MS. MAC CONSTELLATION REVIEW

A constellation is a set of stars found in a specific area of the sky. There are around 88 constellations covering the entire northern and southern skies.

On what basis are constellations identified and named?

• their distances from the Sun

• their distances from Earth’s horizon

• shapes of different things they resemble

• coordinates in which they are commonly seen

The drawing shows the North Star and other stars near it.

How do the stars near the North Star help people find the North Star at night?

• They stay in the same patterns.

• They appear in the same spot all night.

• They can be seen from anywhere in the world.

• They move toward each other during the night.

Why is the constellation Ursa Minor visible throughout the year in the Northern Hemisphere?

• The constellation appears to circle the north star.

• The constellation appears to revolve around Earth.

• The constellation revolves around the Sun from west to east.

• The constellation revolves around the Sun from east to west.

Orion appears in the eastern sky at sunset in December and disappears in the western sky in May in the Northern Hemisphere. What causes a change in the position of Orion in the sky across the seasons?

• rotation of Earth on its axis

• rotation of stars around Earth

• revolution of stars around the pole star

• revolution of Earth around the Sun

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

The image shows a star chart.

Which information is best inferred from the star chart?

• life cycles of the stars

• patterns formed by the stars

• distances of the stars from Earth

• movements of the stars around the Sun

The image shows the changes in the orientation of the Big Dipper in different months.

What causes the change in orientation?

• rotation of Earth around its axis

• revolution of Earth around the Sun

• rotation of the constellation around Earth

• revolution of the constellation around the Sun

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

How does the appearance of a constellation change during the night?

• Its shape appears to become longer.

• Its position appears to shift relative to the horizon.

• Its brightest stars begin to appear orange.

• Its distance to the North Star decreases.

A student observes the Orion constellation every month with the help of a telescope but notices that the constellation is visible only between November and February. What causes the Orion constellation to be visible only during certain months?

• Earth’s rotation on its axis

• Earth’s revolution around the Sun

• movement of stars in the constellation

• movement of the constellation around Earth

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Manny studied constellations with a telescope. He observed a constellation called the Fish-hook. Three months later, Manny again observed the constellation at the same time of night. The constellation looked a little different. How had the constellation MOST likely changed?

• The stars were brighter colors.

• The stars were arranged in a new shape.

• The stars were in a new location in the sky.

• The stars were farther away from each other.

The Sun is a star. Scientists have explained that the reason the Sun looks larger than other stars is that the Earth is much closer to the Sun than to other stars. Lena has noticed some of the stars in the night sky look smaller than others. What is the best prediction that Lena could make about the stars?

• The stars that look largest are moving toward the Earth.

• The stars that look largest are closest to the Earth.

• All stars are the same distance from the Earth.

• The stars that look smallest are closest to the Earth

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-3