2. Constellations

3. What is a constellation?
An imaginary picture in the sky, made using stars, that represents a person, animal, or object.
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4. Why were constellations created?
Calendars – Helped farmers keep track of seasons.
Religion – Constellations represented important religious figures or events.

5. Navigation - Know where you are as you travel.
Important Groups of Constellations
The twelve (thirteen, really!) constellations of the Zodiac.

6. Zodiac – “Circle of animals.”
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The Sun, Moon, and planets appear to move through the Zodiac.
Click here for Earth and Zodiac video.

7. Constellations of the Zodiac
Aries (Ram), Taurus (Bull), Gemini (Twins), Cancer (Crab), Leo (Lion), Virgo (The maiden), Libra (Scales), Scorpius (Scorpion), Sagittarius (Archer), Capricornus (Water Goat), Aquarius (Water Bearer), Pisces (Fish), & Lucky 13 Ophiuchus (Serpent Bearer).

8. Circumpolar Constellations
Constellations that rotate around the North Star and are visible all year.
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9. Circumpolar Constellations
Constellations that rotate around the North Star and are visible all year.
Circumpolar Constellations – Big Dipper (Ursa Major), Little Dipper (Ursa Minor), Cassiopeia, Cepheus, and Draco (Dragon).

10. When you look at a constellation, all the stars appear to be the same distance from Earth.
Look at Orion...

11. Source: NASA StarChild

12. Orion constellation (as seen from Polaris).
The true shape of Orion.
3-D Tour of the constellations.

13. Why do we see different constellations during the evening?
Earth rotates on its axis.
Rotation - When a planet or moon turns all the way around or spins on its axis one time.

14. Why do we see different constellations through the year?
The Earth revolves around the Sun.
Revolution - The circling of one object around another object in space. The Earth revolves around the Sun. 

15. The constellations of Winter.
The constellations of Spring.
The constellations of Summer.
The constellations of Fall.

16. Constellations used for navigation.
The Big Dipper helps find direction.
Runaway slaves used the Big Dipper (Drinking Gourd).
Follow the Drinking Gourd.

17. The Presentation Ends Here.