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Constellations
Workbook
This workbook covers the following 6th Grade Utah State Core
requirements:
STANDARD IV: Students will understand the scale of size, distance between
objects, movement, and apparent motion (due to Earth’s rotation) of objects in the
universe and how cultures have understood, related to and used these objects in
the night sky.
Objective 2: Describe the appearance and apparent motion of groups of stars in the
night sky relative to Earth and how various cultures have understood and used them.
a. Locate and identify stars that are grouped in patterns in the night sky.
b. Identify ways people have historically grouped stars in the night sky.
c. Recognize that stars in a constellation are not all the same distance from Earth.
d. Relate the seasonal change in the appearance of the night sky to Earth’s position.
e. Describe ways that familiar groups of stars may be used for navigation and
calendars.
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Constellations
(from Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2006. © 1993-2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved)
In ancient times when people looked up at the starry night sky, they thought they
saw shapes in groups of stars. We call these shapes constellations. The ancient
Sumerians, Babylonians, Egyptians, Greeks, and Chinese named constellations of stars
after heroes and beasts from stories and after everyday objects.
You probably know some constellations. The Big Dipper looks like a giant pot with
a long handle. The constellation Orion is named after a hunter in Greek mythology. You
can see his belt, marked by three bright stars, and his sword, which hangs from his belt.
The stars that form constellations are not really near each other. Some of the
stars in a constellation are much farther from us than others. The stars just happen to
form patterns as we view them from the Earth.
WHICH CONSTELLATION IS WHICH?
When you look up at the sky, you see shapes much like those which the ancient
stargazers named after characters from magical tales. You can use a star chart, a map
that shows where stars appear in the sky, to become familiar with the shapes and names
of the constellations. As the night passes, these great shapes seem to move through the
sky, just as the Sun appears to cross the sky during the day. But it’s actually Earth
that’s moving, not the Sun and stars.
You can only see the brightest stars with the naked eye. Try looking at the sky
through binoculars or a telescope. Thousands of fainter stars come into view. You can no
longer see the shapes of constellations.
DO CONSTELLATIONS ALWAYS LOOK THE SAME?
Because Earth tilts as it circles the Sun, you see different constellations at
different times of year. The Big Dipper, for example, is easiest to find during summer.
Orion is most visible during winter.
People in Australia and elsewhere in the Southern Hemisphere see completely
different constellations than people in Canada or the United States. One of the most
famous southern constellations is Crux, the Southern Cross.
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The shapes of constellations slowly change over very long periods of time. The
familiar forms will look quite different many thousands of years from now.
Changes in the Big Dipper over 100,000 years
HOW DO ASTRONOMERS USE CONSTELLATIONS?
Astronomers divide the sky into 88 constellations. Even though the constellations
do not represent real groupings of stars, astronomers still find them useful for naming
stars and mapping the sky.
Astronomers use letters of the Greek alphabet to name stars. They also use a
form of the name of the constellation the star is in. The brightest star in a
constellation has alpha in its name, because alpha is the first letter of the Greek
alphabet. For example, the brightest star in the constellation Perseus is called Alpha
Persei. And the second brightest is Beta Persei. (Beta is the second letter in the Greek
alphabet.) The star closest to the Sun is Alpha Centauri, the brightest star in the
southern constellation of Centaurus.
Some objects that are not stars are also named after the constellations in which
they appear. Such objects include the Andromeda galaxy and the Orion nebula. At
certain times of the year, the Earth passes through showers of meteors (shooting
stars). Even these meteor showers, such as the Perseids and Geminids, are named after
the constellations from which they seem to fall.
WHAT ARE THE CONSTELLATIONS OF THE ZODIAC?
The ancient Babylonians noticed that the Sun’s position in the sky changes
through the year. They divided the stars along the Sun’s path into 12 constellations. We
call these 12 the constellations of the zodiac. They consist of Aries, the Ram; Taurus,
the Bull; Gemini, the Twins; Cancer, the Crab; Leo, the Lion; Virgo, the Young Woman;
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Libra, the Scales; Scorpio, the Scorpion; Sagittarius, the Archer; Capricorn, the Water
Goat; Aquarius, the Water Bearer; and Pisces, the Fish.
