What do modern astronomers use to identify stars in a constellation?

I mostly use their position. But if i'm trying to spot Castor, and the star i get in my scope isn't a double, i get my head out of the scope and try to reorient from scratch.



I'm pretty sure one of us has figured out what your question is.What do modern astronomers use to identify stars in a constellation?Not sure what you mean by "what do astronomers use to identify stars in a constellation".

There are 88 official constellations, and all the stars within the boundaries of a constellation are considered part of that constellation.



Identification of stars within a given constellation includes use of Bayer designations (e.g., Alpha Centauri), Flamsteed designations (e.g., 61 Cygni) and variable star designations (e.g., RR Lyrae).

Many fainter stars will just be given a catalog number designation (in each of various star catalogs) that does not incorporate the constellation name. Sometimes the abbreviated form of the constellation name is used in the star designation (e.g., Alpha Cen, 61 Cyg, RR Lyr).