What stars are visible in winter. Two bright dog stars in the winter sky
Lyubashin Alexander, 2 "B" class Municipal Educational Institution "Lyceum No. 50"
With this work we participated in the regional conference “Step into Science”. The purpose of our work: to get acquainted with the diversity of the winter sky, deepen knowledge about the constellations, and observe the beauty and mystery of the starry sky. The work provides a presentation and received material on the topic.
Download:
Preview:
Report for the speech
at the regional educational and scientific conference
"Start in Science"
on the topic: “Constellations of the winter sky”
Completed by: Lyubashin Alexander
student 2 "B" class
Municipal educational institution "Lyceum No. 50"
Head: Maslova T.V.
Saratov, 2012.
Plan.
Introduction.
- Constellations. What is this?
- Constellations of the winter sky.
Part 2. My observations.
2.1. Experiments.
Part 3. My conclusions.
Conclusion.
Introduction.
(Slide 1.) In all centuries, people have been interested in the sky.Once during the holidays, in the village, on a warm summer evening, I looked at the sky for a long time. There were many stars on it. I wanted to reach them with my hand. Dad and Mom showed me the constellation Ursa Major and the Milky Way, the North Star. And on New Year's Eve, my parents drew my attention to the beauty of the winter sky. Indeed, in winter the stars seemed very bright, beautiful, and expressive to me. Since then, I liked watching the beauty of the starry sky and wanted to learn a lot of interesting things from this area.
(Slide 2.) I set myself a plan for my research:
Part 1. Study of textbooks, books and encyclopedias.
- What is a star? Types of stars.
- Constellations. What is this?
- Constellations of the winter sky.
- . Interesting Facts about the stars.
Part 2. My observations.
2.1. Experiments.
2.2. Practical observations.
My conclusions.
(Slide 3.) What is a star?
In the lessons of the surrounding world, I learned that a star is a celestial body consisting of gas with a very high temperature. For example, the temperature of the Sun is about 15,000,000 (fifteen million) degrees.
(Slide 4.) Types of stars?
Stars come in different sizes: dwarfs, giants and supergiants. One of the largest known stars is Betelgeuse.
Its size is more than a billion kilometers - that's a thousand times larger than our Sun. The smallest star is about a hundred times smaller than the Sun.
(Slide 5.) Constellations. What is this?
The stars that we see on clear nights form certain figures in the sky that we call constellations. Even ancient astronomers paid attention to this and gave mythological names to the star figures.
(Slide 6.) Constellations of the winter sky.
Due to the movement of the Earth around the Sun, the celestial sphere looks different at different times of the year. The starry sky is perhaps never as beautiful as in winter. At this time of year, perhaps the most expressive constellations shine in the sky. It is decorated with the most bright stars. These are the ones I want to talk about.
(Slide 7.) Constellation Canis Major.
Orion's belt-
Three stars diagonally
If you go to the left,
Miracle - you will find SIRIUS!
He is beautiful, no doubt!
So that this diamond is priceless
The evil thief did not take it away,
The watchman here is a HUGE DOG!
SMALLER DOG - a little taller
He went out on guard duty in heaven.
(Slide 8.) Constellation Orion.
Not afraid of winter and cold,
Having belted myself tighter,
Equipped for hunting
ORION performs
Two stars from the major leagues
IN ORION - this is RIGEL
In the lower right corner,
Like a bow on a shoe.
And on the left epaulette -
BETELGEUSE is shining brightly.
Three stars diagonally
Decorate the belt.
This belt is like a hint.
He is a heavenly pointer.
If you go to the left,
You will find the miracle SIRIUS.
And from the right end
Path to the constellation TAURUS
He points straight
Into the red eye of ALDEBARAN.
The HARE jumped out with acceleration
Right at the feet of ORION!
ORION is not dangerous -
He's targeting Taurus!
(Slide 9.) Constellation Taurus.
Orion's belt -
Three stars diagonally
And from the right end -
The path to the constellation TAURUS -
He points straight
Into the red eye
ALDEBARANA.
The bull is well-fed and horned.
The right horn crowns the NAT,
And his nose is burning
Two hundred small GIADs.
Above the scruff of this mascara
Seven crystal flies hover.
We are glad to introduce you
With the PLEIADES cluster.
