Objective – Describe the appearance and apparent motion of groups of stars in the night sky relative to Earth and
how various cultures have understood and used them.
Name ______________________________________________________________
Constellation Review Worksheet
(#1-#6 from Constellations for Every Kid by Janice VanCleave)
Use the diagram to answer the next question.
1. In what constellation would you see the Sun?
a. Taurus
b. Aries
c. Pisces
d. Aquarius
Use the diagram to answer the next question.
2. In what constellation would you see the Sun?
a. Gemini
b. Taurus
c. Aries
Objective – Describe the appearance and apparent motion of groups of stars in the night sky relative to Earth and
how various cultures have understood and used them.
Use the diagram to answer the next question.
3. In what constellation would you see if the Earth were in Position D?
a. Leo
b. Pisces
c. Scorpius
d. Taurus
4. In what constellation would you see if the Earth were in Position A?
a. Leo
b. Pisces
c. Scorpius
d. Taurus
5. In what constellation would you see if the Earth were in Position B?
a. Leo
b. Pisces
c. Scorpius
d. Taurus
6. In what constellation would you see if the Earth were in Position C?
a. Leo
b. Pisces
c. Scorpius
d. Taurus
Observing the Night Sky Fact Sheet Worksheet
7. Astronomy is a recent science.
a. True
b. False
Objective – Describe the appearance and apparent motion of groups of stars in the night sky relative to Earth and
how various cultures have understood and used them.
8. What causes the night sky to change during one evening?
a. Earth’s revolution
b. Earth’s rotation
9. What causes the night sky to change throughout the seasons?
a. Earth’s revolution
b. Earth’s rotation
10. There are _____ official constellations. (Enter a number)
11. Who named almost half of the constellations?
a. Arabs
b. Babylonians
c. Egyptians
d. Greeks
12. Stars in constellations are different distances from Earth.
a. True
b. False
13. Which constellations looks like its name?
a.
b.
Ram
Little Dog
c.
d.
Scorpius
Scorpion
Fox
Objective – Describe the appearance and apparent motion of groups of stars in the night sky relative to Earth and
how various cultures have understood and used them.
14. The Big Dipper is not an official constellation.
a. True
b. False
15. The Big Dipper is part of which constellation?
a. Boötes
b. Draco
c. Ursa Major
d. Ursa Minor
16. What are the two stars in the front of the Dipper’s bowl called?
a. Bowl stars
b. Direction stars
c. Front of the Dipper stars
d. Pointer stars
17. To what do the two stars in the front of the Dipper’s bowl point?
a. Arcturus
b. North Star, Polaris
c. Sirius
d. Thuban
Using the diagram on your handout, identify which constellations can be found using the Big Dipper
(True if you can; False if you can’t).
_____18. Aquila, the Eagle
A. True
_____19. Auriga, the Charioteer
B. False
_____20. Boötes, the Herdsman
_____21. Gemini, the Twins
_____22. Leo, the Lion
_____23. Lyra, the Lyre
_____24. Ophiuchus, the Serpent Bearer
_____25. Orion, the Hunter
Objective – Describe the appearance and apparent motion of groups of stars in the night sky relative to Earth and
how various cultures have understood and used them.
Using the diagram on your handout, identify which constellations can be found using Orion (True if
you can; False if you can’t).
_____26. Libra, the Scales
A. True
_____27. Taurus, the Bull
B. False
_____28. Scorpius, the Scorpion
_____29. Pegasus, the Flying Horse
_____30. Cepheus, the King
_____31. Canis Major, the Large Dog
Objective – Describe the appearance and apparent motion of groups of stars in the night sky relative to Earth and
how various cultures have understood and used them.
Observing the Night Sky Fact Sheet
 Astronomy is an ancient science.
 We have always tried to make sense of the heavens.
 People built observatories.
 Used to follow the movement of stars, planets, the Moon, and the Sun.
 People noticed the night sky changed.
 Little-by-little during one night.
 Caused by Earth’s rotation.
 Major changes by seasons.
 Caused by Earth’s revolution around the Sun.
 There are 88 official constellations.
 Greeks named over half of all constellations.
 They couldn’t see the constellations in the Southern Hemisphere so they
didn’t name them.
 Stars in constellations are different distances from Earth.
