Name: Mast8r#2a. Starry Starry Night - Student Sheet. . r. Edmonton Public Schools, 1997?emission to copy granted to she user.

Transcription

1 n Name: Starry Starry Night - Student Sheet Mast8r#2a it 4f ^m. { E.. r i..e Edmonton Public Schools, 1997?emission to copy granted to she user. 79 V

2 Name: Master #2c Date: Constellations - Student Sheet U._ O V ^f } g8 p SwF Edmonton Publics ehoos, 1997 Permission to ropy granted to the user.

3 n Name: Date: Master #2e U Orion's Belt - Student Sheet.. ri x x 11 x.. X X X X L i T x x x ^k 0 Edmonton Public Schools, 1997 Pe mission to copy granted to the user. ba

4 WHAT ARE CONSTELLATIONS? Have you ever looked up at the clouds and seen shapes that remind you of animals, or even people? You can do the same thing with stars! In, fact, for thousands of years that's just what stargazers have been doing. These star pictures are called CONSTUULKflONS. Many constellations are named for gods and heroes of ancient myths and legends, or for animals, like LEO (the lion) and TAURUS (the bull). People also made up stories about the constellations. the names and stories helped people remember the constellations and find them in the sky. The Egyptians may have been the very first people to pick out groups of stars and name them, but most of the names and stories we remember today come from the ancient Greeks and Romans. Today we look for constellations mostly for the fun of it. But knowing the constellations was very important to people long ago. Before clocks or calendars or compasses were invented, constellations helped people tell time and find their way in the dark. In the daytime, you can tell if it's morning or afternoon by looking for the sun. As the earth spins, the sun seems to rise in the east every morning and set in the west every evening. So while the sun is in the east, you know it's morning. And when it's in the west, you know its afternoon noon 0 9 a.m..... _. 3 pin. east The sun as we see it at 4

5 As the earth keeps spinning, the sun seems to set and the sky grows dark. Then the stars come out and they too seem to move across the sky from east to west. Long ago, people learned to tell time at night by following the constellations across the sky. 12 midnight 9 P.M. 3 a.m. east west The constellation CASSIOPEIA as we see it in the fall at different times of the night THE SUN C ar s a r u eke every other star B e."i c ^a iet i anyvb er sir rnuc CIS`! jeo cl ^,y^ s^ kites spar we see --sc^ i _ O when your part ofthe world is turc ed toward : fie sun, e^ ^,4 g t --sue -., h^ :E_^ 1 aa1 sue ^:rl...le',il^. ^tl _^ ^i, ^. C" r_..l : d. if ii r _:` W If you look at the constellations often, you'll notice that as the seasons change the constellations seem to shift in the sky. But the constellations aren't really moving. The earth is. It takes one year for the earth to circle all the way around the sun. At different times of the year, we see the constellations from different places in the sky. By following the positions of the constellations, people long ago learned to keep track of the time of year. The constellation CASSIOPEIA as we see it during different seasons

6 c' Today, astronomers who study the stars recognize 88 constellations. Of course, nobody can see all the constellations at one time. Standing on- the earth, you can only see the stars above your part of the world. Someone standing on the other side of the earth sees a completely different night sky. r e " Polaris v s North Pole r e + R r + a i ^ s e a South Pole ` a s a s ^ a s! The poster in this book shows the night sky you would see if you were standing at the North Pole. There, the North Star, Polaris, is right above you. Of course, the night sky-you see from where you five wit -look a lithe diffetent:" But if you live in, the United, States, you should be_able to find these constellations in your own night sky. The rest of the book will tell you more about each constellation---and the special stories behind them. 6

