A constellation is a group of stars that form a long-recognized pattern in the sky, as viewed from Earth.

The stars that make up a constellation do not represent any meaningful order in the universe. Those stars may be at very different distances from Earth and from one another. Constellations seen from Earth would be shaped much differently and would be unrecognizable if viewed from another part of our galaxy. The naming of constellations dates back to ancient civilizations. Although some constellations may resemble the animals, objects, or people for which they were named, others were merely named in honor of those figures. Many of the constellations were originally given Greek names and are related to ancient mythology. These names were later replaced by their Latin equivalents, names by which they are still known today. Stargazing, however, was not limited to the ancient Greeks and Romans. Many cultures looked to celestial bodies to understand the creation

The constellation Orion, the Great Hunter. The three closely placed stars just left of center in this photo mark Orion's belt. (Reproduced courtesy of National Aeronautics and Space Administrationand structure of the universe and their place in it. Their naming of the different stars reflects their views or mythology. For example, the constellations the Romans called Ursa Major and Cassiopeia (pronounced kas-eeo-PEE-a) were called Whirling Man and Whirling Woman by the Navajo. Some familiar star groups known by common names are not constellations at all. These groups are called asterisms. Two examples are the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper. The Big Dipper, also known as the Plough, is part of the constellation Ursa Major (the Great Bear). The Little Dipper is part of the constellation Ursa Minor. Eighty-eight constellations encompass the present-day celestial sphere (the sky or imaginary sphere that surrounds Earth). Each of these constellations is associated with a definite region in the celestial sphere. The yearly path of the Sun, the Moon, and the major planets among the stars, as viewed from Earth, is called the ecliptic. Twelve constellations are located on or near the ecliptic. These constellationsAries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricornus, Aquarius, and Piscesare known as the constellations of the zodiac. The remaining constellations can be viewed in the celestial sphere during the year from either the Northern

Hemisphere (28 constellations) or the Southern Hemisphere (48 constellations). The daily rotation of Earth on it axis causes the constellations to appear to move westward across the sky each night. The yearly revolution of Earth around the Sun, which brings about the seasons, causes different constellations to come into view during the seasons. Historically, constellations were groupings of stars that were thought to outline the shape of something, usually with mythological significance. There are 88 recognized constellations, with their names tracing as far

In some cases one can discern easily the purported shape; for example, the constellation Leo shown on the right might actually look like a lion with the dots connected as they are. In other cases the supposed shape is very much in the eye of the beholder, as the example of Canis Minor (The Little Dog) shown on the left indicates. This certainly could be a little dog, or a cow, or a submarine, or . . .

Star Groupings and Asterisms

Some of the more familiar "constellations" are technically not constellations at all. For example, the grouping of stars known as the Big Dipper is probably familiar to most, but it is not actually a constellation. The Big Dipper is part of a larger grouping of stars called the Big Bear (Ursa Major) that is a constellation.

A well-known grouping of stars like the Big Dipper that is not officially recognized as a constellation is called anasterism.

Constellations Are Not Physical Groupings

The apparent groupings of stars into constellations that we see on the celestial sphere are not physical groupings. In most cases the stars in constellations and asterisms are each very different distances from us, and only appear to be grouped because they lie in approximately the same direction. This is illustrated in the following figure for the stars of the Big Dipper, where their physical distance from the Earth is drawn to scale (numbers beside each star give the distance from Earth in light years).

The relative distances to stars in the Big Dipper

It is important to make this distinction because later we shall consider groupings that are physical groupings, such as star clusters and binary star systems.

The Constellations of the Zodiac

The zodiac is an imaginary band 18 degrees wide and centered on the ecliptic. The constellations that fall in the zodiac are called the 12 constellations of the zodiac. They were at one time thought to have great mystical and astrological significance. Astrology is bunk, but the constellations of the zodiac are still of importance because the planets, as well as the Sun and Moon, are all near or on the ecliptic at any given time; thus, they are always found within one of the zodiac constellations.

