what is Constellation

What is Constellation

CONSTELLATION

A group of stars which are arranged in a pattern resembling some recognizable figure is called a constellation. There are about 88 constellations that we know. All the stars in a constellation appear to stay together, so its shape remains the same. Four of the well-known constellations are Orion, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor and Cassiopeia.

ORION:

Orion is one of the magnificent constellations in the sky. It has seven bright stars. Four of these appear to be arranged in the form of a quadrilateral and the other three form a straight line in the middle. One of the largest star known as Betalgeuse is situated on one corner of this quadrilateral while another bright star called Rigel, is located on its opposite corner. The arrangement of stars in this constellation resembles a hunter with a belt and a sword. This constellation is visible during the winters in the northern hemisphere.

URSA MAJOR:

It is also known as the Great Bear, the Big Dipper or Saptarishi. Ursa Major contains seven stars making the pattern of a plough. A line drawn through the pointers of the plough leads us to the Pole star or Polaris (Dhruv Tara). The Pole star always appears in the same position in the sky as it is directly above the north pole. This constellation is visible during the summers.

URSA MINOR:

It is also known as the Little Bear or Little Dipper. Ursa Minor also consists of seven stars arranged in a similar manner to those to Ursa Major, but the stars in this constellation are closer together and less brighter than in the Ursa Major. The last star in the handle of the Little Dipper is the Pole star itself. Ursa Minor is also known as the Pole star constellation. This also is visible in the summers.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN A GALAXY AND A CONSTELLATION