(source: NASA StarChild website)
 Not all constellations look like what they are named.
 Some constellations look like their names.
Objective – Describe the appearance and apparent motion of groups of stars in the night sky relative to Earth and
how various cultures have understood and used them.
 The Big Dipper is not a constellation.
 It is an asterism.
 An asterism is an unofficial
constellation that is part of another
constellation.
 It is part of the constellation Ursa Major,
the Big Bear.
Ram
(source: astronomynotes.com)
 The two stars in the front of the Dipper’s bowl
are called the Pointer Stars.
 They point towards Polaris, the North Star.
Objective – Describe the appearance and apparent motion of groups of stars in the night sky relative to Earth and
how various cultures have understood and used them.
source – Fort Worth Astronomical Society
 Where we are on Earth determines the constellations we see.
 Can’t see the Southern Cross from middle northern latitudes.
 The farther south you travel, Polaris will be seen lower in the sky.
 Can’t be seen after you cross the Equator.
 You can use the Big Dipper to find constellations.
 You can use Orion to find constellations
source – Fort Worth Astronomical Society
Objective – Describe the appearance and apparent motion of groups of stars in the night sky relative to Earth and
how various cultures have understood and used them.
Objective – Describe the appearance and apparent motion of groups of stars in the night sky relative to Earth and
how various cultures have understood and used them.
Objective – Describe the appearance and apparent motion of groups of stars in the night sky relative to Earth and
how various cultures have understood and used them.
Constellation Review Worksheet – Key
1. In what constellation would you see the Sun?
c. Pisces
2. In what constellation would you see the Sun?
a. Gemini
3. In what constellation would you see if the Earth were in Position D?
b. Pisces
4. In what constellation would you see if the Earth were in Position A?
c. Scorpius
5. In what constellation would you see if the Earth were in Position B?
a. Leo
6. In what constellation would you see if the Earth were in Position C?
d. Taurus
7. Astronomy is a recent science.
b. False
8. What causes the night sky to change during one evening?
b. Earth’s rotation
Objective – Describe the appearance and apparent motion of groups of stars in the night sky relative to Earth and
how various cultures have understood and used them.
9. What causes the night sky to change throughout the seasons?
a. Earth’s revolution
10. There are _____ official constellations. (Enter a number)
88
11. Who named almost half of the constellations?
d. Greeks
12. Stars in constellations are different distances from Earth.
a. True
13. Which constellations looks like its name?
c. Scorpion
14. The Big Dipper is not an official constellation.
a. True
15. The Big Dipper is part of which constellation?
c. Ursa Major
16. What are the two stars in the front of the Dipper’s bowl called?
d. Pointer stars
17. To what do the two stars in the front of the Dipper’s bowl point?
b. North Star, Polaris
Objective – Describe the appearance and apparent motion of groups of stars in the night sky relative to Earth and
how various cultures have understood and used them.
B 18. Aquila, the Eagle
A 19. Auriga, the Charioteer
A 20. Boötes, the Herdsman
A 21. Gemini, the Twins
A 22. Leo, the Lion
A 23. Lyra, the Lyre
B 24. Ophiuchus, the Serpent Bearer
B 25. Orion, the Hunter
B 26. Libra, the Scales
A 27. Taurus, the Bull
B 28. Scorpius, the Scorpion
B 29. Pegasus, the Flying Horse
B 30. Cepheus, the King
A 31. Canis Major, the Large Dog
Objective – Describe the appearance and apparent motion of groups of stars in the night sky relative to Earth and
how various cultures have understood and used them.
Constellation Review Worksheet – Scoring Guide
1. c
2. a (3 choices)
3. b
4. c
5. a
6. d
7. b (2 choices)
8. b (2 choices)
9. a (2 choices)
10. 88
11. d
12. a (2 choices)
13. c
14. a (2 choices)
15. c
16. d
17. b
18. B (2 choices)
19. A (2 choices)
20. A (2 choices)
21. A (2 choices)
22. A (2 choices)
23. A (2 choices)
24. B (2 choices)
25. B (2
choices)
26. B (2 choices)
27. A (2 choices)
28. B (2 choices)
29. B (2 choices)
30. B (2 choices)
31. A (2 choices)
Scoring Guide
22-31 – 3
11-21 – 2
1-10 – 1
0–0