3.1 : Constellations

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How many stars can you see on a clear night?
Around 2000.
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Stars may appear as...
Single stars, double stars (close pairings) or part of a small open cluster.
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What is a constellation?
A grouped pattern of stars (e.g. Orion).
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What is an asterism?
A smaller group of stars that form a familiar shape (e.g. Orion's Belt).
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What are nebulae?
Faint, fuzzy patches of light in the night sky.
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What stellar features do the stars in Orion's Belt act as pointers for?
The bright, red star Aldebaran (up to the right); the brightest star in the night sky, Sirius (down to the left); the Orion Nebula (below the Belt); the Pleiades or Seven Sisters, an open cluster of relatively young stars (beyond Aldebaran).
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What stars does the asterism the Winter Triangle contain?
Betelgeuse, Sirius and Procyon.
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The stars in a constellation are labelled in order of brightness using...
The greek letters, where alpha is the brightest star in the constellation, followed by a shortened 3-letter version of the constellation's name.
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When was the first list of constellations published and by who?
In 150 AD by Egyptian astronomer and geographer Ptolemey.
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How many constellations are on the official list adopted by the IAU in 1922?
88.
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The asterism The Plough is part of the constellation called...
Ursa Major.
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What stars make up the double star in The Plough?
Mizar and Alcor.
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What are the reasons for seasonal constellations?
The Earth's orbital motion around the Sun and the fact that stars cannot be seen during the day.
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How are stars that can be observed all year round located in relation to the Earth?
'Above' and 'below' the ecliptic.
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Stars may appear as...

Back

Single stars, double stars (close pairings) or part of a small open cluster.

Card 3

Front

What is a constellation?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

What is an asterism?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

What are nebulae?

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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