PURPOSE

Make your own constellation viewers and learn to identify some constellations.
 

PERFORMING THE EXPERIMENT

1. Cut out one constellation pattern.  (The constellations in the patterns are the reverse of the way they appear in the night sky but will appear correctly when observed through the viewer.) 

 
2. Tape the constellation pattern to the outside bottom of a film canister. 

 
3. Use a pushpin to poke a hole through the bottom of the film canister for each star in the constellation.  Make larger holes for larger, brighter stars by wiggling the pushpin around a little. 

 
4. Remove the constellation pattern from the film canister.

 
5. Remove the lid from the film canister, and use a marking pen to print the name of the constellation on the inside of the lid.  You may take the canister home. 

 

1. Remove the lid from the film canister without peeking at the name on the inside.

2. Look through the open end of the film canister toward a light source to see the constellation.  (If the holes forming the constellation are quite large, you may see the constellation better by looking toward a piece of white paper with light shining on it.)

3. Try to identify the constellation, and replace the lid when you are finished.

4. Play a game to identify the constellations with your friends or your adult partner.  Take turns picking out constellations for the other to view, and try to name them.
 

QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT

1. Which constellation has two pointer stars that point to the North Star?  In which part of that constellation are the pointer stars?  Of which constellation is the North Star a part?  In which part of that constellation is the North Star?  Why is the North Star so important in finding one's direction?

2. Can you identify the various constellations correctly?  If you think that you recognize them very well, try searching for them with your adult partner outside in the night sky or on the Search for the Stars chart on pages 2 and 3 of the issue of WonderScience listed below.  Directions on the sheet titled "Finding Constellations", may help.

3. Why is Cassiopeia easy to find in the night sky?  How would you describe the position of Cassiopeia in reference to the Big Dipper and the North Star?  Can you describe where some of the other constellations are in reference to the Big Dipper and the North Star?  To answer these questions, you may want to study the sheet titled "Finding Constellations,"  the WonderScience issue listed below, or a book such as Donald H. Menzel and Jay M. Pasachoff, A Field Guide to Stars and Planets, Houghton Mifflin, Boston, MA, 1990.
 

EQUIPMENT NEEDED

Black plastic 35-mm film canisters (camera and film developing stores will usually give them to you); pushpins; constellation patterns increased in size by 10-15% when printed from this page (the reverse of the way they appear in the sky); blunt-tip scissors; Scotch tape; and marking pens.
 

REFERENCES

Modified from WonderScience, Fun Physical Science Activities for Children and Adults to Do Together, Volume 7, Number 7, November, 1993, American Chemical Society/American Institute of Physics, page 5.  Adapted with permission from WonderScience magazine, Copyright 1993, American Chemical Society.

The Sky Watch website at school.discovery.com/schooladventures/skywatch/stories presents Greek myths and Native American tales about six of the constellations in this activity.
 

CONSTELLATION PATTERNS
 
 
 

Kids Involved Doing Science is at http://www.kids.union.edu

Modified 01/13/2003 by C. & P. Scaife