Name: Date: Period:

By the 1600’s and 1700’s CE, astronomers realized that there were unnamed parts of the sky and that the use of the telescope would lead them to find increasing numbers of stars. They proceeded to name constellations covering all regions of the sky. Some of the names they chose, such as Telescopium, attest to the modern origin of these constellations.

Astronomers extended the definition of a constellation to include a region of the sky and any stars found within the region. The stars making up the traditional pattern are included in the boundaries, as are any additional objects found within the boundaries.

A total of 88 constellations cover all directions. These constellations are used by astronomer’s planet wide. Stars within a constellation are not normally associated in three dimensional space. Other apparent star groupings are called asterisms. The stars in an asterism can belong to one or several constellations. Asterisms can be likened to nicknames or names for neighborhoods. Many, including the Big Dipper, Little Dipper, and Summer Triangle are very famous. Additional asterisms can be created at will, but changing constellations requires the decision of the International Astronomical Union (IAU).

You will be learning to recognize some of the more prominent constellations visible from the USA. The table includes the constellations and some asterisms. For each constellation or asterism we learn you will be responsible to know the following:

a) Official name of the constellation (or asterism) – 1st column

b) Official meaning of the name (not what we think it looks like) –1st column

c) Name(s) of first magnitude and other stars in the constellation –2nd column

(Star names are bold. The other information in this block is for your observing pleasure)

d) Find the constellation or any of the stars on a star map with no lines

e) Circle the stars in the constellation

f) Read the Right Ascension and Declination of a star or constellation from the map.

On a test or quiz the map will have no lines, no numbers, but tic marks will indicate where the lines would be.

The data in the last column of the table expresses coordinates of (roughly) the middle of the constellation. They are not the coordinates of any particular star in the constellation. Their purpose is to allow the reader to find the constellation (or to explain to another where it is) if he had no idea. There is no reason to memorize these values if you can find the constellation on a map. Do NOT use these coordinates for stars. You will be using the names and positions of stars and constellations in some of the exercises concerning what can and cannot be seen from different locations and at different times. You are expected to get the information from on a map without lines.

Constellations retain their positions relative to one another, but their position relative to the horizon changes as the Earth spins. So it is handy to use one to find another, rather than to count on using the horizon or land-based references to find them.

Procedure:

Complete the blank constellation map using RA (right ascension) and Dec (declination) coordinates. Use the abbreviation to label each constellation.