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How to Track Constellations

There are eighty-eight recognized constellations in the sky. A constellation is a group of stars. If you connect the stars by drawing lines from one to the other, the resulting image will look like a person, object or animal. As the earth rotates on its axis, the sky shifts. Different views of the sky are visible as the earth travels around the solar system. Since the stars are so far away, the positions of the constellations change slowly. Star charts help to identify constellations correctly.

Things You'll Need

Star chart or map
Flashlight
Binoculars
Telescope

Instructions

- 1
  Use the Big Dipper, an asterism that composes the seven brightest stars in Ursa Major, as a landmark for summer star gazing. Several important constellations are near it. Draco is between Ursa Minor and Ursa Major; and the bright Leo. Use your star map to help you locate three bright stars in a triangle. Your map will help you to identify the constellations near the triangle: Cygnus, the swan; Lyra, the harp; and Aquila, the eagle. Delphinus, the dolphin and Sagitta, the arrow, may also be visible on a clear night.
- 2
  Use the Great Square constellation as a landmark in the autumn. Three parts of the great square make up the constellation Pegasus. The fourth part is Andromeda. Near Andromeda is a group of stars in the shape of a "W" called Cassiopeia. Use your star maps to locate the Winter Hexagon, which is a part of the constellation Orion. Orion's belt is made of three bright stars. A sword hangs from it and the middle, which is called the Orion Nebula, is hazy.
- 3
  Locate the constellations of Canis Major or the Great Dog; Gemini; Taurus the Bull and the Pleiades, which is a cluster of six or more stars near the hexagon. Use the star map to practice locating additional constellations. Practice patience as you stargaze and invite family and friends to join you.

Astronomy