Download Flashcards for astronomically named characters in Harry Potter

Sirius is the brightest star in the
night sky and is marks the dog
collar of Canis Major, the big
dog.
Sirius Black
Sirius is a white star and is
hotter than our sun.
Sirius is one of the closest stars
to the solar system (about 9
light years)
Cygnus Black
Cygnus is the swan. He flies
down the summer Milky Way.
Cygnus is also called the
Northern Cross.
Deneb, its brightest star, means
“tail”.
Cassiopeia is a queen sitting on Cassiopeia Black
her throne. The bright stars
make her throne – you have to
imagine you are seeing her
there.
You can see her any clear night,
all night long. Like the Big
Dipper, she never sets. This is
supposed to be a punishment
for being vain.
Arcturus is the brightest star in
Bootes, the herder.
Arcturus Black
Most people think Bootes looks
like a kite or an ice cream cone.
Arcturus is an orange star and is
cooler than our sun.
Regulus Black
Regulus is the brightest star in
Leo the Lion.
Look for the backwards
question mark to find Leo in the
sky.
Leo is the horrible Nemean lion
that Hercules killed.
Alphard Black
Alphard is the brightest star in
Hydra the water snake. It marks
the snake’s heart.
Hydra was a seven-headed
monster killed by Hercules.
Andromeda is Cassiopeia’s
daughter. She was chained to
rocks and was almost eaten by
a monster. Perseus saved her
and she married him.
Andromeda Tonks
The Andromeda Galaxy (M 31)
is the nearest big galaxy to our
Milky Way. You can see it with
binoculars.
Bellatrix Lestrange
Bellatrix is one of Orion’s
shoulders. The name means
“woman warrior.”
It is 240 light years from earth.
This means that when we see it
today, we see what it looked
like 240 years ago!
Draco Malfoy
Draco is the Dragon. It wraps
between the Big Dipper and
Little Dipper.
Draco was called Tiamet the
Dragon Demon by the
Sumerians more than 5000
years ago.
Scorpius Malfoy
Scorpius is the Scorpion.
The red star Antares marks his
heart. The name means “rival of
Mars” since it is similar in color
and brightness to the planet
Mars.
Scorpius is the enemy of Orion
the hunter.
Orion is the Hunter.
Orion Malfoy
Most people find him by looking
for the three bright stars in his
belt.
Betelgeuse, one of his
shoulders, will explode one day
in a supernova. You will be able
to see it even during the day!
Pollux Black
Pollux is one of the Gemini
Twins. The other twin is Castor.
Pollux has a planet orbiting it.
The planet is heavier than
Jupiter.