Chapter 10

The Stars- True of False?  We see the same stars in the sky all year.  Stars in a constellation are all the same distance from Earth.  The brighter stars are closer or more powerful.  Polaris (the North Star) is the brightest star.  The light-year is a unit of time.

The Stars  In this chapter, we will investigate these questions:  How any why do astronomers study the stars?  What properties do we use to describe stars?  What properties do all stars share?  How is the Sun similar to or different from other stars in the sky?  What properties of stars give us information to learn more about the universe?

Star Pictures  Have you ever tried to find figures in the clouds?  Would the cloud look the same the next day or next week?  Clouds move and change in response to temperature, moisture, wind, etc. Clouds are not a stable reference point in the sky.  Stars do provide a stable reference point in the night sky.

Star Pictures  When you look up at the stars, what are you looking at?  How many stars can you see on a clear night?  Where do the stars go during the day? Why can we only see them at night?.

Star Pictures  How have people throughout history made sense of the stars?  The noticed patterns in the sky that recur each night and across seasons in a predictable way.  Read “It’s a Bird… It’s a Plane” p. 458

Star Pictures  Constellations are groups of stars that define regions of the night sky  Different cultures defined different constellations based on patterns they saw.  They used these constellations as reference points.  Farmers knew when to plant their crops and when to harvest based on the position of different constellations in the sky.  They associated names and stories with the constellations to help them remember.

Star Pictures  Today, there are 88 constellations that are recognized by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).  These constellations divide the sky into 88 regions.  Do you think we can see the same stars all year long?

Star Pictures  Figure 10.2 shows a picture of Orion (the Hunter) and Taurus (the Bull).  Locate Orion on the sky maps on p. 460 – 461.  When does Orion appear?  How might people use this information as a point of reference?  Look closely at the direction labels on the sky maps? Is there a typo in your book?

Star Pictures  Do you think people in Australia see the same stars as we do?  Look at the pictures of the night sky in the Northern and Southern hemisphere and see if your answer is correct.

Star Pictures  Complete Reflect & Connect #1-4 p. 462  Read “Dark Skies” p. 463 – 464 and answer the following questions:  What is light pollution?  How does light pollution affect star gazing?  Can you think of a better name for this phenomenon?