Constellations: Fact or Bluff?

All the stars in the in the galaxy orbit around the sun every 100 million years.

• Fact

• Bluff

Answer explanation

Other stars do not revolve around the sun. All the stars revolve around the center of the galaxies in which they reside.

Constellations are far away from each other.

• Fact

• Bluff

Answer explanation

Constellations are patterns of stars seen from Earth. These stars are usually not near each other. Stars in a constellation may be fairly close together. More likely, though, they are extremely far apart.

The word constellation came from a Latin word “cōnstellātiō” which means set of stars.

• Fact

• Bluff

Answer explanation

It came into use in Middle English during the 14th century. The Ancient Greek word for constellation is ἄστρον (astron).

Stars give off energy as heat and light.

• Fact

• Bluff

Answer explanation

Stars produce their own light and energy by a process called nuclear fusion. Fusion happens when lighter elements are forced to become heavier elements. When this happens, a tremendous amount of energy is created causing the star to heat up and shine.

As the earth rotates on its axis, the constellations appear to be rotating clockwise in the sky.

• Fact

• Bluff

Answer explanation

In the case of the earth and the constellations the earth rotates, with us on it, from west to east. The constellations appear to move from east to west, moving "backwards" from the real rotation of the earth.

Spica is the hottest because it gives off a bluish light while Betelgeuse is the coolest because it gives off a reddish light.

• Fact

• Bluff

Sun is the hottest star.

• Fact

• Bluff

Answer explanation

The hottest known star is WR 102, found in the Sagittarius constellation, which has a surface temperature of over 200,000°C (360,032°F). This is over 36 times hotter than our Sun.

Ursa Major is the largest northern constellation and the third largest in the night sky. The brightest stars of this constellation form an asterism known as the Big Dipper.

• Fact

• Bluff

The visible stars in each constellation are closer to planet earth.

• Fact

• Bluff

Answer explanation

Not necessarily. Each constellation is a collection of stars that are distributed in space in three dimensions – the stars are all different distances from Earth. The stars in a constellation appear to be in the same plane because we are viewing them from very, very, far away.

Constellations may be only visible during certain seasons due to the Earth's revolution around the sun.

• Fact

• Bluff