1. CONSTELLATIONS BY:SIMON GOINES

2. WWK HISTORY OF CONSTELLATIONS

3. Constellations are patterns of stars in the sky which astronomers use to help them pinpoint individual stars. Most of the constellations were identified long ago by the stargazers of Ancient Babylon and Egypt.

4. Constellations are simply patterns — there is no real link between the stars whatsoever. Astronomers today recognize 88 constellations.

5. Heroes and creatures of Greek myth, such as Orion the Hunter and Perseus, provided the names for many constellations, although each name is usually written in its Latin form, not Greek. The stars in each constellation are named after a letter of the Greek alphabet.

6. The brightest star in each constellation is called the Alpha star, the next brightest Beta, and so on. Different constellations become visible at different times of year, as the Earth travels around the Sun.

7. Southern hemisphere constellations are different from those in the north. The constellation of the Great Bear — also known by its Latin name Ursa Major — contains an easily recognizable group of seven stars called the Plough or the Big Dipper.

8. Constellation names ! Andromeda (Chained Maiden.) Antlia (Air Pump.) Apus (Bird of Paradise.) Aquarius (Water Bearer.) Aquila (Eagle.) Ara (Altar.) Aries (Ram.) Auriga (Charioteer.)

9. Constellation names Bootes (Herdsmen.) Caelum (Engraving Tool.) Camelopardalis (Giraffe.) Cancer (Crab.) Canes Venatici (Hunting Dog.) Canis Major (Great Dog.) Canis Minor (Lesser Dog.) Capricornus (Sea Goat.) Carina (Keel.) Cassiopeia (Seated Queen.) Centaurus (Centaur.) Cepheus (King.)

10. Constellation names Cetus (Sea Monster.) Chamaeleon (Chameleon.) Circinus (Compass.) Columba (Dove.) Coma Berenices (Bernice's Hair.) Corona Australis (Southern Crown.) Corona Borealis (Northern Crown.) Corvus (Crow.) Crater (Cup.) Crux (Southern Cross.) Cygnus (Swan.)

11. Constellation names Delphinus (Dolphin.) Dorado (Dolphinfish.) Draco (Dragon.) Equuleus (Little Horse.) Eridanus (River.) Fornax (Furnace.) Gemini (Twins.) Grus (Crane.) Hercules (Hercules.) Horologium (Clock.) Hydra (Female Water Snake.) Hydrus (Male Water Snake.)

12. Constellation names Indus (Indian.) Lacerta (Lizard.) Leo (Lion.) Leo Minor (Lesser Lion.) Lepus (Hare.) Libra (Scales.) Lupus (Wolf.) Lynx (Lynx.) Lyra (Lyre.) Mensa (Table Mountain.) Microscopium (Microscope.) Monoceros (Unicorn.)

13. Constellation names Musca (Fly.) Norma (Carpenter's Square.) Octans (Octant.) Ophiuchus (Serpent Bearer.) Orion (Hunter.) Pavo (Peacock.) Pegasus (Winged Horse.) Perseus (Hero.) Phoenix (Phoenix.) Pictor (Painter's Easel.) Pisces (Fish.) Piscis Austrinus (Southern Fish

14. Constellation names Puppis (Stern.) Pyxis (Compass.) Reticulum (Reticle.) Sagitta (Arrow.) Sagittarius (Archer.) Scorpius (Scorpion.) Sculptor (Sculptor.) Scutum (Shield.) Serpens (Serpent.) Sextans (Sextent.) Taurus (Bull.)

15. Constellation names Telescopium (Telescope.) Triangulum (Triangle.) Triangulum Australe (Southern Triangle.) Tucana (Toucan.) Ursa Major (Great Bear.) Ursa Minor (Lesser Bear.) Vela (Sails.) Virgo (Maiden.) Volans (Flying Fish.) Vulpecula (Fox.)

16. Major constellations ! The Big Dipper Cassiopeia Perseus Cepheus Cygnus, The Swan Lyra, The Lyre Pegasus, The Winged Horse Aquila, The Eagle

17. Orion, The Hunter Andromeda Taurus, The Bull Canis Major, The Great Dog

18. Gemini, The Twins Leo, The Lion Virgo, The Virgin Bootes, The Herdsman Sagittarius, The Archer Scorpio, The Scorpion