Why the stars change with the seasons

Science · Space Exploration · ages 9-11

Name ______________________ Date ____________

Which of these is NOT a constellation?
- Leo
- Mars
- Cassiopeia
Which of these is a constellation you can spot in the night sky?
- Orion
- Neptune
- Sunspot
You can see the exact same constellations in the sky every single night of the year.
Circle one: True False
Why do different constellations appear at different times of the year?
- Earth orbits the Sun, so we face a different part of space each season
- The stars fly around the sky at different speeds
- Constellations only exist in certain months
Orion is easy to spot on a winter night. Where has Orion gone by the middle of summer?
- It has moved permanently to another galaxy
- It only shines during the day in summer
- It is still there, but Earth now faces away from it at night
This shows Earth's year, season by season. How many seasons make up one full trip around the Sun?
Answer: ______________
It's a warm summer evening, and Jamal cannot find Orion anywhere. Six months from now, will he be able to see Orion again in the evening sky?
- No, Orion disappears from the sky forever after winter
- Yes, but only if he moves to a new country
- Yes, because Earth will have orbited back around so Orion is in view at night again
Diego says different constellations show up each season because the stars themselves move around and form new patterns. What's wrong with his explanation?
- He's totally correct
- The stars don't move; Earth's changing position means we look toward a different part of space
- Constellations don't really exist, so nothing is wrong

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Why the stars change with the seasons W1-mt_9VZem2vUqk-s1

Mars · Leo and Cassiopeia are constellations. Mars is a planet, not a group of stars.
Orion · Orion is a constellation, a pattern made of stars. Neptune is a planet, and a sunspot is a dark patch on the Sun.
False · Different constellations come into view in different seasons as Earth moves around the Sun.
Earth orbits the Sun, so we face a different part of space each season · As Earth travels around the Sun, the night side of Earth points toward a different patch of stars each season.
It is still there, but Earth now faces away from it at night · Earth has moved along its orbit, so at night we now face a different direction in space, away from Orion.
4 · Earth completes one full orbit through four seasons: winter, spring, summer, and fall. Each one faces us toward a new set of stars.
Yes, because Earth will have orbited back around so Orion is in view at night again · Earth's orbit is a repeating loop. Six months later, Earth is on the far side of the Sun again, and night faces back toward Orion.
The stars don't move; Earth's changing position means we look toward a different part of space · The stars stay in roughly the same places relative to each other. It's Earth's orbit that changes which part of space faces us at night.