CONSTELLATIONS

 Constellations are groupings of stars on the sky, often represented as

“connect-the-dots” patterns in star charts.
 The names of most constellations and stars were defined by early
astronomers from several societies, especially Greek, Roman, and Arabic
astronomers.
 Constellations do NOT change appearance on human timescales – the
patterns remain the same over thousands of years. The constellations visible
to early human civilizations are the same as visible today.
 There are 88 official named constellations covering all areas of the sky. Every
place in the sky is located within a constellation. Maps of the constellations
are termed star atlases.
 Constellations are two-dimensional patterns on the sky, but they are not real
objects in space. The stars within a constellation are not physically grouped
together, because these stars are all located at different distances from Earth.
 Constellations have both ancient and modern significance.
 Ancient cultures wove fascinating mythologies around the stars and
constellations.
 Today, the names of the constellations are used to identify the locations
of celestial objects.
 The brightest stars in each constellation are labeled using the Greek
alphabet: , , , , etc. For example the brightest star in the sky, Sirius, is
also known as  Canis Majoris.
 Certain stars and constellations are identified with specific seasons of the
year, because those constellations are visible from the northern hemisphere
in the southern sky during the evening hours. Examples:
 Winter: Orion, Taurus, Canis Major, Gemini, Betelgeuse, Sirius
 Spring: Leo, Bootes, Virgo, Arcturus
 Summer: The Summer Triangle, Cygnus, Scorpius, Sagittarius
 Fall: Pegasus, Andromeda, Persues
 Over much longer times (millions of years), the patterns of constellations will
change as the solar system moves through the Galaxy, along with other stars.