star that doesn't appear to
move during night:
Polaris
bowl of Big Dipper points to:
Polaris
constellation containing the
Big Dipper is called:
Ursa Major
Polaris (the North Star) is part of:
the Little Dipper (Ursa Minor)
W-shaped constellation (vain mother):
Cassiopeia
her daughter:
Andromeda
K-shaped constellation (rescuer):
Perseus
constellation with great square
(flying horse):
Pegasus
V-shaped constellation
(contains Hyades and Pleiades)(Z):
Taurus
constellation with twin bright stars (Z):
Gemini
constellation with three stars in belt;
glowing nebula:
Orion
brightest star in night sky:
Sirius
follow the arc of the Big Dipper's
handle to
Arcturus
constellation with triangle and sickle:
Leo
H-shaped constellation:
Hercules
Vega, Deneb, Altair form the:
summer triangle
constellation with hook-shaped tail(Z):
Scorpius
closest night-sky star to Earth:
Alpha Centauri
teapot shaped constellation
(in direction of center of Milky Way):
Sagittarius
Top Ten Brightest stars
10: Achernar (Eridanus) can't see from here
9: Betelguese: %|+
Orion (winter) (red)
8: Procyon: Canis Minor (winter)
7: Rigel: %|+
Orion
6: Capella (Auriga)(winter)
5: Vega (Lyra):
summer triangle
4: Arcturus (Bootes):
follow arc of handle (spring)
3: (closest night sky star)
Alpha Centauri
can't see from here
2: Canopus (can't see from here)
1: %|+
Sirius (Canis Major)(winter)
star brightness: magnitude
brightest stars: 1st magnitude
faintest stars: 6th magnitude
smaller number: brighter star
star names
often Arabic
Betelgeuse (Orion):
'the giant's shoulder'
Antares (Scorpius)
'rival of Ares (Mars)'
Greek letter designation
Alpha Cygni (Deneb)
Beta Cygni
numerical designation
61 Cygni