CONSTELLATIONS

Objective: I will be able to identify the 5 major constellations.

Seasonal Star Map in book on pages R54-58

Constellation: A group of stars that form a pattern in the sky. (Really the region of the sky that is divided into 88 areas.)

Asterism: A recognizable group of stars that is part of a known constellation.

The five major constellations you will learn:#1 Ursa Major and “The Big Dipper”#2 Orion The Hunter#3 Cassiopeia or “The Queen”#4 Scorpius or “The Scorpion”#5 Cygnus “Swan” or “The Cross”

Ursa Major and The Big Dipper

• Circumpolar • Ursa Major means “The Bear”. • Big Dipper looks like a giant dipper (cup).• The bowl of the dipper (the cup) is part of the bear.

Ursa Major The Big Dipper

• The handle of the dipper is the “Great Bear’s tail”, or 3 warriors chasing the bear.

• 2 stars that form the outer edge of the bowl point directly to the North Star—Polaris.• It has 7 “main” bright stars, but there are more in the constellation.

Ursa Major and The Big Dipper

Looks like a dipper (a cup)

Big Dipper

Connect the Dots.

Orion “The Hunter”• Represents the Mythological “Orion--The Hunter”.• 3 bright stars make up the belt.• 3 faint stars make up the club.• The Nebula “Orion” surrounds the 3 stars that make up the sword.• Only visible in winter to the south.

Orion “The Hunter”

Connect the dots.

Cassiopeia “The Queen”• A circumpolar group of 5 stars.• They form a rough letter “W” or a lazy “W”.• Named for the Mythological Ethiopian Queen—Cassiopeia.•Was the wife of Cepheus, & the mother of Andromeda.

Casseopeia “The Queen”

Connect the dots.

Scorpius “The Scorpion”

• Best viewed in Summer.• Is Latin for the word scorpion.• The 3 upper stars form the scorpion’s head.• The 2 lower stars form the scorpion’s stinger.

Scorpius “The Scorpion”

Connect the dots.

Cygnus “The Swan”

• Looks like a swan or a Latin cross.• Also known as the Northern Cross.• A group of 6 stars make up the wing of the swan, or the vertical part of the cross.• Spring sky to north

Cygnus “The Swan”

Connect the dots.

Looks like a Swan or Cross.

Cygnus

Quiz Time!Answers go on your notes

under “Quiz”.

1.Which constellation is recognized most easily by the 3 stars that make up a “belt ”?

2.Which constellation is recognized most easily as a “cross”?

3.Which constellation is recognized most easily as a lazy “W”?

4.Which constellation has 7 main stars?

5.Which constellation has 5 main stars?

6.Which constellation looks like a Swan?

7.Which constellation looks like a

Scorpion?

8.Which 2 constellations have the most stars?

9.Which constellation would this be?

10.Which constellation would this be?

11.Which constellation would this be?

12.Which constellation would this be?

13.Which constellation would this be?

14.Which constellation would this be?

15.Which constellation would this be?

1.Which constellation is recognized most easily by the 3 stars that make up a “belt”?Answer: Orion “The Hunter”

2.Which constellation is recognized most easily as a “cross”? Answer: Cygnus

3.Which constellation is recognized most easily as a lazy “W”? Answer: Cassiopeia

4. Which constellation has 7 main stars? Answer:Ursa Major or the Big Dipper

5. Which constellation has 5 main stars? Answer: Cassiopeia

6. Which constellation looks like a Swan? Answer: Cygnus

7.Which constellation looks like a Scorpion?

Answer: Scorpius

8.Which 2 constellations have the most stars? Answer: Scorpius & Orion

9. Which constellation would this be?

Answer: Orion

10. Which constellation would this be?

Cygnus

11. Which constellation would this be?

Scorpious

12. Which constellation would this be?

Cygnus

13. Which constellation would this be?

Casseopeia

14. Which constellation would this be?

Scorpius

15. Which constellation would this be?

Ursa MajorUrsa Major

How did you do??• Study the 5 major constellations you

just learned about. • They will be on your unit test.• Be able to identify them by name

and by picture. • Be able to draw each of the

constellations.