(Slide 10.) Constellation Gemini.
GEMINI - two true friends
They walk side by side in a circle.
How similar their figures are!
These are the Dioscuri Brothers.
CASTOR - once and
POLLUX - two!
Their friendship is praised by word of mouth!
(Slide 11.) Constellation Auriga.
Can you hear the sound in the heights?
Then the ringing sound of hoofs!
The goat walks boldly
And her name is CAPELLA.
Little goats hurry after her,
Stepping on her heels.
Take a closer look
And count: one, two, three!
And their owner is the CHARIER
And smart and energetic,
Because all year round
He drinks fresh milk.
(Slide 12.) Constellation Cancer.
Two brave TWINS
A messenger was sent to LION:
"We bow to the King of Beasts!
We look forward to your visit in January!"
The messenger hastened to go,
True, backwards.
To deliver the letter on time
Crawling all the time to the east,
But I couldn’t make it in time,
After all, this messenger is CANCER!
Interesting facts about stars.
(Slide 13) I learned that the constellation Ursa Major is featured on the Alaska flag.
And Sirius, together with the four bright stars of the constellation Canis Major, is depicted on the flag of Brazil.
Astronomers have shattered our usual idea of stars as hot objects by discovering a star that is at room temperature. Only 30 degrees. The star belongs to the class of brown dwarfs and is 63 light years away from Earth.
Did you know that without equipment, you can see and count about 5,000 stars in the entire sky. If you arm yourself with modern technology, more than two billion can be observed. However, scientists estimate that there are approximately 150 billion stars in our Galaxy.
(Slide 14). Did you know that the smallest known star is Kuiper. However, size does not prevent Keiper from being unusually heavy. A liter of the substance of this star is equal to the load of 12 railway freight trains, which is about 36 thousand tons. If a match were made from this substance, it would weigh six tons.
(Slide 15). Did you know that the brightest star in our sky is Sirius. Because it is so bright, we can see Sirius, although the distance between it and the Earth is 83 trillion kilometers.
(Slide 16). Did you know that Alpha, a star from the constellation Hercules, is the largest star discovered to date. In diameter it is 200 thousand times larger than the Sun. It would take 800 thousand years to fly along Alpha's equator in a jet plane. Alpha is so far from Earth that, flying at a speed of 300 thousand kilometers per second, a beam of light covers this distance in 1200 years.
My observations.
Using the knowledge I gained, I decided to put it into practice.
- On the advice of my class teacher, I conducted the “Day Stars” experiment, which showed that the stars shine constantly.
(Slide 17). For the experiment, I prepared three sheets of thick paper: two white, and one sheet I painted with black paint, leaving small spots unpainted, previously applied with a simple pencil - these are “stars”.
(Slide 18). I placed the painted sheet between two white sheets and pointed a table lamp at the top sheet, which imitated the sun. The leaf remained white. Then I covered the table lamp with the same sheets, and the “stars” began to glow on the white sheet.
Explanation. In a lit room, light passes through unpainted spots on a sheet of paper, regardless of where the lamp is located, but they become visible only when the spots, thanks to the light passing through them, begin to stand out against a darker background. The same thing happens with stars. During the day they also shine, but the sky becomes so bright due to sunlight that the light of the stars is obscured.
- (Slide 19). With the help of my parents, I made a model of the winter starry sky.
(Slide 20). On the model you can study the location of stars and constellations visible in the sky in winter, their names, the movement of stars and their position at different times of the day.
- (Slide 21). Also, I go with my parents to watch the starry sky at different times of the day.
(Slide 22.) Conclusions.
Having become interested in the starry sky, I learned that there is a whole science about stars, constellations and celestial bodies - astronomy.
Astronomy not only reveals the structure of the world outside planet Earth, but also helps a person navigate time and space, as well as predict the weather.
Astronomy is a very interesting science, but complex; to study and understand it, you will need to study sciences such as mathematics, physics and chemistry well.
List of sources used.
1. Janice Vancleave. Experiments in astronomy.
2. Dubkova S.I. Walking in the sky. Legends about myths and constellations: a children's encyclopedia.
3. E.P. Levitan. Kids about stars and planets.
4. Lyubov Talimonova. Tales of constellations.
5. Erich Ubelakker. Constellations. Encyclopedia for children.
Pleshakov had a good idea - to create an atlas for children that would make it easy to identify stars and constellations. Our teachers picked up this idea and created their own atlas-identifier, which is even more informative and visual.
