Constellations Educational Presentation PDF

THE UNIVERSE & ITS STARS CONSTELLATIONS A Lecture Presentation Middle School Earth Science 11th grade Ms. Iresga Tome  CONSTELLATIONS A constellation is a group of stars in the sky that forms a pattern and has a name. For example, the stars on the right are nicknamed the Big Dipper...

THE UNIVERSE & ITS STARS CONSTELLATIONS A Lecture Presentation Middle School Earth Science 11th grade Ms. Iresga Tome  CONSTELLATIONS A constellation is a group of stars in the sky that forms a pattern and has a name. For example, the stars on the right are nicknamed the Big Dipper because they look like a ladle! Constellations are easily recognizable patterns that help people orient themselves using the night sky. There are 88 “official” constellations.  EARTH'S ROTATION The Earth rotates on its axis once every 24 hours, which is why our day/night cycle is 24 hours long. Earth's rotation impacts how we view constellations.  DIURNAL MOTION As the Earth rotates, your position on Earth changes relative to the stars. This phenomenon, known as diurnal motion, makes it appear as though the constellations move across the sky throughout the night, just like the Sun 'moves' from East to West each day. E W  THE VIEW FROM EARTH 12:0o AM 6:oo PM 6:0o AM E W  EARTH'S ORBIT Just as the Moon orbits the Earth, the Earth orbits the Sun. It takes the Earth around 365 days to orbit the Sun, which is why our calendar year is 365 days long. Earth's orbit also affects how we view constellations.  Sagittarius ANNUAL MOTION Capricorn Scorpio Throughout the year, Aquarius Libra constellations gradually shift West due to Earth's revolution around the Sun. Pisces Virgo This is called annual motion. Since the Earth faces a different direction each Aries Leo season, some constellations Cancer Taurus are only visible during certain times of the year. Gemini  Sagittarius THE ZODIAC Capricorn Scorpio Aquarius Libra One set of constellations visible along Earth's Pisces elliptical orbit belongs to Virgo the zodiac. These constellations are the Aries Leo foundation for zodiac signs Cancer and astrology. Taurus Gemini  ARE THE STARS IN A CONSTELLATION NEAR EACH OTHER? Not necessarily. Each constellation is a collection of stars that are distributed in space in three dimensions – the stars are all different distances from Earth. The stars in a constellation appear to be in the same plane because we are viewing them from very, very, far away. Stars vary greatly in size, distance from Earth, and temperature.  HOW ARE CONSTELLATIONS NAMED? Most of the constellation names we know came from the ancient Middle Eastern, Greek, and Roman cultures. They identified clusters of stars as gods, goddesses, animals, and objects of their stories. It is important to understand that these were not the only cultures populating the night sky with characters important to their lives.  Sagittarius THE ZODIAC Capricorn Scorpio Aquarius Libra The months that correspond to each zodiac are based on the Sun's position relative to the Pisces zodiac constellations. For Virgo instance, the Sun faces the constellation Aries in April, so Aries Leo people born in (most of) April are Cancer of the Aries astrological sign. Taurus Gemini  CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING #1 What will be the approximate position of the constellation in five hours? B C A D 1:0o AM EAST WEST  CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING #1 The constellation will be in position D (approximately) after five hours because constellations appear to move from East to West in a 24 hour cycle. 1:0o AM EAST D 6:0o AM WEST  Sagittarius CHECK FOR Capricorn Scorpio UNDERSTANDING Aquarius Libra #2 Pisces Which zodiac constellation Virgo is the sun 'in' on the diagram to the right and, Leo Aries given that the Sun is in Aries for most of April, what Taurus Cancer month is it on Earth? Gemini  Sagittarius CHECK FOR Capricorn Scorpio UNDERSTANDING Aquarius Libra #2 Pisces The Sun is facing Virgo Sagittarius in the diagram and it is most Aries Leo likely December, but it Cancer Taurus could also be November. Gemini What are some examples of constellations?  Orion The Orion constellation is renowned for its trio of aligned stars that resemble a belt, distinguishing it as a prominent feature on winter nights.  Andromeda Andromeda constellation is characterized by a unique "V" shape created by its brightest stars. Its name is derived from the Greek mythology princess, Andromeda.  Pegasus Pegasus, the Winged Horse, is recognized for its distinct pattern, forming a large square often referred to as the "Great Square of Pegasus." This square serves as a helpful guide for locating other celestial objects.  Scorpius Scorpius, the Scorpion, is a prominent zodiacal constellation visible in the southern hemisphere and some parts of the northern hemisphere during summer. It is renowned for its characteristic shape, resembling a scorpion with a curved tail and stinger. Centaurus Centaurus is notable for its resemblance to a centaur—a mythical creature with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a horse.  Ursa Minor Ursa Minor, also known as the Little Bear, is a constellation in the northern celestial hemisphere. One of the most recognizable features of Ursa Minor is the North Star, or Polaris, which is located very close to the north celestial pole.  Ursa Major Ursa Major, also known as the Great Bear, is an easily identifiable constellation located in the northern hemisphere. Its moniker is derived from a bear, with the Big Dipper forming the bear's hindquarters and tail.  ARE ALL STARS PART OF A CONSTELLATION? No, there are billions of stars, and only a fraction of them make up the shapes of our constellations — these are the stars that are easily seen with the unaided eye. Ancient observers connected these stars into the star pictures. All stars, however, fall within the boundaries of one of the 88 constellation regions.  GREAT WORK, EVERYONE! You will now extend your knowledge based on your learning from this lesson.