Examples of Constellations
The Constellation Taurus
In ancient times people thought these stars looked like the front half of a bull, so they
named this constellation Taurus (Latin for “bull”). (This is how the constellation would
look in the nighttime sky.)
Photo Researchers, Inc./John Sanford and David Parker/Science Photo Library
Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2006. © 1993-2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Freshmen in the general-science class at Mark Twain Middle
School in Mar Vista, Calif., were studying astronomy.
"What do we call a group of stars that makes an imaginary picture
in the sky?" the teacher asked.
"A consternation," one student replied.
– Contributed to "Tales Out of School" by Ralph E. Hedges, The
Reader's Digest Association, 1996
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The Big Dipper
The Big Dipper is a group of seven stars arranged in a pattern that looks like a water
ladle. It is also known by the names Ursa Major (the Great Bear), the Plow, Charles’s
Wain (a farm cart), and the Wagon.
Photo Researchers, Inc./Jerry Schad
Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2006. © 1993-2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
AN INTERESTING TIDBIT
(from Sky Tellers, http://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/skytellers/constellations/about.shtml)
The Big Dipper is not a constellation! It is part of Ursa Major, the Greater Bear. The
Big Dipper is an asterism, a recognized, but not official, grouping of stars. Some
asterisms fall within a single constellation, others cross constellations.
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HOW DID WE GET THE CONSTELLATIONS?
(source: What Are Constellations? http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/extra/constellations.html#History)
OK, so we know the constellations are helpful for remembering the stars, but why
would people want to do that (besides astronomers, that is)? After all, I said at the
beginning that farmers invented the constellations. Why did they do that? Was it for
some religious purpose?
Yes and no. Around the world, farmers know that for most crops, you plant in the
spring and harvest in the fall. But in some regions, there is not much differentiation
between the seasons. Since different constellations are visible at different times of
the year, you can use them to tell what month it is. For example, Scorpius is only visible
in the northern hemisphere's evening sky in the summer. Some historians suspect that
many of the myths associated with the constellations were invented to help the farmers
remember them. When they saw certain constellations, they would know it was time to
begin the planting or the reaping.
This dependence on the sky became a strong part of many cultures. Perhaps there
is something about the mystery of the night sky that makes people want to tell stories
about the constellations. The picture at the left is an ornate star chart printed in 1835.
Like the others, it shows the great hunter Orion. In this one, he is holding a lion's head
instead of his traditional bow or shield. He has an eager look in his eye as he stalks
Taurus, the Bull. Behind him, his faithful dog, Canis Major, is chasing Lepus, the Hare.
Compare this picture to the photo near the top of the page. They are at about the same
scale and they show the same stars.
The constellations have changed over time. In our modern world, many of the
constellations have been redefined so now every star in the sky is in exactly one
constellation. In 1929, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) adopted official
constellation boundaries that defined the 88 official constellations that exist today.
CONSTELLATION READING QUESTIONS
And you thought you’d get away without answering questions about what
you read! You should know me better than that! Answer these questions:
1. What do we call shapes in groups of stars?
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2. What does the Big Dipper look like?
3. True/False You ALWAYS see the same constellations during the year.
4. As you watch the stars at night, they appear to move through the sky. Why does
this happen?
5. Why do you see different constellations during the year?
6. When is Orion visible?
7. True/False People in the Southern Hemisphere see different constellations than the
people in Utah.
8. What is the most famous Southern constellation?
9. How many constellations are there?
10. What letters are used to name stars?
11. What is the brightest star in Perseus called?
12. Who first divided the stars along the Sun’s path into 12 constellations?
13. List the 12 constellations of the Zodiac (use both Latin and English names).
a.
b.
c.
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d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
k.
l.
