In a bid to get more children looking up to the stars, astronomers have selected constellations representing modern-day inspirational figures. So the new constellations include a book in honour of Malala Yousafzai and Harry Potter's glasses for JK Rowling.

Researchers at The University of Birmingham in the UK have created the new star alignments which also honours well-known figures such as tennis star Serena Williams and athlete Usain Bolt.

Researchers said Usain Bolt's pointing stance is best seen in November and incorporates eight stars including Orionis, Tau Tauri and Aldebaran.

 A constellation representing Serena Williams' racket will be visible clearly in April and takes in Pherkad, which was once half of a binary north star, Kochab.

Paddington Bear, in recognition of the author Michael Bond who died in June, is most visible in December, taking in stars including Bellatrix and Betelgeuse, researchers said.

The International Astronomical Union has officially recognized 88 constellations. Researchers said that the new constellations include well-known stars to make it easier to find them in the night sky. The new constellations are not yet official, but children are still invited to attempt to pick them out. The process of developing the new constellations involved a careful analysis of star maps for different regions of the sky by researchers.