What are constellations?
If you look up into the sky on a clear night, you can see many sparkling lights of different sizes, like a scattering of diamonds, decorating the sky. These lights are called stars. Some of them seem to be collected in clusters and, upon prolonged examination, they can be divided into certain groups. Man called such groups “constellations.” Some of them may resemble the shape of a ladle or the intricate outlines of animals, however, in many respects this is just a figment of the imagination.
For many centuries, astronomers tried to study such clusters of stars and gave them mystical properties. People tried to systematize them and find a common pattern, and that’s how the constellations appeared. For a long time, constellations were carefully studied, some were divided into smaller ones, and they ceased to exist, and some, after clarification, were simply adjusted. For example, the constellation Argo was divided into smaller constellations: Compass, Carina, Parus, Poop.
The history of the origin of the names of the constellations is also very interesting. To make it easier to remember, they were given names united by one element or literary work. For example, it was noticed that during periods of heavy rain, the Sun rises from the direction of certain constellations, which were given the following names: Capricorn, Whale, Aquarius, and the constellation Pisces.
In order to bring all constellations to a certain classification, in 1930, at a meeting of the International Astronomical Union, it was decided to officially register 88 constellations. According to the decision taken constellations do not consist of groups of stars, but are sections of the starry sky.
What are the constellations?
Constellations vary in the number and brightness of the stars that make up them. The 30 most noticeable groups of stars are identified. The largest constellation in terms of area is considered Big Dipper. It consists of 7 bright and 118 stars visible to the naked eye.
The smallest constellation, located in the southern hemisphere, is called the Southern Cross and cannot be seen with the naked eye. It consists of 5 bright and 25 less visible stars.
Lesser Horse is the smallest constellation in the northern hemisphere and consists of 10 faint stars that can be seen with the naked eye.
The most beautiful and brightest constellation is Orion. It consists of 120 stars visible to the naked eye, and 7 of them are very bright.
All constellations are conventionally divided into those located in the southern or northern hemisphere. Those who live in the southern hemisphere of the Earth cannot see star clusters located in the northern hemisphere and vice versa. Of the 88 constellations, 48 are in the southern hemisphere, and 31 are in the northern hemisphere. The remaining 9 groups of stars are located in both hemispheres. The Northern Hemisphere is easily identified by the North Star, which always shines very brightly in the sky. She is the extreme star on the handle of the Ursa Minor dipper.
Due to the fact that the Earth rotates around the Sun, which prevents some constellations from being seen, the seasons change and the position of this star in the sky changes. For example, in winter the location of our planet in its circumsolar orbit is opposite to that in summer. Therefore, at each time of the year you can only see certain constellations. For example, in the summer, in the night sky you can see a triangle formed by the stars Altair, Vega and Deneb. In winter, there is an opportunity to admire the infinitely beautiful constellation Orion. That's why they sometimes say: autumn constellations, winter, summer or spring constellations.
Constellations are best visible in the summer and it is advisable to observe them in open space, outside the city. Some stars can be seen with the naked eye, while others may require a telescope. The constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, as well as Cassiopeia, are best visible. In autumn and winter, the constellations Taurus and Orion are clearly visible.
Bright constellations that are visible in Russia
The most beautiful constellations of the northern hemisphere visible in Russia include: Orion, Ursa Major, Taurus, Canis Major, Canis Minor.
If you look closely at their location and give free rein to your imagination, you can see a hunting scene, which, like an ancient fresco, has been depicted in the sky for more than two thousand years. The brave hunter Orion is always depicted surrounded by animals. Taurus runs to his right, and the hunter swings his club at him. At Orion's feet are the faithful Canis Major and Canis Minor.
Constellation Orion
This is the largest and most colorful constellation. It is clearly visible in autumn and winter. Orion can be seen over the entire territory of Russia. The arrangement of its stars resembles the outline of a person.
The history of the formation of this constellation originates from ancient Greek myths. According to them, Orion was a brave and strong hunter, the son of Poseidon and the nymph Emvriala. He often hunted with Artemis, but one day, for defeating her during a hunt, he was struck by the goddess’s arrow and died. After death, he was turned into a constellation.
