Vocabulary - Observing Constellations
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STUDENT RESOURCE 8.1
Vocabulary
INFORMATION SHEET
constellation a group of stars that
star an object in space that gives off
seems to form a pattern in the sky
its own heat and light
Ancient people found pictures
The stars we see look very small
in the sky and made up stories
because they are far away. Some
about them. Today, we use the
stars are many times bigger than
constellations as a map of the
our star, the Sun. The stars that
night sky. Unlike planets, the stars
make up a constellation are usually
in constellations do not change
many light years apart.
position in the sky compared
with each other. So constellations
help scientists describe where
stars and planets can be seen.
The constellations most easy to
recognize are the Big Dipper, Little
Dipper, Orion, and Cassiopeia.
light year a unit of distance equal
to the distance light travels in
one year
Light travels at a speed of
300,000 kilometers (186,000 miles)
per second. Imagine how far light
travels in a year at that speed! Our
closest star, Proxima Centauri, is
4.5 light years away.
SPACE • SECTION 8 OBSERVING CONSTELLATIONS
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