CONSTELL

ATIONS
sciencegradenine
ACTIVITY
BIG DEEP
HAIR
 COUNT
STEW LAY
ATE SHOW
 ZOO
DEAN
YACHT
GEM MINT
NIGH
ASK TEA
RISK
HYMN
CONSTELLATI
ON
• A group of stars that form an image in the
sky.
• An area on the celestial sphere in which a
group of visible stars forms a perceived
outline or pattern
CONSTELLATI
ON
• There are 88 of them in the modern times
• Every constellation has a story of how they came
to be and what they mean or represent
• They are named on big Greek and Babylonian
rulers of the 15 CE
BRIEF HISTORY OF
CONSTELLATIONS
• There are 88 officially recognized constellations in the sky,
and these astronomical patterns have a fascinating and
long history.
• Forty-seven of the constellations are known as ancient or
original, meaning they were talked about by the Greeks.
• Other 41 constellations were found by modern
astronomers.
 ASTERISM
• Parts of a constellation that are described in terms
of more well-known objects.
• Example:
• The Big Dipper of Ursa Major
• The saucepan of Orion's belt
• The teapot of Sagittarius
ZODIAC CONSTELLATIONS
• Zodiac sign constellations is a “group of belt constellations” that
fall along the plane of the ecliptic. It is through these
constellations that our Sun appears to “pass” during the year.
• While there are 12 astrological constellations of the zodiac,
there are 13 astronomical zodiac constellations: Capricornus,
Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo,
Libra, Scorpius, Sagittarius, and Ophiuchus.
DRAC
O
• Draco the dragon is one of
the few constellations
that really looks like
itself.
• His story is that he used to
guard the golden apple
tree in Hesperides garden.
LEO
• Leo is the Nemean Lion
which was killed by Hercules
on one of his great quests.
• Legend says that the lion
wouldn’t be punctured by
iron, bronze or stone.
• Hercules strangled it to death
and the local people were
very grateful.
URSA MAJOR
• Ursa Major has seven
Messier objects,
including a double
start, a planetary
nebula, an irregular
galaxy, and four
spiral galaxies.
URSA MINOR
• It was one of the original
constellations known to
the ancient Greeks.
• The constellation is
named after Ida, who
nursed the infant Zeus
(king of the ancient Greek
gods).
HYDRA
• The largest
constellation in the sky.
• It lies in the southern
celestial hemisphere.
• Represents the water
snake from Greek
mythology.
GEMINI
• Its name means “the
twins” in Latin and
represents the twins
Castor and Pollux
(Polydeuces)
• Also known as the
Dioscuri in ancient
times, in Greek
mythology.
TAURUS
• It symbolizes a bull, and
according to Greek
mythology, the
constellation Taurus
represents Zeus by
changing himself into a
beautiful white Bull to
win the affections of the
Phoenician princess
Europa.
ORION
• Orion is also one of
the easiest
constellations to spot
in the night sky.
• It is named after
Orion, a hunter in
Greek mythology.
GRUS
• Grus was often referred
to as flamingo.
• The ancient Egyptians
used the crane as a
symbol of the
astronomer because of
high flight.
INDUS
• A relatively
dim constellation.
• Came from the name of the
river which flows through
Pakistan, India, and Tibet.
• Depicted as a naked man
holding arrows in both
hands.
QUIZ TIME
REVIEW FOR 5 MINUTES!
 QUIZ-TIONS
1. How many constellations are there in the modern era?
2. What is the largest constellation in the sky located in Southern
Hemisphere?
3. What constellation looks likes itself?
4. It is a part of a constellation that are described in terms
of more well-known objects.
5. What “group of belt constellations” fall along the plane
of the ecliptic?
 QUIZ-TIONS
6. What constellation is one of the easiest to spot in the
night sky?
7. What is the term used to define the stars that form an
image in the sky?
8. What constellation is named after Ida?
9. What constellation is depicted as a naked man?
10. In Greek mythology, what constellation was killed by
Hercules on one of his great quests