Orion's brightest star is Rigel. It is 25 thousand times brighter than the Sun and 33 times its size. This star has a bluish-white glow and is considered supergiant. However, despite such impressive dimensions, it is significantly smaller than Betelgeuse.
Betelgeuse adorns Orion's right shoulder. It is 450 times larger than the diameter of the Sun and if we put it in the place of our star, then this star will take the place of four planets before Mars. Betelgeuse shines 14,000 times brighter than the Sun.
The constellation Orion also includes nebulae and asterisms.
Constellation Taurus
Another large and unimaginably beautiful constellation of the northern hemisphere is Taurus. It is located northwest of Orion and is located between the constellations Aries and Gemini. Not far from Taurus there are such constellations as: Auriga, Cetus, Perseus, Eridanus.
This constellation in mid-latitudes can be observed throughout almost the entire year, with the exception of the second half of spring and early summer.
The history of the constellation dates back to ancient myths. They talk about Zeus turning into a calf in order to kidnap the goddess Europa and bring her to the island of Crete. This constellation was first described by Eudoxus, a mathematician who lived long before our era.
The brightest star not only of this constellation, but also of the other 12 groups of stars is Aldebaran. It is located on the head of Taurus and was previously called the “eye”. Aldebaran is 38 times the diameter of the Sun and 150 times brighter. This star is located 62 light years away from us.
The second brightest star in the constellation is Nat or El-Nat (the horns of the bull). It is located near Auriga. It is 700 times brighter than the Sun and 4.5 times larger.
Within the constellation there are two incredibly beautiful open clusters of stars, the Hyades and the Pleiades.
The age of the Hyades is 650 million years. They can be easily found in the starry sky thanks to Aldebaran, which is clearly visible among them. They include about 200 stars.
The Pleiades got its name from its nine parts. Seven of them are named after the seven sisters Ancient Greece(Pleiades), and two more - in honor of their parents. The Pleiades are very visible in winter. They include about 1000 stellar bodies.
An equally interesting formation in the constellation Taurus is the Crab Nebula. It was formed after a supernova explosion in 1054 and was discovered in 1731. The distance of the nebula from the Earth is 6500 light years, and its diameter is about 11 light years. years.
This constellation belongs to the Orion family and borders the constellations Orion, Unicorn, Canis Minor, and Hare.
The constellation Canis Major was first discovered by Ptolemy in the second century.
There is a myth according to which the Great Dog used to be Lelap. It was a very fast dog that could catch up with any prey. One day he chased a fox, which was not inferior to him in speed. The outcome of the race was a foregone conclusion, and Zeus turned both animals to stone. He placed the dog in heaven.
The constellation Canis Major is very visible in winter. The brightest star not only of this, but also of all other constellations is Sirius. It has a bluish luster and is located quite close to Earth, at a distance of 8.6 light years. In terms of brightness in our solar system, it is surpassed by Jupiter, Venus, and the Moon. Light from Sirius takes 9 years to reach Earth and is 24 times stronger than the sun. This star has a satellite called "Puppy".
The formation of such a concept as “Holidays” is associated with Sirius. The fact is that this star appeared in the sky during the summer heat. Since Sirius is translated from Greek as “canis,” the Greeks began to call this period vacation.
Constellation Canis Minor
Canis Minor borders on such constellations as: Unicorn, Hydra, Cancer, Gemini. This constellation represents an animal that, together with Big Dog follows the hunter Orion.
The history of the formation of this constellation, if we rely on myths, is very interesting. According to them, Canis Minor is Mera, the dog of Icaria. This man was taught how to make wine by Dionysus and the drink turned out to be very strong. One day his guests decided that Ikaria had decided to poison them and killed him. The mayor was very sad for his owner and soon died. Zeus placed it in the form of a constellation in the starry sky.
This constellation is best observed in January and February.
The brightest stars in this constellation are Porcyon and Gomeisa. Porcyon is located 11.4 light years from Earth. It is somewhat brighter and hotter than the Sun, but physically differs little from it.
Gomeiza is visible to the naked eye and glows with a blue-white light.
