What is the characteristic of the constellations painted on the ceiling?

The characteristic of the constellations painted on the ceiling being backwards is connected to the artistic choices made in their representation. The ceiling of the Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central Terminal features a celestial dome that is artistically rendered to reflect the night sky as it would appear from a vantage point below the stars, which creates a unique perspective.

The depiction is indeed not an accurate representation as seen from the actual night sky; instead, the stars and constellations are oriented in a way that appears reversed when viewed from below. This is because the paintings show the sky as it would appear to a person who is lying on their back, looking up, leading to a flipped perspective of the constellations, which adds to the astrological mystique associated with the artwork.

Other choices do not accurately describe the nature of the constellations. They do not glow in the dark, nor are they designed to be three-dimensional. Additionally, while they may possess a certain degree of realism in terms of star placement and depiction, this does not reflect the unique and intentional backward orientation that distinguishes the artwork in Grand Central Terminal's ceiling.