Getting Familiar with Constellations

What is your sign? Are you an Aries? Maybe you are a Libra or Capricorn? “What is your sign?” is a common question that refers to your zodiac or astrological sign, which is in turn based on when you were born. For example, a person born on July 15th is a Cancer while someone born on November 29th is a Sagittarius. When you read your horoscope, you refer to where you birthday falls in the zodiac. These zodiac signs are actually names of constellations. Many of them are named after ancient mythology and culture, as far back as the Babylonians, since humans for centuries have been mesmerized and have studied the stars. More than 3,000 years ago, the Babylonians recognized star patterns or constellations in the sky and divided the sky into twelve divisions, just like a pie with twelve slices. Each slice corresponded to a month in the Babylonian twelve-month calendar. Centuries later, the Greeks, namely the astronomer Ptolemy, built upon the Babylonian zodiac and refined it. The twelve constellations of the zodiac that is still used today reflect this Greek influence and the patterns the ancient people saw when they looked upward into the night sky.

What exactly are constellations?  Are they real?  Are all stars part of a constellation?  How do they relate to the zodiac? These are questions that you may be asking as yourself as you look into the night sky. View this presentation to learn more about constellations and the zodiac. Click the player to begin.

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Constellations Review

Now that you have learned about constellations, check your knowledge in this non-graded activity. Read the set of directions associated with each question, provide your answer(s), and click SUBMIT to check your response(s). Click the player to get started.