Constellation Ursa Major
Ursa Major, shaped like a ladle, is one of the three largest constellations. It is mentioned in the writings of Homer and in the Bible. This constellation is very well studied and has great significance in many religions.
It borders with such constellations as: Waterfall, Leo, Canes Venatici, Dragon, Lynx.
According to ancient Greek myths, the Big Dipper is associated with Callisto, a beautiful nymph and lover of Zeus. His wife Hera turned Callisto into a bear as punishment. One day, this bear came across Hera and her son, Arcas, with Zeus in the forest. To avoid tragedy, Zeus turned his son and nymph into constellations.
The big ladle is formed by seven stars. The most striking of them are three: Dubhe, Alkaid, Aliot.
Dubhe is a red giant and points to the North Star. It is located 120 light years from Earth.
Alkaid, the third brightest star in the constellation, expresses the end of the tail of Ursa Major. It is located 100 light years away from Earth.
Alioth is the brightest star in the constellation. She represents the tail. Because of its brightness, it is used in navigation. Alioth shines 108 times brighter than the Sun.
These constellations are the brightest and most beautiful in the northern hemisphere. They can be perfectly seen with the naked eye on an autumn or frosty winter night. The legends of their formation allow your imagination to run wild and imagine how the mighty hunter Orion, together with his faithful dogs runs after the prey, and Taurus and Ursa Major watch him carefully.
Russia is located in the northern hemisphere, and in this part of the sky we are able to see only a few of all the constellations existing in the sky. Depending on the time of year, only their position in the sky changes.
December is the darkest month of the year. The nights in December are so long that in the sky you can see constellations of all seasons if you wish! So, in the early evening in the west you can observe those constellations that are usually considered summer constellations. But they are visible in the east in the morning!
I see, yes, why? The earth rotates on its axis, and we, observers, rotate with it. But it seems to us that we are at rest, but the dome of the sky rotates along with all the stars and planets, the Moon and even the Sun. During a long December night, the dome manages to rotate two-thirds of a revolution (and in the north of Russia there is practically no light at all!), and during this time the picture of the constellations changes very much.
Therefore, to describe the starry sky in December, it makes sense to divide it into evening, night and morning.
Evening starry sky in December
On early evenings in December, three bright stars in the southwest form a large triangle. They are located where the dawn burns out. This Vega, Deneb And Altair, three summer stars; the triangle formed by these stars is called summer or summer-autumn.
Starry sky in December, direction west. The main figure here is the Summer Triangle. Pattern: Stellarium
The sky in the direction of the south and southeast is occupied by autumn constellations. There are no bright stars in this part of the sky, with the exception of the star Fomalhaut, which, however, is observed only in the south of Russia (low above the horizon). But there are bright and expressive constellations among those that are commonly called autumn.
Constellations especially stand out Pegasus And Andromeda. Pegasus stars form in the sky big square, which is located high above the southern horizon on December evenings. The Andromeda star chain of three stars extends from the upper left corner of the square to the east. Together Andromeda and Pegasus form something similar to giant ladle with handle.
December sky in the evening in a southerly direction. In 2018, pay attention to the bright planet Mars, which is located in the constellation Aquarius. Pattern: Stellarium
Above the Andromeda chain of stars, at the zenith, there are five fairly bright stars forming the Latin letter W. This is a constellation Cassiopeia.
A sharp triangle of 4th magnitude stars is visible just below Andromeda. You won't believe it, but this constellation is called Triangle! And two stars of medium brightness, which are located directly below the Triangle, form the pattern of the constellation Aries. Aries- a fairly large constellation, but consisting of dim stars. They are scattered rather randomly around these two stars and are very poorly visible in the city sky.
Other autumn constellations in the city are practically invisible. To see the constellations of Cetus, Pisces, Aquarius and Capricorn - to see exactly the constellations, and not individual stars - you need to get out of the city, to a place where street light and glow from cities and other populated areas do not interfere. However, in December 2018, one bright “star” was still present in this area of the sky - this the planet Mars. You can easily recognize it by its characteristic reddish color.
If we look east on a December evening, we will see the winter constellations rising.
