This document provides information about constellations, including descriptions of some major constellations like Orion, Cassiopeia, and Ursa Major. It explains that constellations are patterns of stars in the sky and discusses myths associated with several constellations. It also describes how the earth's rotation makes it appear that stars are moving in the night sky.

1. CONSTELLATIONS
Scheat Alpheratz
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2. WHAT ARE CONSTELLATIONS?
A group
stars
that
of
form a
pattern
in the
sky.

4. COOL FACTS ABOUT CONSTELLATIONS
• There are 88 constellations
• The constel lotions you see depend on
your location, date, and time.
• Most have legends, myths, or stories
behind them.

6. WHY DO THE STARS APPEAR TO MOVE IN THE
NIGHTSKY?

7. EARTH'S ROTATION!
Stars in the northern hemisphere appear to
rotate around
Polaris aligns with
(the north star)
rotation for
Polaris
• the axis
Pole
of
the Earth: The North

8. AROUND THE NORTH
THE STARS SEEM TO SPIN
STAR (POLARIS)
North Star
1- ·
. ' '
. e
L
d i
d
l

9. POLARIS: THE NORTH STAR
As the Earth
•
rotates on its axis
its "celestial" north
pole remains
in line with
directly
Polaris.
• This forms the
circles seen in the
previous photograph

10. HEMISPHERE.
Southern Hemisphere
Northern Hemisphere

11. NOW, FOR A TOUR OF
CONSTELLATIONS...
THE SEVEN MAJOR
Orion
Cassiopeia
Cygnus
Scorpius
Draco
Ursa
Ursa
major
minor

12. CASSIOPEIA - "THE QUEEN"
Schedir
Gamma
CASSIOPEIA

13. CASSIOPEIA - "THE QUEEN"
Brightest Star - Schedar
Best season to view - all year
The Myth:
•
•
•
Cassiopeia was the queen of Ethiopiq. She
was_so prdud of her beuty qnd bragged, qbout
it . She off ended t he sea god Poseidon. He sent
a sea monster,to attack her kingdom and teach
her some humility.
According to the legend, the sea god
Poseidon plaed the figure of Cassiopeia among
the stars'to remind people of her vahity.

14. CYGNUS - "THE SWAN"
• Deneb • .
· CYGNUS

15. CYGNUS -"THE SWANN"
Brightest Star
Best season to
- Deneb
view - all year
•
•
The Myth:
One day three hunters were hiking through the
f or est when t hey came upon a cle~r lak
e . 'The lake
was home to,mariy birds including a beautiful snow
goose. One hunt ~r shot his bow @
nd the snow
o ps f ell int o t he lake. As t he sky dar kened, t he
spirit of the snow goose formed a constellation
in the sky.

16. SCORPIUS -"THE SCORPION"
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17. SCORPIUS -"THE SCORPION"
Brightest Star - Antares
Best season to view - summer
•
•
The Myth:
To the ancient Greeks, the constellation
Scorpis was the imgge of a scorpion, The, .
constellation was relted to the death of the giant
hunter Orion. There are several different stories
about Orion's death. According,to one story, Orion
wanted to kill all the earth s wild animals, but the
Eart h, goddess Gaia got angry because she made t he
animal.
The goddess sent g scorpion to attack Orion.
The scorpion st ung Or ion to'd eath wit h it s tail As a
reward, Gaia changed the insect into a constellation.

18. ORION - " T H F
•
H. UJNTFR"
•

19. ORION -"THE HUNTER"
•
•
Brightest St ar - Rigel and Betelgeuse
Best season to view - the winter
The Myth:
Orion was a very good hunter, but also boastful.
Gaia, the goddess of Earth, became fed up with
Orion's bast_so she sent a deadly scorpion to kill
t he hunt er. The scor pion ended Or ion's br agging.
Bot h Or ion and Scor pius were placed in the sky but
to avoid any further'battles, they are never in the
sky_ at the same time. Orion is seen in the winter
and Scorpius is seen in the summer.

20. URSA M A I O D _ " R I C R E A D "
· URSA MAJOR

21. URSA MAJOR "BIG BEAR"
Brightest Star - Dubhe and Merak
•
• Best season to view - all year
The Myth:
Zeus,king pf the gods, fell in loye with
Callist o, Tog~t her th~y ha a son, Arcas. Zeus
changed Callist o int o a'begr t o prot ect her f r om
his j ~alous wif e, Her a. When Ar cas grew up, he
alm~st shot his mot her by mist ak
e . Ze
us
pr ot ect ed Callist o by ~hq
h
nging Ar cqs int o anot her
bear (Ursa Minor-Little Dippr) and placing both
bears in the sky.

22. URSA MINOR "LITTLE BEAR"
• Ursa Minor, aka, Little Bear, contains the Little
Dipperand theNorth Star, Polaris
-
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-
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-Polaris
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23. URSA MINOR "LITTLE BEAR"
Brightest Star - Polaris
Best season to view- all year
•
•
Remember Zeus loved Callisto and changed her into
•
a bear to protect her from his
liked to hunt and almost killed
Big Bear. Zeus decided to also
jealous wife. Arcas
his mot her, Callist o,
change Ar eas int o a
bear to protect both his son and his lover. He placed
both bears in the sky together.

24. DRACO -"THE DRAGON"

25. DRACO -"THE DRAGON"
• Dracothedragonfought Minervaduring
thewarsbetweenthegiantsand thegods.
MinervathrewDraco'stwistedbodyinto
the heavens before it had time to unwind
itself.