Constellations in Modern Astronomy

In modern astronomy, the significance of constellations is no longer mythological, but practical: constellations define imaginary regions of the sky, just as the individual states each define an imaginary region of the United States. Thus, to say that a planet is in the constellation Leo is to partially locate the planet on the celestial sphere, just as saying that Knoxville is in Tennessee is to partially locate the city on the surface of the Earth. As for states, modern constellations have irregular boundaries that have been agreed upon for various reasons, perhaps not always completely logical. Here is a Web page devoted to constellations and their stars, and a Java applet allowing interactive display of stars and constellations. See also thisJava applet (select from the list of constellations that appears for a scrollable map centered on that constellation). Finally, here is a constellationpronunciation guide.

A constellation is a group of stars that form a long-recognized pattern in the sky, as viewed from Earth. The stars that make up a constellation do not represent any meaningful order in the universe. Those stars may be at very different distances from Earth and from one another. Constellations seen from Earth would be shaped much differently and would be unrecognizable if viewed from another part of our galaxy.

The naming of constellations dates back to ancient civilizations. Although some constellations may resemble the animals, objects, or people for which they were named, others were merely named in honor of those figures. Many of the constellations were originally given Greek names and are related to ancient mythology. These names were later replaced by their Latin equivalents, names by which they are still known today. Words to Know Asterism: Familiar star pattern that is not a constellation. Celestial sphere: The sky or imaginary sphere that surrounds Earth and provides a visual surface on which astronomers plot celestial objects and chart their apparent movement due to Earth's rotation. Ecliptic: The apparent path of the Sun, the Moon, and the major planets among the stars in one year, as viewed from Earth. Stargazing, however, was not limited to the ancient Greeks and Romans. Many cultures looked to celestial bodies to understand the creation

The constellation Orion, the Great Hunter. The three closely placed stars just left of center in this photo mark Orion's belt. (Reproduced courtesy of National Aeronautics and Space Administration

and structure of the universe and their place in it. Their naming of the different stars reflects their views or mythology. For example, the constellations the Romans called Ursa Major and Cassiopeia (pronounced kas-eeo-PEE-a) were called Whirling Man and Whirling Woman by the Navajo. Some familiar star groups known by common names are not constellations at all. These groups are called asterisms. Two examples are the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper. The Big Dipper, also known as the Plough, is part of the constellation Ursa Major (the Great Bear). The Little Dipper is part of the constellation Ursa Minor. Eighty-eight constellations encompass the present-day celestial sphere (the sky or imaginary sphere that surrounds Earth). Each of these constellations is associated with a definite region in the celestial sphere. The yearly path of the Sun, the Moon, and the major planets among the stars, as viewed from Earth, is called the ecliptic. Twelve constellations are located on or near the ecliptic. These constellationsAries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricornus, Aquarius, and Piscesare known as the constellations of the zodiac. The remaining constellations can be viewed in the celestial sphere during the year from either the Northern Hemisphere (28 constellations) or the Southern Hemisphere (48 constellations). The daily rotation of Earth on it axis causes the constellations to appear to move westward across the sky each night. The yearly revolution of Earth around the Sun, which brings about the seasons, causes different constellations to come into view during the seasons.

Examples of Constellations

The famous star Algol in theconstellation Perseus, forexample, ... 568 314 - 221k - png sekolah.mmu.edu.my

Examples: Ursa major (with the Big Dipper and Mizar); Cygnus; Lyra; Orion; ... 250 200 - 14k - jpg phy.olemiss.edu

Here are a few examples made on the computer with Microsoft Paint. 428 462 - 27k - jpg learningideasgradesk-8...

... constellation. To make this easier for you, here are twoexamples : 789 614 - 9k - gif marvinastronomytutoria...

... values create a dark blue star map of Orion: Constellationmap of Orion 592 592 - 27k - png pp3.sourceforge.net

A constellation is a group of stars that form a particular pattern. 500 385 - 222k - jpg worldsstrangest.com

Note that all constellations will be scaled to fit the display so smaller ... 320 320 - 4k - png star-pilot.com

PROJECT IN SCIENCE
SUBMITTED BY:

MA. ISABEL D. BOLO

SUBMITTED TO:

MRS. SHERYLL PALACIO