Night Sky Constellation Research Paper

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Constellations have been around since the beginning of time. Constellations are a group of stars that form a recognizable pattern that is normally named after it’s perceptible form or identified with subjects of mythology. They are truly amazing sights to see and learn about while just gazing at the night sky. There are eighty-eight total constellations in the night sky. There are fifty-five constellations in the southern hemisphere, twenty in the northern hemisphere, and five on the celestial equator. Celestial means positioned or relating to the sky, or outer space from a space point of view. Celestial is used to describe things related to the heavens such as angels, stars, spirits, and planets. The word Celestial is from the Latin word caelestis, which also brought about the word ceiling. Constellations have some odd names, like Pegasus, Crux, and Scutom. They all …show more content…

It is only possible to see 2000-2500 stars at one time. There are even billions of other stars that are too far away and dim to see from Earth. Ever see those three stars in a row in the night sky? Those three stars are a part of the constellation Orion the Hunter, and is called Orion’s Belt. Those three stars are considered to be an asterism. An asterism is a pattern of stars that are widely known and is within a constellation, but is mistaken as its own constellation. The Big Dipper, for example, is only seven stars of the completed constellation Ursa Major. The Big Dipper would then be advised as an asterism. The largest recorded constellation is Hydra or “water snake.” This constellation takes up 3.16%of the sky. The smallest constellation is Crux. It takes up .17% of the sky. The Constellation with the largest amount of stars is Centaurus with a total of 101 stars. Canis Major contains the brightest star in the celestial heavens, named

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