Stars and Constellations

What Are Stars?

– Stars are balls of gas that release energy from inside themselves.

• In order to be recognized as a star, it has to have two characteristics:– be self-bound by gravity, – it has to radiate energy.

How are Stars Formed?• They are formed in space in large clouds of gas and

dust called nebulae. • Atoms inside the nebula accelerate inward due to the

force of gravity and they collide rapidly with each other, causing the center of the nebula to become very dense and hot, causing the temperature of the protostar to rise.

• The object switches to become a “true star” and it is then able to make its own heat and light.

• The life of the star then depends on its mass.

Colors of Stars

• The color of a star measures its temperature.– Red=the coolest,– Yellow=an intermediate

temperature,– Blue=the hottest temperature

• A star can appear bright just because it is really bright, or because of its closeness to the Earth.

Constellations

• What are constellations?– They are names for groups

of stars that appear to form shapes in the sky.

– They were designed to help us remember which stars are which. There are 88 constellations that divide up the sky.

Some Common Constellations that You

Might Know…

Orion

The Hunter

ORIONOrion is a prominent constellation located on the celestial equator and visible throughout the world. It is one of the most conspicuous and recognizable constellations in the night sky. It was named after Orion, a hunter in Greek mythology. Its brightest stars are rigel (Beta Orion) and Betelgeuse (Alpha Orion), a blue-white and a red supergiant respectively. Many of the other brighter stars in the constellation are hot, blue supergiant stars. The three stars in the middle of the constellation form an asterism known as Orion's belt. The Orion Nebula is located south of Orion's belt

Ursa Major

The Great Bear

URSA MAJOR

Ursa Major (Latin: "Larger Bear"; also known as the Great Bear and Charles' Wain) is a constellation visible throughout the year in most of the northern hemisphere. It can be seen best in the month of April. It is dominated by the widely recognized asterism known as the Big Dipper or the Plough, which is a useful pointer towards the north, and it has mythological significance in numerous world cultures.

Ursa Minor

The Big dipper

Gemini

The Twins

Can You Identify The Following Constellations?

which one is milky way?

1 2

This is Ursa Minor!

This is Orion!

This is Gemini!

This is Ursa Major!

THANK YOUBY-SIMRAN KAUR

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