14. The Big Dipper is known by four different names. List them.
a.
b.
c.
d.
15. The Big Dipper is not really a constellation. What is it?
CONSTELLATIONS MYTHS
Myths explain how the constellations were placed in the nighttime sky. Let’s look
at a couple:
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URSA MAJOR – THE GREAT BEAR (WASCO TRIBE)
Once, there were five wolves who would share meat
with Coyote. One night the wolves were staring at
the sky. "What are you looking at?" asked Coyote.
"There are two animals up there,” they told him. "But
we can't get to them." "That is easy,” said Coyote.
He took his bow and shot an arrow into the sky
where it stuck. He shot another arrow, which stuck
into the first. Then he shot another and another
until the chain of arrow reached the ground. The five
wolves and Coyote climbed the arrows and the oldest wolf took along his dog. When the
reached the sky they could see that the animals were grizzly bears. The wolves went
near the bears and sat there looking at them and the bears looked back. Coyote thought
they looked good sitting there so he left them and removed his arrow ladder. The three
stars of the handle of the Big Dipper and the two stars of the bowl near the handle are
the wolves. The two stars on the front of the bowl that point to the North Star are the
bears. Alcor, the little star by the wolf in the middle of the handle is the dog.
CORVUS – THE CROW (GREEK)
The Crow was the god Apollo's sacred bird. When
the monster Typhon set upon the Olympian gods,
the god Pan shouted a warning, and the gods
changed themselves into animals to escape.
Aphrodite and Eros changed themselves into fish
(Pisces). Pan too tried to become a fish, but
ended up as only half a fish (Capricorn). Apollo
changed himself into a Crow.
One day, Apollo was about to offer sacrifice to
Zeus. He sent the Crow off with the Cup to fetch
water from a nearby spring. The Crow was distracted by a fig tree bearing fruit
that was almost ripe. The fruit tempted the Crow, but he didn't want to eat the
unripe figs; so he waited for two or three days for the fruit to ripen.
Eventually the god tired of waiting for the Crow to return and fetched the water
himself. The Crow, having eaten his fill of the ripe figs, flew back to Apollo with
his long delayed Cup of water. Apollo was furious!
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The Crow offered the excuse that a water snake had been blocking the spring,
but the wise Apollo saw through the excuse and punished the Crow. Apollo
changed the melodious voice of the bird into a raucous squawk. Some say that it
was at this point that the white feathers of the crow were turned into black. But,
the worst punishment of all is that Apollo set the crow Corvus into the stars right
beside the Cup. The water snake was commanded never to let the Crow get near
enough to the Cup to drink.
ASSIGNMENT CREATE-A-CONSTELLATION
Our constellations represent things that were important to the people who named them.
If we made constellations today, we would have different names. You assignment is to
design your own constellation.




Using the Personal Constellation graph, graph your name (first and last name).
On a black sheet of construction paper, stick the stars in the same shape they
are on your graph. Connect the stars in a shape with a white crayon.
Create a myth that explains why the constellation is in the sky. Tape it to the
back of your paper. Write your name on the back of the paper as well. Your myth
has to apply to today. You can’t use Zeus or any other Greek gods. It must be a
story people would recognize today!
Create a myth that explains why the constellation is in the sky. Tape it to the
back of your paper. Write your name on the back of the paper as well.
GENERAL CONSTELLATION QUESTIONS
(from Stars and Constellations FAQ, http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/extra/faq.html)
Where can I learn to spot the constellations?
My favorite book for beginners is "The Stars: A New Way to See Them" by H.A. Rey
(the Curious George author). It is very well done and entertaining too.
Who discovered the first constellation?
The constellations were invented, not discovered. The constellations are just distinctive
and easy-to-remember patterns of stars. Most of the famous ones were invented
before the beginning of recorded history. Orion, for example, has a history dating to
before about 4000 BC.
Who named the stars?
