Download Stars and Constellations

Stars and Constellations
By: Terri Downs, Mary Fuson,
and Carrie Robison
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…
Cassiopeia
The Queen
Orion
The Hunter
Ursa Major
The Great Bear
Ursa Minor
The Little Bear
Gemini
The Twins
Andromeda
• The Chained Princess
Group Activity
1. Make a group of 3 people.
2. Recreate your constellation that has been
given to your group using glue, marshmallows,
and poster board.
3. Read about your constellation and be
prepared to tell the class about it and show us
your poster board.
Can You Identify The
Following Constellations?
The first group to identify
them receives a treat!!
This is Ursa Minor!
This is Orion!
This is Gemini!
This is Andromeda!
This is Cassiopeia!
This is Ursa Major!