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Science project idea on how to recognize the constellations seen only in winter.
Constellation Recognition Seen Only in Winter Science Project Idea
How to recognize the constellations seen only in winter. Stars farther away from the pole can be seen only at certain times of the year. The best known of the winter constellations, located on a line passing almost directly overhead from east to west, is Orion, the Hunter. It is easily recognized by the three stars forming the belt. Several small stars, extending at almost right angles, constitute the sword hanging from his belt. A very bright, reddish star, Betelgeuse, 1 marks the right shoulder, while another bright star, Rigel, white instead of reddish, is located in the left foot of the great hunter. After you have located these stars, you will be able to make out the stars which represent the lion's skin which hangs from his left arm, and the stars of the right arm and of the club.
Facing Orion, and between him and the Pole Star, is the constellation Taurus, or the Bull. The face of the Bull is represented by several, stars arranged in the form of a V. The bright red star, Aldebaran, at the top of the left branch of the V is the eye of the Bull. The constellation called the Pleiades, or Seven Sisters, is in the shoulder of the Bull. The stars of this constellation, six of which can easily be seen, are very close together and arranged in the form of a very small dipper. Farther south in the winter sky may be seen the constellations whose brightest stars, Sirius and Procyon, are called the hunting dogs of Orion. Sirius, the brightest of the fixed stars, seems to follow at the heels of Orion and may easily be located by following a line passing from the eye of the Bull, Aldebaran, through the belt of Orion and beyond about twenty degrees. Procyon, Sirius, and Betelgeuse make a triangle, each side of which is about twenty degrees.
If you have located the constellations which have been named, you will be able with the help of the many excellent books about the stars, to locate other constellations, especially the most conspicuous ones of the spring and summer skies; the Lion and the Twins seen in the spring, and the Virgin, the Herdsman, the Northern Crown, and the Scorpion in the summer. Astronomy Science Fair Project Ideas 1. Identify at least eight constellations. 2. Work out the method of reading star maps. Collect and mount star maps for every month. Astronomy Science Fair Project Report Origin of the names of some of the constellations.
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