USING CONSTELLATIONS

USING CONSTELLATIONS

What are constellations? How were constellations used

throughout history? What do modern astronomers use

constellations for? Is there even a need?

FIND THE BIG DIPPER

EASY!

FIND THE BIG DIPPER NOW?

STILL EASY?

CAN YOU SPOT POLARIS?

IS THIS IT?

??

POLARIS IS NOT A BRIGHT STAR...

NOPE!

WHY BIG DIPPER?

It is fairly easy to recognize It is seen year round in the northern

hemisphere – just look to the north! Astronomers and navigators have

been using it to guide the night skies for a long time

It also helps us locate Polaris

WHAT SO SPECIAL ABOUT POLARIS?

Our Pole Star It is directly above our

North Pole All stars seem to “go

around” Polaris

VIEW OF THE STARS

LET’S FIND POLARIS ON YOUR MAP!

START WITH URSA MAJOR

FIND THE BIG DIPPER

THE BIG DIPPER IS PART OF URSA MAJOR

FIND THE “LIP” OF THE BIG DIPPER

LIP!

IT POINTS YOU TO POLARIS

About 5 times the length of the lip

EASY!

POLARIS!

POLARIS IS THE BRIGHTEST STAR IN URSA MINOR

Big Dipper

Ursa Minor

Polaris

FINDING SIRIUS

Sirius is the BRIGHTEST star in the night sky!

FINDING THE ANDROMEDA GALAXY

ASTERISMS

The Big Dipper is not an official constellation, but rather an asterism.

It is a pattern of (usually the brightest) stars that is easily recognized in the night sky.

It is NOT a smaller pattern within a constellation as our textbook suggests.

Some other examples: Orion’s Belt The “W” Summer Triangle Winter Triangle Fish Hook (Scorpious)

http://www.bisque.com/tom/asterisms/ursamajor.asp

FIND THE BIG DIPPER

ORION’S BELT

SUMMER TRIANGLE

WINTER TRIANGLE

“W” OF CASSIOPEIA

FISH HOOK (SCORPIO)