[ASTRONOMY] CONSTELLATIONS (SadRebelMom)

constellations

a pattern within the stars seen from a perspective on earth; occur within the entire night sky which is divided into two hemispheres= northern and southern

Ptolemy

first to consolidate 48 constellations into a document during the second century

48

number of constellations included in Ptolemy's documentation in second century

88

number of constellations recognized by the International Astronomical Union in 1922 and still accepted today

12

number of constellations included in the Zodiac

asterism

a constellation inside of a constellation; ex: big dipper inside of Ursa Major

Pleiades

The "seven sisters"; a cluster of stars inside of the constellation Taurus; often used as a vision test to see how many stars you could distinguish

proper motion

movement of the stars over time due to expansion of the universe

ecliptic

a path/band in the sky which the sun, moon, planets and most of the zodiac constellations move within

Polaris

"The North Star"; located at the tip of the Little Dipper's handle; used for centuries for navigation

Betelgeuse

A star located in the Orion constellation; has a reddish color

Vega

A star located in the Lyra constellation (not the Hydra constellation!)

celestial hemispheres

two sections of the skies depending on whether you are in the northern or southern hemisphere on the globe

Astrology

the study of the movements and relative positions of celestial bodies interpreted as having an influence on human affairs and the natural world.; a pseudoscience

Astronomy

A field of science which studies the sun, moon, planets, solar system and all the other celestial bodies of the universe

Hydra

largest constellation

Crux

smallest constellation

Orion

the Hunter constellation; three stars align to create his belt;

Big Dipper

Constellation that has two "pointer stars" that point to Polaris; included inside the constellation of Ursa Major

Little Dipper

Constellation with Polaris(The North Star) at the end of its handle; included inside the constellation of Ursa Minor

Zodiac constellations

12 constellations which are often referred to in astrology and astronomy; most reside within the ecliptic belt

perspective

our view from Earth into the heavens and skies; it makes it appear that the stars are moving instead of Earth

Age of Reason

a period of Enlightenment in history when astronomy and astrology separated

alchemy

an antiquated "scientific" belief that metal could be turned into gold; figuratively, it's the idea that something common can be made exceptional; a pseudoscience

Taurus

a constellation represented by a bull; the stars form the letter "K"

pointer stars

located within the constellation Big Dipper, these stars lead to Polaris (North Star) which is located within the Little Dipper

Cassiopeia

constellation of the mythological vain queen; visible year round; the stars form the letter "W"

myth

Stories that people tell to explain beliefs about their world; often included gods/goddesses

Leo

constellation which is represented by a lion

Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces

The Zodiac constellations