CONSTELLATIONS
• Stars are the most widely recognized
astronomical objects, and represent the most
fundamental building blocks of galaxies.
• Stars are born within the clouds of dust and
scattered throughout most galaxies.
• Stars are space energy engines that produce
heat, light, x-rays, ultraviolet rays and other
forms of radiation. Although stars might look
like they're solid objects in the sky, they're
actually huge balls of extremely hot gas. This
gas is called plasma.
• Expressed in Kelvin (K)
• The coolest stars are approximately 2,500 K,
while the hottest can reach 50,000 K.
Comparably, the sun, the closest star to Earth,
is about 5,500 K.
• The color of a star depends on its surface
temperature. Hotter stars' appearance are
blue, whereas cooler stars appear to have
orange or red hues. Also, stars in the mid-
range, like our sun, are white or yellow in
color.
• Moreover, stars can blend colors, such as red-
orange stars or blue-white stars.
Blue Alnilam
Sirius White
Sun Yellow
Red Proxima Cenatauri
Orange Epsilon Eridani
• Brightness is a factor of how much energy
they emit. known as luminosity.
• The brightness of a star as seen from the
Earth depends on two factors-distance and
actual brightness (or absolute brightness) of
the star. The star's brightness as seen from
Earth is its apparent brightness. Based on the
activity, apparent brightness depends on how
far star is from the Earth
• A star's absolute brightness is the brightness
the star would have if all stars were the same
standard distance from Earth.
Differentiate relative brightness from
absolute brightness
Apparent or relative brightness depends on how
the star is seen from Earth. On the other hand,
absolute brightness is the brightness that the star
would have if all the stars were from the same
standard distance from Earth or how bright the
star appears at a standard distance of 32.6 light-
years, or 10 parsecs.
• Stars come in huge range of sizes, which are
classified in a range from dwarfs to super
 giants. Neutron stars can be just 20 to 40 km • 2 trillion approximate galaxies
in diameter, whereas a white dwarf is almost
similar to the Earth's size. The largest super
giants, on the other hand, can be more than
1500 times larger than our sun.

• A star's mass is also measured in terms of our

own sun, with 1 equal to the size of our sun.
For instance, Rigel, which is much larger than
our sun, has a mass of 3.5 solar masses. Two
stars of a similar size may not necessarily VIDEO LINK: https://youtu.be/1Toya19H12w
have the same mass, as stars can vary greatly
in density. North and South Celestial Equator
• Between an average-sized star and a massive Celestial Poles (NCP
star, which would have a longer lifespan? and SCP)
• Average-Sized Star Extension of the Extension of the
• The more massive the star, the shorter its earth's north and earth's equator into
lifespan south pole into space space
Right above the NCP
A group of stars that appears to form an easily is the North Star,
recognizable pattern in the night sky Polaris.
SCP does not have
any specific star
What the difference between a constellation pointed at
and a galaxy? Declination Right Ascension
A galaxy is a collection of billions of stars. They Angular destination Angular destination
resemble human beings or animals. There are north or south from the east or west from the
billions of galaxies in the Universe and visible celestial equator Vernal Equinox
galaxies are less comparative with our naked Equivalent to Latitude Equivalent to
eyes. On the other hand. A constellation is a Longitude
collection of only a few stars. There is also a Vernal Equinox is the
resemblance of human beings or animals when intersection of the
stars in the constellation are arranged. A fun fact ecliptic plane and the
is that there 88 constellations are known and celestial equator
there are many visible constellations that can be Zenith Nadir
see through the naked eye.
A point in the sky A point in the sky
directly overhead the directly opposite to
observer the Zenith
Azimuth Ce Meridian
• A constellation is a recognizable pattern of
stars in the night sky The azimuth is the The line on the
angle between North, Celestial Sphere
• An imaginary pattern
measured clockwise joining the observer's
• 88 constellations (50 ancient and 38 modern)
around the observer's zenith with the NCP
horizon, and a and SCP
• A galaxy is a system of billions of stars and celestial body (sun,
their solar systems, gas, and dust, held moon). It determines
together by gravity the direction of the
• A real concept celestial body.
 D>90-L (Northern Hemisphere)
D 90-L (Southern Hemisphere)
When you are at the Northern Hemisphere, L = 90
When you are at the Southern Hemisphere, L-90
When you are at the Equator. L=0
Your latitude is equal to polaris' altitude

A group of stars that appears to form an easily

recognizable pattern in the night sky

Is our sun actually moving in the east to west

direction? YES

• Apparent Movement is the illusion of

something that is not moving to look like it is
moving
• The sun is apparently moving from east to
west (rises in the east, sets in the west), but it
is actually our earth that is rotating from west
to east or anticlockwise when viewed from the Star A has a declination of 58 degrees
north pole. Star B has a declination of 45 degrees
Star C has a declination of 32 degrees
A. Which of these stars will be circumpolar to an
observer at a latitude of 54 degrees. STARS A & B
B. At what latitude would all three be
• Are stars close to the celestial poles that have circumpolar? Any number greater than 58
a very small circle of spin. They stay in the SOLUTION:
night sky and do not set below the horizon. D > 90-L
There are circumpolar stars in the north and D > 90-54
south hemisphere but there are no D > 36
circumpolar stars at the equator because the 32 > 90 - L
celestial poles are located at the horizon L > 58
NORTHERN SOUTHERN
HEMISPHERE HEMISPHERE
CIRCUMPOLAR STARS CIRCUMPOLAR STARS
1. Ursa Major (Big 1. Phoenix
Dipper) 2. Grus
2. Ursa Minor (Little 3. Tucana
Dipper) 4. Eridanus
3. Cassiopeia (The Lady 5. Hydrus
in the Chair) 6. Lupus
4. Draco (The Dragon) 7. Cruz
5. Cepheus (The King) 8. Centaurus
6. Perseus 9. Carina
7. Camelopardalis
8. Lynx
9. Auriga
NORTHERN CIRCUMPOLAR
CONSTELLATIONS AND SOUTHERN
CIRCUMPOLAR CONSTELLATIONS

Point Month Constellation

Winter December Sagittarius
Solstice
Spring March Pisces
Equinox
Summer June Gemini
Solstice
Autumnal September Virgo
Equinox

1. Virgo – Autumnal Equinox

1. Cruz - Southern 2. Gemini - Summer Solstice
2. Tucana - Southern 3. Sagittarius - Winter Solstice
3. Cassiopeia – North 4. Pisces – Spring Equinox
4. Big Dipper – North
5. Big Dipper - North Constellations are just imaginary patterns of stars
that appear in proximity. In reality, not all of these
stars are at the same distance from the earth. The
universe is continually expanding at an
The earth's revolution around the sun accelerating speed. The constellations that we
The earth's tilt on its axis creating different see today may not be the constellations humans
seasons will be seeing in the future.
Actual distance of the stars