7 er fall Polaris Little Dipper URSA MINOR (the Little Bear) In URSA MINOR (er-suh mj-ner) you'll find the %> famous star group we call the Little Dipper. It looks a lot like the Big Dipper but it's not quite as big or as bright. The North Star, Polaris, marks the end of the handle. rl OL RI Pole 3 n? ^^ I pect does not rove a-,sfle - mar c b W. ya.- u hi 'way is pout, ^pt r F -.< z e BOOTES (the Bear Keeper) BoaTEs (boh-oh-tees) invented the first plover pulled by oxen. The gods rewarded him for this clever invention with a place in the sky-with,. u one condition: sooms had to keep an eye on the 'y Great Bear and Little bear, 8

8 E ^q Al TO FIND ml NC TN STAR AND CASS,IOPIIA 1 f. Co. locate t e constellation Cassiopeia, you must look into the norhern section of the night sky. If you don't know someone who can point this area out to you, use a compass to find true north. Next, try to find the Big Dipper in this part of the sky. It will be near the northern horizon and is quite large. On o. winter evenings it will be standing on its handle, just to the right of due north. During summer evenings the Big Dipper will be to the left of due north and standing on the dipper part. Regardless of the position of the Big Dipper, you can use. it to find the North Star and Cassiopxei. The two stars that make the front edge of the dipper port are called the "pointers," and point to the North-.Star, which- is about four times as far away from the Dipper as the pointers are apart. Don't stop after locating the North Star. Continue a6 V 'A-e some direction, going on equal distance on,te^e otheir F the star until you s" d group af stars plat f orm a L i:' urge rigzog W This ss the conste on Casio r., It may not be right 'side up antle.may look mar^r like ass M. You will not be able to find Cassiopek in the evening sky from May through August, because it will. be below the northern horizon. Flowerer, on clear wings during the I t

9 CIRCUMPOLAR CONSTELLATIONS 61CT 01PPP-9 (vaseq Mwao.) MIZ /^7", ^ DRAC.O (v-4 OM) LITTLE DIPPER NoRTH57AA^ (' 54 rv,^w:s) (ra^rs s} C1-PHF-U S CAS51OPir 1A This star asap illustrates the summer sky, looking north. It's accurate for the following daylight saving times: May 1, 1 a.m.; May 15, 12 p.m.; June 1, 11 p.m.; June 15, 10 p.m., and July 1, 9 p.m. Although star charts and maps are designed for a specific time, they are still useful up to an hour on either side of the time indicated (except for locating objects near the horizon). Big Dipper: The Big Dipper is mode of seven stars, and is shaped like a saucepan or a bowl with a handle on it. The stars are fairly bright and not hard to find. The Big Dipper is a part of a larger constellation called Ursa Major, or the Big Bear. Which of the Big Dipper's stars has a little star right next to it? The answer is Mizar, the second star from the end of the handle. The faint star is Alcor. The Indians used the two stars as an eye test. They called the large star the squaw, the other an her back the papoose. North Star: Extend a line outward from the two pointer stars in the Big Dipper, Merck and Dwbhe. The stars point in the direction of the North Star, Polaris. Polaris has no stars around it, so it's easy to see even though it's not very bright. When you face Polaris, you face true north (that's why it's called the North Star). Little Seers The North Star is the end star of the Littler Dipper's handle. The Big Dipper and the Little Dipper are ar anged so that they face each other. The Little Dipper form s the constellation of Ursa Minor, the L ittle Bear. Draco: Draco, the Dragon, wraps its tail around the cup portion of the Little Dipper and comes between the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper. Cassiopeia. Cassiopeia and the Big Dipper are on opposite sides of the North Star, about the some distance from the star. Follow the pointer stars of the Big Dipper to the North Star and continue an until you coma to a W-shaped constellation of five stars. This is Cassiopeia. Named after a mythical queen, the constellation j } looks tike points in a crown. Cepheus. The constellation Of Cepheus Is between Cassiopeia and the North Star, Cepheus is more difficult to see because of its fainter stars. Cepheus was named after a mythical king, but looks nothing like a king. It actually looks like a poorly drawn roof from a house.