SymbolHub

Asterism (⁂)

The asterism ⁂ is Unicode U+2042, the triangular three-star typographical ornament used to signal minor thematic chapter breaks. Press Copy to put it on your clipboard.

Unicode
U+2042
HTML
⁂
Word
2042 Alt+X

How to type the asterism (⁂)

The quickest way is to press Copy above and paste. To type ⁂ yourself, use the method for your device below.

Windows

  1. In Word or Outlook, type 2042 and press Alt + X. Alt + X converts the hex code before the cursor into the character, and back again.
  2. Press Win + R, type charmap and press Enter. Tick “Advanced view”, search for Asterism, then Select and Copy. Character Map is built into every version of Windows.

Mac

  1. Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search for asterism and double-click it.
  2. With the Unicode Hex Input keyboard enabled (System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources), hold Option and type 2042.

Linux & ChromeOS

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 2042, then press Enter or Space. Works in GTK and IBus apps (GNOME, Firefox, Chrome, LibreOffice) and on ChromeOS.

iPhone & iPad

  1. Copy ⁂ from this page, then go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement and add it with a shortcut such as ;aste. The shortcut then turns into the symbol as you type, in every app.

Android

  1. Copy ⁂ here, then open Gboard settings → Dictionary → Personal dictionary and add it with a shortcut.

Microsoft Word

  1. Type 2042, then press Alt + X.
  2. Insert → Symbol → More Symbols. Set “from” to Unicode (hex), type 2042 in “Character code” and click Insert.

Google Docs

  1. Insert → Special characters, then search for “asterism” or draw it in the box.

Excel & Google Sheets

  1. Enter =UNICHAR(8258) in a cell. It works in Excel 2013 and later and in Google Sheets.

HTML

  1. Write ⁂ or ⁂ in your HTML.

What does ⁂ mean?

The asterism (⁂) is an elegant classical typographical ornament consisting of three asterisks arranged in a neat equilateral triangle pointing upward. Originating in Renaissance book design, the asterism signals a minor thematic division, passage break, or change of scene within a book chapter when starting a new page would be visually excessive. In astronomy and literature, its name derives from the Greek word for a constellation or star cluster.

Modern book designers often refer to section-break ornaments broadly as a “dinkus”—frequently typed as three spaced horizontal asterisks (* * *). However, the dedicated asterism character (U+2042) provides an authentic, precomposed mark that preserves perfect vertical proportion without manual letterspacing. In classical manuscripts, editors placed it alongside the paragraph symbol and dagger symbol, and it shares cultural kinship with the Asian reference mark across punctuation symbols.

Common uses

  • Thematic section breaks between scene changes within novels and literary memoirs
  • Decorative divider separating stanzas in published poetry anthologies
  • Drawing distinct focus to epigraphs and introductory philosophical quotes in fine typography

Asterism codes for HTML, CSS and programming

Every code below produces ⁂. Use the HTML entity in web pages, the CSS escape in content, and the escape sequence in source code.

Unicode code pointU+2042
HTML decimal⁂
HTML hex⁂
CSS contentcontent: "\2042";
JavaScript"\u2042"
Python"\u2042"
Python (by name)"\N{ASTERISM}"
Java / C#"\u2042"
UTF-8 bytesE2 81 82
UTF-162042
URL encoded%E2%81%82

⁂ vs look-alike characters

These characters look similar to ⁂ but have a different meaning and code. Pasting the wrong one can break search, sorting and screen readers.

CharNameWhen to use it
Asterisk + Space + Asterisk + Space + Asterisk
U+002A U+0020 U+002A U+0020 U+002A		Three horizontal asterisks (dinkus). The common keyboard workaround for an asterism.
Reference Mark
U+203B		Reference mark (U+203B). Japanese komejirushi used for footnotes rather than section breaks.
Two Asterisks Aligned Vertically
U+2051		Two vertical asterisks (U+2051). A smaller astronomical and editorial note marker.

Symbols similar to ⁂

Click to copy, or open a symbol for its codes. See the full star symbols collection.

  • Details
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⁂ character properties

Official Unicode name
ASTERISM
Also known as
triple asterisk, three stars, dinkus, thematic break, thought break
Code point
U+2042
Unicode block
General Punctuation (U+2000–U+206F)
General category
Other punctuation (Po)
Added in
Unicode 1.1 (1993)
Plane
Basic Multilingual Plane (0)
Emoji
No, it is a text symbol

Frequently asked questions

What is the purpose of an asterism in a book?

An asterism (⁂) signals a shift in scene, passage of time, or transition in point of view within a chapter, offering a graceful visual pause without requiring a full chapter break.

What is the difference between an asterism and a dinkus?

A dinkus is any small symbol or cluster (often * * * or a decorative dingbat) used to divide sections. An asterism is specifically the three-star triangular character ⁂.

How do I type an asterism on computer?

In Microsoft Word, type 2042 and press Alt + X. On Linux, press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 2042, and hit Enter. In HTML, write the numeric reference ⁂ or copy it directly from SymbolHub.

Is there an alt code for the asterism?

No. ⁂ is outside the Windows-1252 and code page 437 character sets, so no Alt + number code produces it. Copy it from this page, type 2042 then Alt + X in Word, or find it in Character Map.

How do I type the asterism on a Mac?

There is no single Option shortcut for ⁂ on the US layout. Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search for “asterism” and double-click it, or copy it from this page.

What is the HTML code for the asterism?

⁂ has no named HTML entity. Use the numeric reference ⁂ or ⁂, or paste the character directly into a UTF-8 page.

What is the Unicode for the asterism?

⁂ is U+2042, officially named ASTERISM, in the General Punctuation block. It has been part of Unicode since version 1.1 (1993).