Sci9 Q3 Module6

9
Science
Quarter 3 – Module 6
Constellations at Different Times of the Year
CO_Q3_Science 9_ Module 6
Lesson
Constellations at Different
1 Times of the Year
This module provides you with scientific knowledge about the history of
constellation of stars as well as their origin and unique symbols.
Here are some key questions for you to ponder after finishing this module:
1. Are stars the same in terms of size, color, and brightness?
2. What is a constellation?
3. Why do some constellations appear once in a year?
4. How different beliefs regarding constellations affect our lives?
What’s New
According to Anaxagoras, the purpose of life is the investigation of the sun,

the moon, and the heavens. In the Philippines, believing in horoscopes and zodiac
signs are one of the unique culture of Filipinos, because they believe that each
zodiac sign has an impact in making decisions whether for business and love life.
But are these zodiac signs helpful and useful in making a sound decision? Or
perhaps, it is just a normal phenomenon that happens every day. In this module
you will learn about constellations, its origin and beliefs. But before that, try to
name at least five zodiac signs including the specific month.
What is It
Do you know that a person can see approximately 3,000 stars on the
average? These stars differ in brightness, size, and color. The colors of stars are
blue, oranges, red, white, and yellow. Each color indicates its approximate surface
temperature as shown in the table below.
Colors of Star and the Approximate Surface

Temperatures
Color Surface Temperature Example
Red 3000 K Betelgeuse
Orange 4000 K Aldebaran
Yellow 6000 K Sun
White 10,000 K Vega
Blue 25,000 K Spica
The brightness of stars as seen from Earth is based on the apparent

magnitude or brightness of stars as observed from Earth and the absolute
magnitude or brightness of stars at a standard distance of 10 parsecs or 32.6 light-
years from Earth. The apparent brightness depends on the location of the observer.
This image is courtesy of Nick Strobel

https://www.astronomynotes.com/starprop/s4.htm Have you seen patterns in the
sky at night? Due to the difference in apparent magnitude of the stars, you are able
to see patterns in the sky and these patterns are called constellations. The word
constellation from the Latin word “con” means Group and “stella” means stars.
However, constellations are more than just patterns in the sky. The International
Astronomical Union (IAU) defined constellations as boundaries in the sky to aid
determining locations of newly discovered astronomical objects. The more
recognizable patterns of stars are known as asterism. Big Dipper is an example of
an asterism that is in the constellation Ursa Major. This history of constellation is
passed from generation to generation including the beliefs about sun and moon,
however due to some circumstances this information about stars were not
preserved. As of today, we have 88 constellations that astronomers studied and
most of these stars are based on Greek groups and there are also 48 accredited
constellations recorded in Ptolemy's almagest.
There are billions of stars in the night sky and stargazing could be an
exceptional way to explore it. Many people are having difficulty on recognizing stars
and constellations. Ursa Major is an easily recognizable constellation in the night
sky that looks like a large spoon. It is composed of seven bright stars. Another
constellation is Ursa Minor, composed also of seven stars that resembled a small
spoon.
Source:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ursa_Major_-_Ursa_Minor_-_Polaris.jpg
Stars are distant celestial bodies from Earth and Sun is the nearest star.
Stars and constellations are visible depending on the location of an observer and
the season in that place. Some stars and constellations are only visible at a specific
month. Why do stars appear to move to move in the sky? This is because Earth
rotates on its axis, thus the stars appear to move across the night sky from east to
west, and the sun seems to rise in the east and set in the west. The stars that are
close to celestial poles, appears to move a little in the night sky. Polaris is the North
star
because it is located close to the north celestial pole. Stars that are around a
celestial pole are called circumpolar stars forming recognizable patterns known as
circumpolar constellations. The northern circumpolar constellations are Ursa
Major, Ursa Minor, Cassiopeia, and Draco. The southern circumpolar constellations
are Carina, Centaurus, and Crux. The circumpolar stars remain in the night sky
and stay visible all year from the northern hemisphere. All stars observed from the
equator are not circumpolar for it appears to rise in the east and set in the west.
Ursa Minor
Scorpius
Orion
Celestial Sphere
Illustrated by Jaquilyn A. Floriano
People living in the northern or southern hemisphere can observe

