symbol (fixed width).svg

Canis Minor File:Canis Minor symbol (fixed width).svg

Capricornus File:Capricornus symbol (fixed width).svg

Cassiopeia File:Cassiopeia symbol (fixed width).svg

Centaurus File:Centaurus symbol (fixed width).svg

Cepheus File:Cepheus symbol (fixed width).svg

Cetus File:Cetus symbol (fixed width).svg

Chamaeleon File:Chamaeleon symbol (fixed width).svg

Circinus File:Circinus symbol (fixed width).svg

Columba File:Columba symbol (fixed width).svg

Coma Berenices File:Coma Berenices symbol (fixed width).svg

Corona Australis File:Corona Australis symbol (fixed width).svg

Corona Borealis File:Corona Borealis symbol (fixed width).svg

Corvus File:Corvus symbol (fixed width).svg

Crater File:Crater symbol (fixed width).svg

Crux File:Crux symbol (fixed width).svg

Cygnus File:Cygnus symbol (fixed width).svg

Delphinus File:Delphinus symbol (fixed width).svg

Dorado File:Dorado symbol (fixed width).svg

Draco File:Draco symbol (fixed width).svg

Equuleus File:Equuleus symbol (fixed width).svg

Eridanus File:Eridanus symbol (fixed width).svg

Fornax File:Fornax symbol (fixed width).svg

Gemini File:Gemini symbol (fixed width).svg

Grus File:Grus symbol (fixed width).svg

Hercules File:Hercules symbol (fixed width).svg

Horologium File:Horologium symbol (fixed width).svg

Hydra File:Hydra constellation symbol (fixed width).svg

Hydrus File:Hydrus symbol (fixed width).svg

Indus File:Indus symbol (fixed width).svg

Lacerta File:Lacerta symbol (fixed width).svg

Leo File:Leo symbol (fixed width).svg

Leo Minor File:Leo Minor symbol (fixed width).svg

Lepus File:Lepus symbol (fixed width).svg

Libra File:Libra symbol (fixed width).svg

Lupus File:Lupus symbol (fixed width).svg

Lynx File:Lynx symbol (fixed width).svg

Lyra File:Lyra symbol (fixed width).svg

Mensa File:Mensa symbol (fixed width).svg

Microscopium File:Microscopium symbol (fixed width).svg

Monoceros File:Monoceros symbol (fixed width).svg

Musca File:Musca symbol (fixed width).svg

Norma File:Norma symbol (fixed width).svg

Octans File:Octans symbol (fixed width).svg

Ophiuchus File:Ophiuchus symbol (fixed width).svg

Orion File:Orion symbol (fixed width).svg

Pavo File:Pavo symbol (fixed width).svg

Pegasus File:Pegasus symbol (fixed width).svg

Perseus File:Perseus symbol (fixed width).svg

Phoenix File:Phoenix symbol (fixed width).svg

Pictor File:Pictor symbol (fixed width).svg

Pisces File:Pisces symbol (fixed width).svg

Piscis Austrinus File:Piscis Austrinus symbol (fixed width).svg

Pyxis File:Pyxis symbol (fixed width).svg

Quadrans Muralis File:Quadrans Muralis symbol (fixed width).svg

Reticulum File:Reticulum symbol (fixed width).svg

Sagitta File:Sagitta symbol (fixed width).svg

Sagittarius File:Sagittarius symbol (fixed width).svg

Scorpius File:Scorpius symbol (fixed width).svg

Sculptor File:Sculptor symbol (fixed width).svg

Scutum File:Scutum symbol (fixed width).svg

Serpens File:Serpens symbol (fixed width).svg

Serpens Cauda File:Serpens cauda symbol (fixed width).svg

Serpens Caput File:Serpens caput symbol (fixed width).svg

Sextans File:Sextans symbol (fixed width).svg

Taurus File:Taurus symbol (fixed width).svg

Telescopium File:Telescopium symbol (fixed width).svg

Triangulum File:Triangulum symbol (fixed width).svg

Triangulum Australe File:Triangulum Australe symbol (fixed width).svg

Tucana File:Tucana symbol (fixed width).svg

Ursa Major File:Ursa Major symbol (fixed width).svg

Ursa Minor File:Ursa Minor symbol (fixed width).svg

Virgo File:Virgo symbol (fixed width).svg

Volans File:Volans symbol (fixed width).svg

Vulpecula File:Vulpecula symbol (fixed width).svg

Other symbols

