Name______________________________________________________ Period_____

GEOPHYSICAL SCIENCE

Constellations

Directions: Place the star wheel holder on the desk and hold the circular star map behind it. Align the
current date with midnight. Use standard time for all questions.

1. Rotate the wheel holder to 5:00 a.m. Which way does the sky appear to rotate during a single
night?
A. Clockwise B. Counterclockwise

Return to the current date at midnight standard time. Move exactly one month ahead.

2. Which way does the sky appear to rotate as the year progresses?
A. Clockwise B. Counterclockwise
3. About what fraction of a circle do the stars move in one hour?

A. 1/12 B. 1/24

4. About what fraction of a circle do the stars move in one month?

A. 1/12 B. 1/24

When a star in a constellation “rises”, it starts to appear just above the horizon. To model the rising of
the bright star Regulus, in the constellation Leo, position the star wheel so Regulus is just appearing at
the edge of the oval at the location labeled “Facing East”.

5. What time does Regulus rise on January 10th? ANSWER

8:30 pm
6. What time does Regulus rise on February 10th? ANSWER
6:30 pm
7. On February 10th at around 10 p.m., which of the following constellations has just risen?

A. Andromeda B. Bootes C. Ursa Minor D. Capricornus

When a star “transits the meridian”, it is at the highest point in the sky or the center of the star map.

8. What time does the star Capella (in the constellation Auriga) transit the meridian on the first

day of February?

A. 2:00 a.m. B. Midnight C. 10:00 p.m. D. 8:00 p.m. E. 6:00 p.m.