constellation that are to the north or south of Earth while those in the equator can
observe constellations depending on their distance to the equator. As the Earth
rotates around the sun the visibility of constellations changes throughout the year.
As shown in the illustration of celestial sphere, people in the northern hemisphere
can see Ursa Minor throughout the year but this constellation not visible to those
in the southern hemisphere.
Why do we see different constellations at different times of the year? This is

because the Earth orbits around the sun from west to east making the star seems
to rise in the east and set in the west. The rotation of the Earth on its axis causes
the observed movement of the stars in the night sky while the revolution allows the
observer to see a certain part of the sky at different months of the year.
There are some constellations in Northern and Southern Hemisphere that

varies from March to December. The constellations that are visible from late March
to late June (Northern Spring/Southern Autumn) are listed as follows:
Antlia Centaurus Leo Sextans

Bootes Corvus Lynx Ursa Major
Cancer Crux Musca Ursa Minor
Canes Venatici Hydra Pyxis Virgo
Late June to late September (Northern Summer/Southern Winter):
Apus Circinus Pavo Scutum

Aquila Draco Sagitta Serpens
Ara Equuleus Sagittarius Telescopium
Capricornus Hercules Scorpius Delphinus
Late September to late December (Northern Autumn/Southern Spring):
Andromeda Cepheus Octans Sculptor
Aquarius Cetus Pegasus Triangulum
Aries Grus Perseus Tucana
Cassiopeia Lacerta Phoenix
Late December to late March (Northern Winter/Southern Summer):
Auriga Eridanus Hydrus Reticulum

Caelum Fornax Lepus Taurus
Camelopardalis Gemini Orion Vela
Canis Major Horologium Pictor Volans
Try finding the constellation mentioned above in this illustration.
Source:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Field_Book_of_the_Stars-053
Constellations_of_Summer.svg
In ancient times, people believed that constellations have practical uses such
as relating their God’s message of love, care, blessing, and anger on the different
positions of stars in the sky. They also used constellations to keep track on the
calendar of when to plant and harvest the crops, for example if the constellation
Orion is visible then, the winter season is coming while the appearance of summer
triangle indicates the summer season. These patterns allowed farmers to plan
ahead for agriculture. The constellations helped in navigation and aided sailors to
travel across the oceans by finding the Polaris or North star and estimating its
height to figure out the north and south latitude. This allowed the discovery of
known great civilizations and cultures.
Here in the Philippines, Filipino ancestors considered observing the stars as

guide towards making major decisions such as selecting the right month to plant
and harvest, warning for the coming of kaingin period, and other sacrifices. This
belief was passed through generations and made every citizen unique. The Balatik
and Moroporo are among the constellations and asterisms that were recognized in
the archipelago. The Balatik constellation appears in December. It was used by the
tribal hunters in the country to foretell the coming of kaingin period and time for
planting while other tribes used the constellation as a reminder of the time of
sacrifices. The Moroporo was used for sea navigation and to signal the beginning of
the planting season. History reminds people that our ancestors believed on the
patterns of stars in the sky.

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9

1. Are stars the same in terms of size, color, and brightness?

3. Why do some constellations appear once in a year?

4. How different beliefs regarding constellations affect our lives?

According to Anaxagoras, the purpose of life is the investigation of the sun,

Colors of Star and the Approximate Surface

Red 3000 K Betelgeuse

Orange 4000 K Aldebaran

Yellow 6000 K Sun

White 10,000 K Vega

Blue 25,000 K Spica

The brightness of stars as seen from Earth is based on the apparent

This image is courtesy of Nick Strobel

Illustrated by Jaquilyn A. Floriano

People living in the northern or southern hemisphere can observe

Why do we see different constellations at different times of the year? This is

There are some constellations in Northern and Southern Hemisphere that

Antlia Centaurus Leo Sextans

Late June to late September (Northern Summer/Southern Winter):

Apus Circinus Pavo Scutum

Late December to late March (Northern Winter/Southern Summer):

Auriga Eridanus Hydrus Reticulum

Try finding the constellation mentioned above in this illustration.

Here in the Philippines, Filipino ancestors considered observing the stars as

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