What is this question-marked group of stars?
The constellations are groups of stars in the night sky, or more accurately, mythical characters drawn from these stars to make them more memorable. For example, ancient farmers often were able to tell times and seasons by watching the movements of the stars; when a certain constellation character appeared in the night sky, it was time to begin planting. Over time, star maps began to include these constellation characters. Some of the best-known constellations are Orion, the Hunter; Ursa Major, the Bear; and Leo, the Lion. Fourth-grade questions about the constellations might touch on how they came to be, and what they contain.
Constellations
Sample questions about the constellations may include: What are the best-known constellations? The best-known constellations are the signs of the zodiac, which are ancient groupings of stars, such as Aries the Ram; Taurus the Bull; Gemini the Twins; Cancer the Crab; Leo the Lion; Virgo the Maiden; Libra the Scales; Scorpio the Scorpion; Sagittarius the Centaur; Capricorn the sea-goat; Aquarius the Water Bearer; and Pisces the Fish.
Students then may ask if there are more constellations than the ones included in the zodiac. The answer: Astrology is an occult practice, an attempt to tell the future using the constellations, or signs, of the zodiac. Astrology is not a science. Astronomy is a science; it is the study of all the stars in the sky and is an attempt to answer questions about how the universe works. Astronomers study many constellations not included in the zodiac, including Orion the Hunter, Pegasus the horse, and Lupus the wolf.
History
Students may ask how the constellations come to be. The answer is that each ancient civilization had some name or mythical character associated with certain stars, including the Babylonians, Greeks, Romans and Indians. The names varied from culture to culture, but the constellations based on Greek and Roman mythology were adopted by the Europeans and survive into modern times.
If students ask about the number of constellations, the answer is 88.
Stars
Students likely will ask questions about specific stars. If a student wonders which constellation contains the Big Dipper, the answer is Ursa Major, the Great Bear. If students query about the brightest stars, you can respond that Sirius, the Dog star, is the brightest star and is located in Canis Major. Canopus, in the constellation Carina, the Keel, is the second-brightest star and is most easily seen from the Southern hemisphere. Arcturus is the third-brightest star and is located in the constellation Bootes, the Herdsman. Centaurus, the Centaur, contains Alpha Centauri, the fourth brightest star in the sky.
Movement
Children probably will ask if stars move. The answer is yes, the stars orbit the center of their galaxies. This movement can be seen by astronomers using high-powered telescopes.The stars seem to rise and set, like the moon, over the course of a night, because the earth rotates on its axis. Because the earth revolves around the sun, the constellations seen from any one point on earth also change from season to season. Men of ancient civilizations used the stars to tell time at night, and to plan activities such as crop planting and harvest.
Tags: questions about, best-known constellations, about constellations, brightest star, constellations signs, constellations signs zodiac