Constellations
Astronomy

The scientific study of the universe beyond
the Earth

Tells us about the origin, history and
structure of our universe and solar system

Uses telescopes and satellites
Astrology

The study that interprets how the
positions of the stars, planets and moon
effect your personality, fate, relationships
etc
ASTERISM
A cluster of stars that is a subset of a
constellation
 Ex : the Big Dipper is part of the
constellation Ursa Major- the Great Bear


An unofficial constellation
CONSTELLATION

A group of stars in the same region of the
sky to which a name has been given

Ex: Orion, Capricorn, Pegasus

Any of the 88 groups of stars seen from
Earth named by ancient Greeks after
animals, objects or mythological figures
CIRCUMPOLAR

A group of 5 constellations that circle close
to the North Star

These constellations never fall below the
horizon

Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Cassiopeia,
Cepheus and Draco
Ecliptic

The part of the sky that is the plane of orbit
of the sun, the moon and the planets

The zodiac constellations fall in this great
circle
HOROSCOPE

A prediction made based on the position of
the sun, moon and planets

A chart or diagram showing the positions
of celestial bodies and interpreted for their
influence over human events
PRECESSION

The slow cone shaped motion of the
Earth’s axis of rotation

The Earth wobbles as it rotates over a
25,800 year period

This causes the zodiac constellations to
line up differently with the sun over long
periods of time
Zodiac
A band of constellations found along the
ecliptic
 Originally contained 12 signs or “houses”
 The sun resides in each constellation for
approximately one month

Constellations
There are only 88 official constellations
 13 Zodiac Constellations
 5 Circumpolar Constellations
 Several constellations are seen in both the
Northern and Southern Hemispheres
 In the past elaborate pictures were drawn
to represent the story behind the
constellation

Orion the Hunter
Orion the Hunter
Ancient People in Europe and the Middle
East saw a hunter brandishing a club
when they looked at Orion
 In Australia, it is turned upside down
 To professional astronomers, Orion is an
irregular part of the sky

Orion the Hunter
By the late 19th century, popular
stargazing guides began to represent
constellations as stick figures
 In 1952 H.A. Rey (author of Curious
George) revolutionized the way we look at
constellations by connecting the dots in
new and clever ways.

Orion 2
Orion 3
Which do you like better?