The constellations Auriga, Taurus and Perseus are in the east on December evenings. Pattern: Stellarium
In the early evening a bright star attracts attention Chapel, leading the constellation Charioteer. The main design of this constellation is an irregular quadrangle, the upper right corner of which is Capella. Notice the sharp isosceles triangle just below this star. Two of them are outstanding variable stars, epsilon And Zeta Aurigae, the study of which, even by amateur means, is of enormous interest.
Between the Capella and the "handle" of Andromeda there is a constellation Perseus, looks like an upside down letter U(or Y if you prefer). In the center of the figure is the brightest star Perseus, Mirfak, which simultaneously lies on the continuation of the chain of Andromeda stars. And at the right top of the inverted letter Y is the famous variable star Algol, the “star of the devil.”
Under the constellation Perseus, low above the horizon is observed Taurus constellation. The brightest star of Taurus, Aldebaran, has a distinct reddish tint; low above the horizon it often flickers and shimmers in different colors. To the right and above Aldebaran is the Pleiades bucket, which in the city is often observed as a hazy oblong cluster of dim stars.
Finally the northern sky is occupied Big And Ursa Minor. The main drawing of the Big Dipper, called the Big Dipper, I have no doubt, is well known to you. Keep in mind that it is only a small part of a vast constellation that extends to the right of the bucket and down almost to the horizon.
The constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor are observed in December evenings in the northern sky. Pattern: Stellarium
Ursa Minor, on the contrary, the constellation is small and compact, almost entirely limited by the Little Dipper. Four of the seven stars of the Little Dipper are so dim that they are almost never visible in the sky of large cities. For observation, there are two stars that form the front wall of the Small Dipper, called the Guardians of the Pole, and the famous Polaris, which is known for the fact that it always remains in the same place, regardless of the time of day or season.
Finding the North Star is easy using the stars of the Big Dipper.
Starry sky in December at night
By midnight, the starry sky in December is transformed. The summer constellations disappeared behind the horizon; in the west, their place was taken by the constellations of the autumn sky - Pegasus, Pisces and Aquarius.
The chain of Andromeda stars is still observed high above the southwestern horizon, but it is no longer in a horizontal position, as it was in the evening, but at an angle. Pegasus Square also slopes towards the horizon.
Starry sky in December around midnight. Direction west. Pattern: Stellarium
The place of autumn constellations in the south was taken by Taurus, Auriga and Perseus. The last two constellations are almost at the zenith at night. Faint stars of the constellation are visible near the horizon Eridani.
Bright seven star Orion observed in the southeast; beneath it the brightest star of the night sky flickers and, quite possibly, shimmers in different colors, Sirius. Twins And Small Dog limit the brilliant picture of winter constellations from the east.
Starry sky in December. Heading south. Pattern: Stellarium
I don’t know the sky of the southern hemisphere of the Earth very well, but in our northern sky there is nothing similar to the sector of winter constellations in its beauty and expressiveness!
Big Dipper, which was strictly in the north in the evening, by midnight moves to the northeast and rises in the sky. At the same time he leans over- with the bucket up and the handle down. Below it - a little to the west - spring rises Leo constellation, the most characteristic pattern of which is large trapezoid of four stars.
In December, around midnight, the constellation Leo rises in the east. Pattern: Stellarium
The northern side of the sky is occupied by the constellation Dragon, above which the same Small Bucket is located.
Morning starry sky in December
How does the December starry sky change at dawn?
The picture of the winter sky, so bright and beautiful, almost completely disappeared beyond the horizon in the west. Of all the winter constellations, only Perseus, Auriga, Gemini and Canis Minor remain. From the constellation Orion, only the northern star Betelgeuse remains, but even that one is close to sunset.
In the predawn sky in December, the classic winter constellations are far to the west. Pattern: Stellarium
The south of the sky is occupied by the dim and completely inexpressive spring constellations of Cancer, Hydra, Chalice, Sextant... Against their background, the trapezoid of Leo, which itself is also not very bright, literally catches the eye. This is the main drawing of the spring starry sky.
There are two bright stars in the southeast - Arcturus And Spica, leading constellations Bootes and Virgo. In 2018, near Spica is located very bright planet Venus.
Starry sky in December before dawn. Direction east. Pattern: Stellarium
The summer constellations, Hercules, Serpent and Ophiuchus, Lyra and Cygnus, rise in the east and northeast. The Big Dipper's bucket is at its zenith.