All of the stars that have names (about 2-300 of them) were named between 500 and
2000+ years ago. Most of the star names in use today came from Arabic names. These
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days, all stars are named for their coordinates (e.g NTTS 045251+3016 is one I've
worked on) by the IAU (International Astronomical Union).
How is it that we can see the Milky Way galaxy and yet we are in it?
Picture the Milky Way to be like a big, translucent pancake. We are in it about half way
from the middle to the edge on one side. The big strip you see in the sky as the Milky
Way is the light from many of the stars in our disk-shaped galaxy. The Milky Way seems
to wrap around the whole sky because of the pancake-shape that surrounds us. But
because of all of the gas and dust in the galaxy, it is not transparent, so we can only see
about 5-10% of the way across with visible-light telescopes (radio and infrared
telescopes can see farther through the dust) so the Milky Way appears about equally
bright in a band around the sky.
WHY DO WE SEE DIFFERENT CONSTELLATIONS DURING THE YEAR?
If observed through the year, the constellations shift gradually to the west. This is
caused by Earth’s orbit around our Sun. In the summer, viewers are looking in a
different direction in space at night than they are during the winter.
Complete the worksheet.
Constellation “Think” Questions
(from Constellations for Every Kid by Janice VanCleave)
1. Look at the picture. In what constellation would you see
the Sun?
2. Look at the picture. In what constellation
would you see the Sun?
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3. Look carefully at the picture.
a. In what constellation would you see the sun if it were in Position D?
b. In what constellation would you see the sun if it were in Position A?
c. In what constellation would you see the sun if it were in Position B?
d. In what constellation would you see the sun if it were in Position C?
In the picture for question #3, when Earth is at position A, it is Winter. When Earth is
at position B, it is Spring. When Earth is at position C, it is Summer. When Earth is at
position D, it is Autumn.
Use your Star Finder. List four constellations that can be seen during a season.
Winter
a.
b.
c.
d.
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Spring
a.
b.
c.
d.
Summer
a.
b.
c.
d.
Autumn
a.
b.
c.
d.
USING CONSTELLATIONS TO FIND OTHER CONSTELLATIONS
You will be listening to some podcasts that talk about constellations. Use the charts on
the next pages (as well as your constellation finder) as you listen to the podcasts.
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Star Clocks & Dipper Finders
Using your
Dipper Finder, answer the following questions:
In the circle, draw a picture of the Big
Dipper and Polaris in July at 10 p.m.
In the circle, draw a picture of the Big
Dipper and Polaris in December at 9 p.m.
In the circle, draw a picture of the Big
Dipper and Polaris in April at 11 p.m.
In the circle, draw a picture of the Big
Dipper and Polaris in September at 8 p.m.
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In the circle, draw a picture of the Big
Dipper and Polaris in May at 1 a.m.
In the circle, draw a picture of the Big
Dipper and Polaris in November at 10 p.m.
In the circle, draw a picture of the Big
Dipper and Polaris in February at 10 p.m.
In the circle, draw a picture of the Big
Dipper and Polaris in August at midnight.
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Using your
Star Clock, answer the following questions:
In the circle, draw a picture of the Big
Dipper, Little Dipper, and Cassiopeia in
April at 3 a.m.
In the circle, draw a picture of the Big
Dipper, Little Dipper, and Cassiopeia in
September at 10 p.m.
In the circle, draw a picture of the Big
Dipper, Little Dipper, and Cassiopeia in
December at 7 p.m.
In the circle, draw a picture of the Big
Dipper, Little Dipper, and Cassiopeia in
October at midnight.
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In the circle, draw a picture of the Big
Dipper, Little Dipper, and Cassiopeia in
August at 3 p.m.
In the circle, draw a picture of the Big
Dipper, Little Dipper, and Cassiopeia in
February at 11 p.m.
In the circle, draw a picture of the Big
Dipper, Little Dipper, and Cassiopeia in
June at 2 a.m.
In the circle, draw a picture of the Big
Dipper, Little Dipper, and Cassiopeia in
January at 9 p.m.
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