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Star Constellations in Space

Constellations are groups of stars given names to make them easier to find in the sky. The constellations are named after animals, mythical creatures, men and women and objects, and one is even named after a head of hair. The study of these constellations and individual stars is called astronomy. The 13 signs of the Zodiac are constellations. The Big Dipper and the Little Dipper are parts of the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor.

The Zodiac Constellations
- The constellation Taurus is shown here.
  
  The Babylonians invented the Zodiac to try and make sense of how the earth, sun and stars moved. On a map they drew an imaginary line directly from the sun to the earth. As the earth rotated around the sun the imaginary line passed through the stars of each of the 12 Zodiacs. Today we recognize 13 Zodiac constellations. In astronomy, each person is born under a sign of the Zodiac. The Zodiac constellations recognized today are Aries, Aquarius, Capricornus, Cancer, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Ophiuchus, Pisces, Sagittarius, Scorpius, Taurus and Virgo. Ophiuchus is the only sign not used to label birth dates.
Ursa Major
- Ursa Major, or the Great Bear as it is also called, is a constellation that contains the cluster of stars known as the Big Dipper. The Big Dipper is actually an asterism, which is only a part of the Ursa Major constellation. It is shaped like a cup with a handle, when you connect its stars. In North America, when the skies are very dark, the Big Dipper is very noticeable. Using the Big Dipper will enable you to identify other stars more easily by drawing imaginary lines from different parts of the dipper, including the handle and the cup.
Ursa Minor
- Little Bear, otherwise called Ursa Minor, is another important constellation. It contains the cluster of stars called the Little Dipper, which is another asterism. The little dipper's handle is the tail of Ursa Minor and the cup is considered the flank of the bear. Like its bigger counterpart, the Little Dipper acts as an important tool in finding other major stars because of its distinctive pattern. It too resembles a drinking cup with a long handle if you connect the dots.
International Astronomical Union (IAU)
- The IAU was founded in 1919 to regulate astronomy globally. With the creation of IAU, the 88 modern constellations were made official. This was done to simplify an international effort to identify and keep up with stars in our solar system. The IAU has 10,079 members in 90 countries throughout the world.

Astronomy