The constellations are a map of the sky. Many years ago poets, farmers, and astronomers named groups of stars, made up myths (or stories) and called them constellations. Naming the stars made it easier for everyone to remember them. These days, astronomers and others who study the sky use the constellations to quickly tell what they are looking at. You've probably already heard of a few constellations. There's Leo, the Nemean Lion. If you can find three bright stars in a straight line, you know you've found Orion, the hunter. You probably also know Ursa Minor, the Little Bear. Ursa Minor has also been known as the Little Dipper. But the Little Dipper is only a part of Ursa Minor. Ursa Minor is the constellation and the Little Dipper is an asterism (which basically means it hasn't been officially recognized as a constellation). The Little Dipper makes it easy for us to find Polaris, the North Star. Officially, there are 88 constellations. Some others include Cassiopia (the daughter of Arab son of Ermes), Capricorn (the god of pastures and wild nature), Pegasus (the winged horse), and many more. On a dark and starry night, step outside and look up at the sky. Which constellations can you see?

 

Here's YOUR chance to name the constellations. Below, there are four pictures of constellations. What does each constellation look like to you? What would you name each constellation? Get creative and see what unique names you can come up with for these constellations. 1) Draco 2) Taurus 3) Hercules 4) Ursa Minor From: Karen I saw in #1, a snake. In #2 we saw a praying mantis. #3 looked like half a spider web. #4 looked like an Indian's hatchet. From: Jose I see a snake. I see scissors. I see a table. I see a bucket on a rope. From: Shaheen 1.a leash 2.a human without a head 3.a dog's back 4.another leash From: Safiyyah 1.snake 2.a man 3.crane 4.horse From: Danica I think #1 (The Big Dipper) should really be called The Big Dragon, because it has a very long tail. I think #2 should really be called The Little Clamper, because it is little and it has a very small clamper. I think #3 should really be called The Giant Chicken, because it looks like a chicken with giant legs. I think the Little Dipper (#4) should really be called The Little Glass of Milk, because it has a big straw and a little glass of milk. From: Maria 1: a hammer to throw (athletics) 2: a lawnmower 3: a spider 4: a saucepan From: Katy 1. fishing pole 2. t.v. antenna 3. man sat down 4. shopping cart From: Kelsey 1. Snake 2. I don't know 3. Hercules 4. Big Dipper From: Matthew I saw a 1. Snake 2. Claw 3. Dancer 4. Dipper From: Jordan 1.Snake 2.Bunny 3. Kite 4.Shovel From: Tiffany 1.I see a dog collar. 2.I see scissors. 3.I see a karate kick. 4.I see a pipe. From: Avi I see a locust, a crab, a bug, and a dancing bug From: Monica 1. Aries 2. Bullhorn 3. Pisces 4. Scorpio From: Alex 1. a "n" 2. a grasshopper 3. a body 4. little dipper From: Ryan 1. Crashing kite 2. Ice tongs 3. Jumping frog 4. Box with a tail From: Drew 1. a machine 2. pliers 3. an eagle with one claw and no feathers 4. a trash can From: Katharina 1 worm 2 bug 3 robot 4 shovel From: Nyvia I saw a kite, a dress, a antenna, and a leash. From: Neha I saw a Dragon. I saw an Astronaut flying in space. I saw a running machine. I saw a scooping spoon. From: Shawn I saw a pot. I saw a snake. I saw a person. I saw a bike. From: John I see a long dipper. A person. A man with his head in his shirt. A necklace if you bend it. From: Kaitlyn I saw an upside down flag on a hill, a wrench, a bike, and a leash. From: Alexa I saw a snake. I saw a wrench. I saw a man. And I saw a spoon. From: Cody I saw a snake, a person jumping, someone going crazy, and a shovel. From: Ricardo 1. I see dog leash 2. I see a man walking with his hands. 3. I see a man with chicken legs. 4. I see a snake. From: Evelyn I see a snake. I see a person who fell. I see a bicycle. I see a dog leash. From: Rubina I saw a lady with a gorgeous dress. Her name is the genie of beautiful. I saw a bright shiny golden spatula. I saw a snake. His name is kimba. I saw a man standing on his hands. His name is Rubin. From: MEAGHAN 1. N 2. PLIERS 3. DOG 4. BIG DIPPER From: Michael Little Dipper, Claw, A person, Big Dipper From: Renie 4. the pot 3. a monster 2. tongs 1. a kite From: Jayd I see a person doing a cartwheel. I also see a lever that is getting ready to pull something up. I also see a speaker to a computer with a wire behind it to plug it in. And lastly, I see a park where you can play baseball and do many other things. That is what I see. Back to What Do You See?

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