Transcript constellations - Cloudfront.net

What are constellations?
A group
of stars
that form
a pattern
in the
sky.
• As early as 5000 years ago, people began
naming patterns of stars, called
constellations, in the honor of mythological
characters or great heroes.
• Today, 88 constellations are recognized.
• They divide the sky into disjoint units.
• Every star in the sky is in one of these
constellations.
• The constellations you see depend on your
location, date, and time.
• Most have legends, myths or stories behind
them.
Why do the Stars appear to move in
the night sky?
The Stars seem to spin around the
North Star (Polaris)
North Star
Polaris: The North Star
• As the Earth
rotates on its axis
its “celestial” north
pole remains directly
in line with Polaris.
• This forms the
circles seen in the
previous photograph
How to find Star
Ursa Major
Ursa Major, the Great
Bear, is visible in the
Northern Hemisphere
all year long.
Ursa Major
Circumpolar Constellation
Ursa Minor
• Ursa Minor, the Little Bear,
is visible in the Northern
Hemisphere all year long.
• Ursa Minor is mostly
known for Polaris, the
North Star, which may be
found at the end of the
handle.
Ursa Minor
Circumpolar Constellation
Circumpolar Constellations
Latitude and
Longitude
Beavercreek, OH
Latitude: 39.73 N,
Longitude: 84.06
W
The Dome of the Sky:
Definitions in your local sky
Different sets of constellations are visible in
northern and southern skies.
The Altitude of the celestial pole (Polaris) = your latitude