Our Major Constellations

In our July STEM kit, we are learning about the planets in our solar system, the phases of the moon, and a few major constellations. Let's learn a little more about some of the constellations in our sky!

But first, do you know what makes constellations? Groups of stars! Stars are made up of gasses like hydrogen and helium and are held together by their own center of gravity! Did you know, out of all the stars we see in the sky, our Sun is the closest one to Earth!

Virgo

Virgo is the largest constellation in the Zodiac! It also is home to the star, Spica, which is one of the brightest stars in the night sky. Virgo was first found by Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century. Do you know how many years ago that was??

Hydra

Hydra is the largest of all the constellations in the sky and was also found by Greek astronomer Ptolemy. In Greek mythology, Hydra was either a large creature with 9 heads or a water snake, as portrayed in another myth. Which would you prefer?

Big Dipper

The Big Dipper is actually a part of the constellation Ursa Major and is not a constellation on it's own! It is one of the most well-known and easy to spot pattern of stars.

Ursa Major

Latin for Great Bear, the Ursa Major is the largest constellations in the North Sky! It is referred to as Great Bear because there is also an Ursa Minor constellation meaning Little Bear!

Leo

This constellation is the 12th largest in the sky. It is one of the easiest constellations to spot because it has such bright stars! This constellations represents a Lion and is one of our Zodiac constellations. Do you know what your Zodiac sign is?

There are SO many constellations and incredible stories and myths behind each one. To keep exploring, download a star gazing app, grab some binoculars and head outside once the sun goes down. What constellations will you be looking for?

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