THE CONSTELLATIONS:

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THE CONSTELLATIONS

• Laurentian Universitys Lets Talk Science
  Partnership Program

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What is a constellation?
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What is a constellation?

• Constellation (astronomy) any of various groups
  of stars imagined to represent outline of a being
  or thing.

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What constellations do you know?
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What constellations do you know?

• The Big Dipper is inside Ursa Major - The
  Great Bear

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What constellations do you know?

• The Little Dipper is inside
• Ursa Minor The Little Bear

Kocab
Polaris
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What constellations do you know?

• Orion - The Hunter

Betelgeuse
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What constellations do you know?

• Cassiopeia The Ethiopian Queen

Navi Cassiopeia
Caph
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What constellations do you know?

• There are 88 constellations!

NOTE Constellations were inserted randomly
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How did the constellations get their names?

• Constellations can be named after characters in
  ancient stories such as Orion, who was a hunter
  and had a great big dog (Canis Major).
• Zodiac constellations Aries, Taurus, Gemini,
  Cancer, Leo, Virgo etc were the stars that
  first rose in the sky in the East during their
  corresponding month 2,000 years ago
• The Shape Some constellations get their names
  from shapes such as Corona Borealis (Northern
  Crown)

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Why should one know the names of the
constellations?
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Why should one know the names of the
constellations?

• Life skill for navigation and orienteering
• Careers Space Agencies, Outdoor Adventure
  Camps, teaching, writing, astrophotography,
  astronomy equipment (sales or innovations)
• Great Hobby join an astronomy club and meet
  lots of interesting people
• Interesting knowledge be a life long learner -
  it takes a long time to learn the skies and the
  knowledge you can share makes for interesting
  dinner conversations

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Before written history, how might constellations
have been taught?

• There are 6,000 stars visible in the night sky
  not subjected light pollution!
• That is a lot of knowledge to pass down, without
  computers, let alone having no paper and ink

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Before written history, how might constellations
have been taught?

• Elders or knowledge-keepers may have passed the
  information about the constellations down to next
  generation through storytelling.

Homer and a student Circa 800 BC
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Before written history, how might constellations
have been taught?

• There is growing evidence that Homer's
• The Iliad is a cataloguing of the stars in
• the night sky.
• This theory is eloquently described
• in a book published in 1999 called
• Homers Secret Iliad by Florence
• and Kenneth Wood.
• Their theory is built upon the
• work of Edna Leigh an
• Ancient studies professor and
• Amateur astronomer

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Theory that Homers The Iliad may be cataloguing
of the night sky

• One theory is that each soldier in the battle is
  depicted by a star of certain magnitude
  (brightness).
• The brighter the soldier's star is the more
  powerful he is in battle. The details are
  overwhelming.
• The authors proceed through The Iliad showing who
  killed whom. Repeatedly they show that the killer
  always was represented by a star of brighter
  magnitude.

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Evidence that Homers The Iliad may be
cataloguing of the night sky

• Read the book Homers Secret Iliad, if you
  interested to learn more
• Determine for yourself if you think that The
  Iliad is a story that catalogues the night sky.

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Constellation Activity

• You will be given a constellation on a piece of
  paper.
• Draw a picture around the stars that you see.
  Think of a story that might go with picture.
• Colour the picture, cut it out and paste it on
  one of the constellation maps (the maps without
  lines)
• Please clean up your work area when you are done.
• Take a look at the posters and books in the room
  if you wish