Constellations
Constellations
Constellations
Asterism
• The more recognizable patterns of stars.
Example:
Ursa Major.
History
• 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.
• 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?
• 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
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.
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):