CONSTELLATIONS
BY EMMA DEVORE
By: Emma Devore
BEFORE THE PRESENTATION
• To start, I want to say that there are several different cultures
who use different constellations. On this PowerPoint, there are a
lot of different constellations, but I didn’t include all of them due
to the fact that there are too many constellations with all of the
different cultures.
Enjoy the PowerPoint!!
WHAT IS A CONSTELLATION?
• A constellation is a group of stars forming a pattern that is traditionally
named after its apparent form or identified with a mythological figure.
CONSTELLATIONS MAY VARY
•
The constellation may vary
from different cultures, such as
the constellation Orion is from
Greek mythology. The Lakota
Indians, see a giant hand in
the heavens meant to
resemble peace between the
heavens, which use some of
the same stars as Orion.
CIRCUMPOLAR CONSTELLATIONS
•
Because of the rotation of the Earth and its orbit around the Sun, we divide the stars and
constellations into two groups, northern and southern constellations. Circumpolar means
to circle around the pole. Circumpolar stars or constellations daily trace circles around the
north celestial pole, without setting or dipping below the horizon. They move in a
counterclockwise direction. On any given night, the constellation is visible during a portion
of the circle; the rest is traced out when the constellation is hidden in the daylight sky.
HOW MANY CONSTELLATIONS ARE THERE?
• There are 88 constellations used by Astronomers today.
• 14 men and women
• 9 birds, two insects
• 19 land animals
• 10 water creatures,
• two centaurs
• one head of hair
• a serpent
• a dragon
• a flying horse,
• a river and 29 inanimate objects are represented in the night sky.
THE LARGEST CONSTELLATION
• The largest constellation is Hydra, from Greek mythology and covers over 1,300
square degrees. It is best seen from the southern hemisphere, but is also visible
in the north from January through May.
THE SMALLEST CONSTELLATION
• The smallest constellation is Crux, the southern cross. Its is about 68
square degrees. Originally it was part of the constellation Centaur, but
became its own constellation during the 16th century when it was used
as a valuable navigation tool by explorers.
SOME CONSTELLATIONS FAMOUS FROM GREEK
MYTHOLOGY
 Andromeda-the princess
 Aquila-The Eagle
 Ursa Major- Large Bear (Ursa means bear and Major means large)
 Ursa Minor- Small Bear (Minor means small)
 Orion- The Hunter
There are many more this is just to name a few
Pictures are the next slide
PICTURES OF THOSE CONSTELLATIONS
Ursa Minor
Ursa Major
Orion
HOW URSA MAJOR GOT IT’S NAME
•
Ursa
Major
One Greek myth tells that the nymph Callisto, a servant of the hunter Artemis was made
to bear a child by Zeus. Artemis banished Callisto for impurity. Artemis gave birth to the
child named Arcas. This made Zeus' wife Hera very jealous and in revenge, Hera turned
Callisto into a bear which ran away into the forest. Arcas grew up to become a hunter.
One day while he was hunting, the bear Callisto heard Arcas' voice and rushed to greet
her son. Arcas, not knowing the bear was his mother was about to kill her when Zeus
intervened and sent both mother and son into the sky as the Greater and Lesser Bears.
The way Zeus got the bears into the sky explains why their tails are so long, apparently
Zeus grabbed them by their tails and swung them around over his head and finally flung
them into the sky, and that is why these two bears have long tails!
Ursa
Minor
CONSTELLATIONS OF THE WINTER TRIANGLE
•
The winter triangle is made up of Canis Major(the Big Dog), Canis Minor (the Little Dog) &
Orion the Hunter.
ZODIAC CONSTELLATIONS
•
The Babylonians named 12 constellations that were on the
Sun’s path through the night sky. By dividing this path into 12
equal parts, they were able to measure celestial time. Because
most of the constellations were named after animals, the whole
set of them was called the zodiac.
THE ZODIAC CONSTELLATIONS
•
Aquarius (Water Bearer)
•
Pisces (Fish)
•
Aries (Ram)
•
Taurus (Bull)
•
Gemini (Twins)
•
Cancer (Crab)
•
Leo (Lion)
•
Virgo (Virgin)
•
Libra (Scales)
•
Scorpio (Scorpion)
•
Sagittarius (Centaur The
Archer)
•
Capricorn (Sea Goat)