1. Thumbs Up for Capitalization
Capitalizing Celestial Objects

2. Names of Celestial Objects
Capitalize the names of objects found in the sky.
Mars
the Milky Way Galaxy
Orion’s Belt
We do not capitalize articles (a, an, the), conjunctions (and, or, but), or short prepositions (in, by, of).
Do not capitalize common nouns that simply refer to a celestial object.
That galaxy is 62 light-years from Earth.
We now know that other solar systems exist.
The universe is constantly expanding.

3. Names of Celestial Objects
Do not capitalize earth, moon, or sun unless the sentence is referring to it in astronomical terms.
What on earth were you thinking?
We dug up a bit of earth.
I live on the planet Earth.
The sun shines brightly.
The moon was full last night.

4. Let’s Practice
One of these is wrong. Hold up one finger if #1 is wrong, two fingers if #2 is wrong, and three fingers if #3 is wrong.
Is Pluto considered to be a part of the solar system?
The planet Mars has two moons, Phobos and Deimos.
Mars and Venus are earth’s neighbors.
Solar system is never capitalized.
Names of moons are capitalized.
Earth should be capitalized when used with other planets.

5. Let’s Practice
One of these is wrong. Hold up one finger if #1 is wrong, two fingers if #2 is wrong, and three fingers if #3 is wrong.
The comet flew past Pluto and the sun.
Those stars in the Big Dipper point to Polaris.
A star’s life cycle includes nebula, protostar, and main sequence.
Sun is capitalized when written with other capitalized objects in space.

6. More Practice Did you see the full moon last night?
If the sentence is written correctly, put your thumb up.
If the sentence is written incorrectly, put your thumb down.
Did you see the full
moon last night?

7. More Practice The stars of Canis Major sparkled brightly.
If the sentence is written correctly, put your thumb up.
If the sentence is written incorrectly, put your thumb down.
The stars of Canis
Major sparkled
brightly.

8. More Practice Neptune and Saturn are planets in our Solar System.
If the sentence is written correctly, put your thumb up.
If the sentence is written incorrectly, put your thumb down.
Neptune and Saturn are
planets in our
Solar System.

9. More Practice Jackie dug up a bit of Earth.
If the sentence is written correctly, put your thumb up.
If the sentence is written incorrectly, put your thumb down.
Jackie dug up a
bit of Earth.

10. More Practice Our galaxy is called the Milky Way.
If the sentence is written correctly, put your thumb up.
If the sentence is written incorrectly, put your thumb down.
Our galaxy is called
the Milky Way.

11. More Practice The sun did not shine on that gloomy, cold day.
If the sentence is written correctly, put your thumb up.
If the sentence is written incorrectly, put your thumb down.
The sun did not shine
on that gloomy,
cold day.

12. Copyright © 2013 Brenda Kovich Version All rights reserved by author. Permission to copy for single classroom use only. Electronic distribution limited to single classroom use only. Images licensed by Dancing Crayon