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    7 Constellations Questions Final

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    Goldie456852

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    7 Constellations Questions Final

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    7 views1 page

    7 Constellations Questions Final

    Uploaded by

    Goldie456852

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    7 Constellation

    Questions
    and Answers
    Get the discussion started with these seven questions about
    stars in our Milky Way galaxy. We've provided the answers!

    1. WHAT IS A STAR?
    Stars are formed from clusters of gas (mostly hydrogen and helium) and dust, which give off heat and
    light from the churning nuclear forges inside their cores.

    2. WHY ARE SOME STARS DIFFERENT COLORS?


    The different colors of stars indicate how much heat a star gives off. Red stars are the coolest of the
    stars. Yellow stars, like our sun, are medium-heat stars. White and blue stars are the hottest.

    3. HOW LARGE IS OUR SUN?


    The diameter of the sun is about 864,938 miles. You could line up 109 earths—each with a diameter of
    7,917.5 miles—across the face of the sun. That’s huge! But the sun is just a medium-sized star among
    the hundreds of billions of stars in the Milky Way galaxy. Every star you see in the night sky is bigger and
    brighter than our sun.
    Our sun is referred to as a "dwarf star," which, in comparison to "giants" and "supergiants," is a very small
    star. Supergiants may be a thousand times larger than our own sun. The sun appears larger than the rest
    of the stars only because it is so close to our planet.

    4. HOW MANY STARS CAN WE SEE?


    On a clear night, and with very good eyesight, a person may only be able to see 2,000 to 2,500 stars at one
    time, even though it may look like more. Astronomers estimate that in our Milky Way galaxy alone, there
    are about 300 billion stars.

    5. WHAT IS A CONSTELLATION?
    Constellations are groups of stars that you can connect like a dot-to-dot puzzle. By connecting these
    specific imaginary lines, you can see outlines that represent animals, people or objects. Some fun
    constellations to find are:
    Aquila, “the eagle,” from Greek mythology. It is the keeper of Zeus’ lightning bolts and has the ability to
    make rain. Aquila can be seen through the glowing band of the Milky Way.
    Gemini, which refers to the fraternal twins Pollux and Castor in ancient Greek mythology. The
    constellation is located in the Geminid meteor shows, which peaks in mid-December.
    Picsces, translated as “the fishes.” Another ancient Greek constellation, it cromes from the story of
    Aphrodite and her son, Eros. This is the 14th largest constellation today.
    Scorpius, “the scorpion,” was sent to battle Orion, a hunter in ancient Greek mythology. Scorpius can be
    seen in the southern summer sky.

    6. WHO MADE UP THE CONSTELLATIONS?


    Of the 88 constellations recognized today, most originated with the ancient Greeks, although the true
    “inventors” of constellations are not known. Archaeological studies have found cave paintings in France
    that might depict astronomical symbols. Some scientists believe the Sumerians (c. 4500–c. 1900 BC) and
    Babylonians (1895 BC–539 BC) were the originators and passed along their knowledge of constellations to
    the ancient Greeks (700-480 BC).

    7. WHAT ARE CONSTELLATIONS USED FOR?


    Constellations have served many different purposes throughout the years. Because they appear in the
    sky at specific locations during different times of the year, constellations have been used to:
    Remind farmers to plant and harvest crops.
    Help travelers navigate through deserts and across oceans.
    Used to represent heroes and mythical creatures that have been the subjects of folk tales down through
    the generations.

    by Pearson

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