Stars and Constellations

By: Terri Downs, Mary Fuson,

and Carrie Robison
 What Are Stars?

• Stars are balls of gas that release energy from inside

themselves.

• In order to be recognized as a star, it has to have two

characteristics:
– be self-bound by gravity,
– it has to radiate energy.
 How are Stars Formed?
• They are formed in space in large clouds of gas and dust
called nebulae.
• Atoms inside the nebula accelerate inward due to the
force of gravity and they collide rapidly with each other,
causing the center of the nebula to become very dense and
hot, causing the temperature of the protostar to rise.
• The object switches to become a “true star” and it is then
able to make its own heat and light.
• The life of the star then depends on its mass.
 Colors of Stars
• The color of a star measures its temperature.
– Red=the coolest,
– Yellow=an intermediate
temperature,
– Blue=the hottest temperature
• A star can appear bright just
because it is really bright,
or because of its closeness to
the Earth.
 Constellations
• What are constellations?
– They are names for groups
of stars that appear to form
shapes in the sky.
– They were designed to help
us remember which stars are
which. There are 88
constellations that divide up
the sky.
 Some Common
Constellations that You
Might Know…
Cassiopeia

The Queen
 Orion

The Hunter
 Ursa Major

The Great Bear

Ursa Minor

The Little Bear

Gemini

The Twins
 Andromeda

• The Chained Princess

 Group Activity

1. Make a group of 3 people.

2. Recreate your constellation that has been given to
your group using glue, marshmallows, and poster
board.
3. Read about your constellation and be prepared to
tell the class about it and show us your poster board.
 Can You Identify The
Following Constellations?
The first group to identify
them receives a treat!!
This is Ursa Minor!
This is Orion!
This is Gemini!
This is Andromeda!
This is Cassiopeia!
This is Ursa Major!