The Constellations Scenes in the Sky

The Celestial Sphere Show Basics of Astronomy: The Celestial Sphere (3 min) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Toya19H12w&feature=endscreen&NR=1 Demonstrate the Earth’s hemispheres using the globe. If we imagine the Earth’s poles extending into space, the North pole would point at Polaris, the North Star.

Polaris Polaris is actually a triple star system. Explain that the stars are still there during the day, but the light of the sun is so much brighter that we can’t see them. Likewise, if there is a lot of “light pollution” from large cities, stars are more difficult to see at night. Ask Why do you think we can’t see many stars here at night? (We don’t see as many stars here because we are in a city and frequently have cloud cover.)

History of the Constellations A constellation is a shape made by connecting stars. No one is sure when humans first started seeing “pictures” in the stars, but the Greeks were the first to identify many of the 88 constellations recognized today by the International Astronomical Union. (www.iau.org) Several early civilizations such as the Greeks and the Babylonians used the constellations as the basis of superstitious religions. (See Isaiah  47:13-14) A constellation is a shape made by connecting stars. No one is sure when humans first started seeing “pictures” in the stars, but the Greeks were the first to identify many of the 88 constellations recognized today by the International Astronomical Union. Several early civilizations such as the Greeks and the Babylonians used the constellations as the basis of superstitious religions. (See Isaiah  47:13-14)  Read (See Isaiah  47:13-14) Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee. 14 Behold, they shall be as astubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: there shall not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before it. Ask How did the Lord feel about astrologers?

History of the Constellations Constellations were used in agriculture before there were calendars. Farmers would use the position of the stars in the sky to plan when to plant and harvest their crops. Constellations were also used in navigation. Finding Polaris and observing how high it was in the night sky helped sailors to determine their latitude. http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/question.php?number=340 Constellations were used in agriculture before there were calendars. Farmers would use the position of the stars in the sky to plan when to plant and harvest their crops. Constellations were also used in navigation. Finding Polaris and observing how high it was in the night sky helped sailors to determine their latitude.

Are Constellations Still Used Today? Astrologers today still claim to predict a people’s destinies by studying the arrangement of the stars and planets in the sky.  More practically, constellations are used in the names of some stars. The stars that are visible in the constellations are named for the constellations they are in. Astrologers today still claim to predict a people’s destinies by studying the arrangement of the stars and planets in the sky. The horoscopes that you see in newspapers claim to look at the positions of the stars and the planets in the sky and tell you what kind of day you will have. This superstitious practice dates back to the early astrologers. More practically, constellations are used in the names of some stars. The stars that are visible in the constellations are named for the constellations they are in. The constellations give astronomers a frame of reference. If you can find the area of the sky that a constellation is in and know that

The Constellations Show The Constellations (10 min) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AskaziHAseA