5.12 Patterns of Stars Lesson

Stars

Recognize the physical attributes of stars in the night sky such as number, size, color and patterns.

Multiple Choice

The sun is a star

• True

• False

All about Stars

• Star may be different sizes and colors

• When seen from the Earth, most stars appear as small points of light because they are very far away.

Star Colors

• The color of a star tells us the temperature of a star

• Red stars are the coolest

• Yellow stars are hotter than red stars.

• White stars are hotter than red and yellow

• Blue stars are the hottest stars of all.

Multiple Choice

What color of star is the coolest?

• Red
• Yellow
• Blue
• White

Multiple Choice

What color of star is the hottest?

• Blue
• Red
• Yellow
• Orange

Why are some stars brighter than others?

One reason a star can seem brighter than another star is due to how much power a star has - which can also be explained as the amount of wattage it has (think of light bulbs!).

​

Stars with more power (or higher wattage) will shine brighter than those with less power (lower wattage).

Why are some stars brighter than others?

Another reason is the distance of the star from the Earth. Just because a star looks brighter, doesn’t mean it actually is brighter. The more distant an object is, the dimmer it appears. Therefore, if two stars have the same level of brightness, but one is farther away, the closer star will appear brighter than the more distant star - even though they are equally bright!

Multiple Select

What are two reasons that one star can appear brighter than another star?

• power

• size

• distance

• brightness

Multiple Choice

All stars are the same color and same size.

• True

• False

There are five main differences between planets and stars:

1. Planets always orbit around a star. Never the other way around.

2. Planets are made of rock, ice, gas or water. Stars are made of plasma.

3. Stars emit their own light. Planets don’t.

4. Planets are always colder than the stars in their system.

​

​

Difference between Stars and Planets

Multiple Choice

The Sun is a star

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Planets Orbit around Stars

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Which is colder? Stars or Planet?

• Planets

• Stars

Drag and Drop

The closest star to the Earth is ​

Placeholder

.

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

the Sun

Polaris

Orion

Sirius

Stars

• Scientists estimate that the universe may have more than 70 billion trillion stars!

• The sun is the star that is nearest to the Earth and is also the most important to us

• Like all stars, the sun is a hot ball of gas

• Stars can be seen as shapes and patterns in the sky. These star patterns are called constellations

• As Earth rotates and revolves, stars appear to move across the sky.

Multiple Choice

What word is used to describe star patterns in the sky?

• moons

• circles

• constellations

• suns

Multiple Select

Choose all of the famous constellations.

• Orion

• Madea

• Hercules

• Vin Diesel

• The Big Dipper

Star Light, Star Bright

• The stars are out, both day and night just can't see them because the sun is so bright.

• In places like New York, where there are many lights, we may still only be able to see the brightest of the bright stars

• We may not be able to see the stars if the sky is not clear

• We can see stars best in a town where there are not a lot of bright lights

• Most stars are so far away we can't see them at all with our bare eyes; we would have to use a telescope

Multiple Choice

True or False. Stars do not shine in the day time.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

The are so many stars that we can't see with our bare eyes, so we should use a _____________________.

• microscope

• safety goggles

• magnifying glass

• telescope

• As the Earth rotates on its axis, the constellations and stars in them appear to move across the sky. 

•  They do not move in space but appear to move because the Earth is moving. 

Multiple Choice

At the equator, the stars move in a straight line across the sky. They rise in the ___________ and set in the west.

• east

• north

• south

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Constellations

​

​

​

​

CONSTELLATION

- a group or cluster of stars that appears to form a pattern or imaginary shapes.

​

​

Circumpolar Constellations and Polaris

Draco the Dragon

Multiple Choice

What constelation is this?

• little dipper

• draco the dragon

• big dipper

• orion

• Cassiopeia

Multiple Choice

What constelation is this?

• perseus

• draco

• orion

• cassiopeia

• Cepheus

Multiple Choice

What constelation is this?

• Cepheus

• Cassiopeia

• Orion

• Ursa Major

• Ursa Minor