On a dark clear night, you can see a sky full of stars. But what is a star? A star is a giant ball of hot, glowing gas. Stars are so massive that they would collapse under the pressure of gravity if not for the fact that their cores are fusion reactors that create a balancing force for as long as they have fuel. What happens when they run out of fuel? Well, that depends on the size of the star. Learn more about stars in this fun, educational video.
In this video we learn all about constellations. At night we can see thousands of stars and scientists long ago figured out that the stars line up in recognizable patterns. The patterns form shapes of people, animals, and mythological beings. Early astronomers called these special patterns constellations. Each star in the pattern has a name and is connected to form a different constellation. It is almost like a “connect-the-dots” picture, but instead of using numbers and dots, the twinkling stars are connected to form the special patterns. You have have heard of the Big Dipper, Orions Belt, or Aries, but these are only a few of the constellations there are many more!
Quiz Time : Guess The Constellation
After watching the video on constellations, test your knowledge of constellations and their shapes with this quiz.
This 10 -question quiz is interactive, presents you with a picture and also provides the correct answer!
Make your Own Constellation Activity
For thousands of years, people looked up to the night sky. On a clear night, it was not just stars that they saw. They saw pictures created by connecting lines between the stars, much like a connect-the-dots puzzle. Today we call these star pictures constellations.
Try this fun activity from the Science Museum of Oklahoma! With a few simple supplies and some imagination, you can make your own night sky of stars and create your constellations in the comfort of your own home.
https://www.sciencemuseumok.org/smoathome/try-make-your-own-constellation
Mindy's Constellation Exploration Game
Head to the PBS kids website and join Mindy in exploring constellations. Enjoy choosing a constellation, connect the stars and find what it is!
Watch the night sky in real time. To see the various stars, constellations and planets in the night sky on any given day, click the link below and be mesmerized with the night sky!
https://in-the-sky.org//skymap.php?skin=1