Find Your Way Around The Sky
This star always stays in the same position in the night sky in the Northern Hemisphere. What is it, and how can its position help us figure out our location?
Polaris, also known as the North Star, always appears near the North Celestial Pole. Its altitude in degrees above the horizon equals the observer’s latitude in the Northern Hemisphere. For example, if Polaris is 45° above the horizon, you're at 45°N latitude.
This hero defeated Medusa and saved a princess. Who was he, and how do the constellation patterns reflect his story?
Perseus. In the sky, he’s shown holding a weapon and Medusa’s head. Nearby are Andromeda (the princess), Cassiopeia (her mother), and Cetus (the sea monster), which reflects the myth’s proximity in the sky.
Why do the stars appear to shift slightly every night, and what happens over weeks or months?
Earth’s rotation causes stars to move nightly, but its orbit around the Sun means that different constellations become visible as the seasons change. Over months, star patterns noticeably shift across the sky.
Why is your astrology sign probably no longer accurate according to modern astronomy?
Due to axial precession, Earth’s wobble over thousands of years has shifted the position of constellations relative to the calendar. The zodiac signs haven’t been updated, so most people’s signs are off by about a month.
You want to find Polaris but you’re lost in the woods. You find the Big Dipper. What do you do?
Use the two stars at the end of the Big Dipper’s “bowl” (Dubhe and Merak) and follow the line they make. This line points directly to Polaris, helping you identify north.
Which bright star is found in Canis Major, and what is the nickname for this star?
Sirius, also known as the Dog Star. It's the brightest star in the night sky and represents the nose or chest of the big dog in the constellation Canis Major.
What constellations can you see in the winter, and how do they compare to summer constellations?
Winter constellations include Orion, Taurus, and Canis Major, which are bright and easy to spot. In summer, you might see Lyra, Cygnus, and Scorpius. Each season has a different sky due to Earth’s changing night view.
Which 13th zodiac constellation is ignored by astrology, and where is it located?
Ophiuchus. It lies between Scorpio and Sagittarius and is part of the path the Sun travels through, but it was excluded from the 12-sign astrological system.
In Starry Night or Sky Guide, how can we measure distances between stars and determine their light-year distances from Earth? THIS IS NOT A TRICK QUESTION!
In Starry Night, you can hover over a star with the cursor to see its name and distance in light years. You can also use the angular measuring tool to measure the angle between stars in degrees.
Why don’t constellations actually look like their names? How did ancient people come up with the patterns?
Constellations are made up of stars that aren’t connected in space and rarely resemble the objects they’re named after. Ancient people used storytelling to give the patterns meaning, helping them remember important seasonal changes.
What does it mean when a constellation is “circumpolar,” and which ones are visible year-round in Montana?
Circumpolar constellations never dip below the horizon. In Montana, constellations like Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Cassiopeia, Cepheus, and Draco are always visible because of the northern latitude.
Explain what axial precession is and how it affects our view of the sky over thousands of years.
Axial precession is the slow wobble of Earth’s axis, like a spinning top. Over ~26,000 years, it causes the celestial poles and equinoxes to shift, changing the background constellations behind the Sun at different times of year.
Why does Polaris appear to stay fixed in the sky while other stars move throughout the night?
Because Polaris lies almost directly above Earth’s rotational axis (the North Pole), it appears stationary while other stars appear to rotate around it as Earth spins.
Why do certain constellations like Orion appear only during specific seasons?
Because Earth orbits the Sun, the night side of Earth faces different parts of space during different seasons, revealing new constellations while others become hidden by the Sun’s glare.
How can you tell the difference between a star and a planet in the night sky?
Planets do not twinkle as much and often appear brighter than most stars. They also move along the ecliptic (the zodiac path), whereas stars remain fixed relative to each other.
What zodiac constellation was the Sun actually in on your last birthday, and how does that differ from your astrology sign?
Students should refer to the data chart they completed. Most will find that the Sun was in the previous constellation compared to their zodiac sign (e.g., born a “Leo,” but the Sun was in Cancer).
If you travel from Montana to Key West, how would Polaris’s position in the sky change? Why?
Polaris would appear lower in the sky because your latitude has decreased. Since Polaris's altitude equals your latitude, going from ~45°N (Montana) to ~24°N (Key West) would lower Polaris's position from 45° to 24° above the horizon.
Why is the Big Dipper a useful tool for navigation and timekeeping throughout the year?
It’s circumpolar, so it never sets. Its position changes with time and season, acting like a giant celestial clock that rotates around Polaris, helping navigators and early farmers keep track of seasons and directions.
What’s the significance of zodiac constellations, and what travels through them besides stars?
The zodiac constellations lie along the ecliptic, the path the Sun appears to follow through the sky. Planets, the Moon, and the Sun all move through these constellations throughout the year.
How can we prove astrology is outdated or not based on actual star positions? THIS IS NOT A TRICK QUESTION!
By using software like Starry Night or Sky Guide, we can track where the Sun, Moon, and planets actually are in the sky and compare that to the traditional zodiac signs. These programs show the Sun is no longer in the constellations assigned by astrology.