Constellations

By Clarice Duyck

Questions:

• Have you ever looked up into the night sky?

• What did you see?

• Do you see any pattern to the stars?

What Exactly is a Constellation?

Long ago astronomers created patterns out of the stars to help find their way around the sky. These patterns were called constellations.

http://www.cinemashop.com/images/nu/constellation_map_img0010.gif

There are Maps for the Sky?

Yes, there are maps of the sky. Usually they are divided into the northern and southern hemispheres.

http://www.windows.ucar.edu/the_universe/images/starmaps/map_6_large.jpg

There are Maps for the Sky?

However, just as the moon has phases, so do the constellations.

http://ifa.hawaii.edu/~barnes/ast110_06/ea/01p7a.jpg

Why Do You Think That People Wanted to Map the

Sky?

Signpost StarsSouthern Cross (Crux)

Big Dipper and Little Dipper (Ursa Major and Minor)

Did You Know That Constellations Tell Stories?

Orion

• Orion has more bright stars than any other constellation

• Betelgeuse is a red supergiant reaching the end of its life

• Rigel is a young bluish-white supergiant

http://www.slowbut-sure.me.uk/images/astro/orion_ani.gif

Ursa Major (The Great Bear)

• The Big Dipper is only a part of Ursa Major

• The second star in the tail is actually two stars that are so close that they touch

• Ursa Major is known as the bear in many cultures. The bear of the Native Americans had no tail, but rather three hunters chasing after it.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/f4/Mizar_and_Alcor.jpg/200px-Mizar_and_Alcor.jpg

Scorpius• Antares means “the

rival of Mars” it is the thirteenth brightest star in the sky.

• Antares is slowly evaporating due to fierce winds that blow from it’s surface.

• The Polynesians saw Scorpius as a simple fishhook.

http://www.barransclass.com/astr1070/const/Yoneguchi/Scorpius.jpg

Andromeda• Andromeda contains a whole galaxy

that is twice as big as the milky way. The galaxy is called the Andromeda Galaxy and can be seen with the naked eye.

Zodiac Signs

• Zodiac means “circle of animals.”

• The zodiac constellations are located on the ecliptic (the path the sun follows through the sky).

• There are actually thirteen zodiac constellations.

Making Your Own Constellation!

• Take a piece of black paper and drop some stars onto it.

• Glue the stars where they land and connect the dots with chalk to create a picture.

• Write a story about your constellation