Symbols for aspects and nodes appear in medieval texts, although medieval and modern usage of the node symbols differ; the modern ascending node symbol (☊) formerly stood for the descending node, and the modern descending node symbol (☋) was used for the ascending node.<ref name=neugebauer-1987/> In describing the Keplerian elements of an orbit, ☊ is sometimes used to denote the ecliptic longitude of the ascending node, although it is more common to use Ω (capital omega, and inverted ℧), which were originally typographical substitutes for the astronomical symbols.<ref name=covington>Template:Cite book</ref>

The symbols for aspects first appear in Byzantine codices.<ref name="neugebauer-1987"/> Of the symbols for the five Ptolemaic aspects, only the three displayed here — for conjunction, opposition, and quadrature — are used in astronomy.<ref name=ridpath> Template:Cite book </ref>

Symbols for a comet (☄) and a star (File:Astronomical symbol for star.svg) have been used in published astronomical observations of comets. In tables of these observations, ☄ stood for the comet being discussed and File:Astronomical symbol for star.svg for the star of comparison relative to which measurements of the comet's position were made.<ref name=an-comet-star/>

Other symbols

Referent	Symbol	Unicode code point	Browser display
ascending node	ascending node <ref name=cox/><ref name=encyclopedia-americana/>	U+260A Template:Small	Template:Resize
descending node	descending node <ref name=cox /><ref name=encyclopedia-americana/>	U+260B Template:Small	Template:Resize
conjunction	conjunction <ref name=encyclopedia-americana/><ref name=putnam/>	U+260C Template:Small	Template:Resize
opposition	opposition <ref name=encyclopedia-americana/><ref name=putnam/>	U+260D Template:Small	Template:Resize
occultation	occultation <ref name=LFE>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	U+1F775 Template:Small	Template:Resize
a lunar eclipse, or any body in the shadow of another<ref>For example, Io entering Jupiter's shadow, the timing of which enabled Rømer to calculate the speed of light.</ref>	lunar eclipse <ref name=LFE/>	U+1F776 Template:Small	Template:Resize
quadrature	quadrature <ref name=encyclopedia-americana/><ref name=putnam/>	U+25A1, U+25FB Template:Small	Template:Resize, Template:Resize
comet	comet comet <ref name=encyclopedia-americana/><ref name=webster/><ref name=an-comet-star> Template:Cite journal </ref>	U+2604 Template:Small	Template:Resize
star	star <ref name=encyclopedia-americana/><ref name=webster/><ref name=an-comet-star/>	(various)Template:Efn	Template:Resize
planetary rings (rare)	planetary rings <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	U+1FA90+FE0E Template:Small	Template:Resize

Meteor showers also have limited use of astronomical symbols in the literature, designed by Denis Moskowitz. They are based on the parent constellation symbols, with letters included to disambiguate the Aquariids and Taurids.<ref name=stardiary>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=constellations/>

Delta Aquariids File:Delta Aquariid symbol.png

Eta Aquariids File:Eta Aquariid symbol.png

Geminids File:Geminid symbol.png

Leonids File:Leonid symbol.png

Lyrids File:Lyrid symbol.png

Orionids File:Orionid symbol.png

Perseids File:Perseid symbol.png

Quadrantids File:Quadrantid symbol.png

Taurids File:North Taurid symbol.pngFile:South Taurid symbol.png

Ursids File:Ursid symbol.png

For planetary transits of Mercury and Venus, Moskowitz proposed overlaying the respective planetary symbol on that of the Sun, extending the crossbar into an arrow: File:Mercury transit symbol.svg (Mercury), File:Venus transit symbol.svg (Venus). This also has some limited use.<ref name=stardiary/>

Limited use can also be found of Moskowitz's symbol for Halley's Comet, File:Comet Halley symbol (fixed width).svg: it is simply the standard comet symbol with an H.<ref name=stardiary/>

See also

• Astrological symbols
• Alchemical symbols
• List of common astronomy symbols
• Maya calendar for the logograms used in Maya astronomy
• Solar symbol
• Zodiac