WorksheetsConstellations & Seasons
Total questions: 26
Worksheet time: 13mins
What does the term "constellation" mean?
Sky animals
Star pictures
Grouping of stars
Star system
What is an asterism?
A grouping of stars that is not an official constellation
A small constellation
A constellation that is used for navigation
An unofficial name for a constellation
Which is an example of a common asterism?
The Big Dipper
Ursa Major
Gemini
Ursa Minor
What are Circumpolar Constellations?
Constellations that can only be seen during certain times of year
Constellations that never appear to set
Constellations that can be seen all year long
Both B and C
Why did the International Astronomical Union standardize the names of constellations?
To overcome language barriers
Because there were many variations of names for the same star groupings
To make the creation of star charts easier
So that no constellation could be named after a single person
Why will Polaris not always be the North Star?
Polaris is drifting away
The Earth’s axis is wobbling
The Earth’s path around the Sun is shifting
Polaris is dying
Which of the following CANNOT be seen from the Southern hemisphere?
Sagittarius
Crux
Polaris
Aries
Which constellations can you see if you live on the Equator?
The ecliptic constellations
The Northern hemisphere’s constellations
The Southern hemisphere’s constellations
A, B, and C
What is precession?
The Earth’s rotation
The change in direction of a planet’s axis
The setting of stars below the horizon
When stars are used for navigation
What are the ecliptic constellations also known as?
Equatorial constellations
Circumpolar constellations
Asterisms
The zodiac
Why can the ecliptic constellations only be seen during certain times of year?
Because Earth orbits the Sun, the night side faces different parts of the sky across seasons, so ecliptic constellations are visible only when they are opposite the Sun
Because the ecliptic constellations move rapidly and randomly across the sky each night
Because city lights block the ecliptic constellations during most months
Because ecliptic constellations exist only in the Northern hemisphere
Why can’t a person at the South Pole see Polaris and its constellation Ursa Minor in the night sky?
Polaris is below the horizon due to being above the North Pole, and we cannot see through Earth
Polaris is too faint to see from polar regions
Clouds at the South Pole always block the view
Polaris only rises during summer in the Southern hemisphere
When is Earth closest to the Sun?
January
March
July
September
When is Earth farthest to the Sun?
January
March
July
September
What causes Earth’s seasons?
Earth’s distance from the Sun
The ocean
Earth’s tilted axis
Fluctuating heat from the Sun
What is an equinox?
When Earth is the furthest from the Sun
The hottest or coldest day of the year
When Earth is closest to the Sun
When there are equal hours of day and night
What season is it in the Southern hemisphere on the June solstice?
spring
summer
winter
fall
Which planet has a rotational axis nearly parallel to its orbital path?
Earth
Mars
Uranus
Venus
What causes “seasonal lag”?
Earth’s position in its orbit
Earth’s abundance of water
Earth’s rotational speed
Earth’s axial tilt
What season is it in the Northern hemisphere on the March equinox?
winter
spring
summer
fall
Which is NOT true of the equator?
It is an imaginary line separating the hemispheres
Areas along the equator experience the longest days of anywhere on Earth
Areas along the equator do not experience seasons
Areas near the equator are warmer in general than the rest of the Earth
Which location experiences an entire day of sunlight on the June solstice?
North Pole
South Pole
Tropic of Capricorn
Tropic of Cancer
What is the difference between the solstices and the equinoxes?
When do solstices occur?
When does the equinox occur?
How does the tilt of Earth affect how much sunlight each area receives?