Where is Ursa Minor? Yes, it’s all there, in the north! The North Star takes its place, practically without moving, and all the other stars of Ursa Minor, including the Guardians of the Pole, make such small circles around it that they can be easily found if you just look north.
The area of sky between the constellation Ursa Minor and the horizon is occupied by constellation Cepheus, consisting of an irregular quadrangle and an asterisk above it, forming a pointed roof for the house. On the left, adjacent to Cepheus is the already familiar constellation Cassiopeia in the form of the Latin letter W.
Morning starry sky in December. Direction north. Pattern: Stellarium
We briefly ran through the starry sky of December. The pictures we describe will be observed every December - in a year, two, ten and even a hundred years. The only changes that will occur to her are related to the Moon and planets. In 2018, Venus attracts attention in the morning sky of December, the brightest celestial body after the Sun and Moon. Reddish Mars is visible in the evening sky. In subsequent years, the configuration of the planets will be different, and this may create a little confusion in the picture of the starry sky - but only if you are not at all oriented among the constellations.
Post Views: 4,536
No, Pegasus and Andromeda, Aries and Perseus are still perfectly visible in the evenings. Moreover, they can be observed in the sky until spring, but every day they will set behind the horizon earlier and earlier until they disappear in the rays of the evening dawn.
Already now, by midnight, their place is taken by the bright winter constellations: Taurus, Auriga, Orion, Gemini and Canis Major. The first two of the mentioned constellations appear in the sky before anyone else. Already two hours after sunset, Taurus and Auriga are clearly visible in the east. By 20 o'clock the constellations of Orion and Gemini rise above the horizon. Finally, two hours before midnight, Sirius appears in the southeast - the brightest star in the night sky, leading the constellation Canis Major.
The first of the winter constellations to appear above the horizon are Taurus and Auriga, visible in the early evening in late November far to the east. Drawing: Stellarium
The appearance of the November sky in the early evening and at midnight is very different. The main star pattern that is visible in the south at dusk is giant bucket, consisting of the Pegasus Square and the handle formed by the stars of Andromeda. At midnight the main figure in the sky is Orion. The figure of the legendary hunter is decorated with the red star Betelgeuse in the north and the blue Rigel in the south. Three bright stars of Orion's Belt are compactly located between them. This constellation is memorable at first sight.
But if only Orion were alone in the sky! After all, it is still surrounded by five bright stars! They all belong to different constellations. Above Orion the yellow Capella from the constellation Auriga sparkles, on the right is the orange Aldebaran, also known as Alpha Taurus, and under Orion, low above the horizon, the Sirius diamond shimmers and shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow. Yellowish Procyon, the brightest and perhaps the only noticeable star from the constellation Canis Minor, is visible to the right of Orion. And halfway between Procyon and Capella, to the left and above Betelgeuse, there is the orange star Pollux - one of two stars symbolizing brothers from the constellation Gemini (Castor is located nearby).
At the end of November, by midnight, all the main winter constellations are visible in the southern sky. Drawing: Stellarium
This part of the sky is filled with bright stars for a reason. Looking at the winter constellations, we simultaneously look at the Milky Way, that is, at the densest regions of our galaxy, called galactic disk. In the region of the Milky Way, there is an increased concentration of interstellar hydrogen clouds, in which new generations of stars are being born. The brightest of these very young stars rule the roost in the winter sky. Hot giant stars are far away, but clearly visible due to their incredibly high luminosity. These are, in particular, all the stars that form the figure of Orion. Even the red supergiant Betelgeuse, although “near death” from an evolutionary point of view, is actually much younger than the Sun.
Constellation of brightly shining stars, Orion is one of the most recognizable constellations in Earth's night sky. The color of the stars is clearly visible in the image: while most of the stars that form the figure of the legendary hunter are white or blue, Betelgeuse is distinctly red. © Brendan Alexander
The Milky Way passes through the constellations Auriga, Taurus, Orion and Monoceros, but many city residents do not even suspect that the Milky Way can be seen in winter! The reason is that in the direction of the winter constellations the foggy path is not nearly as bright as in the directions of the constellations Cygnus, Aquila and Sagittarius (it is in the direction of these constellations that we look when we admire the Milky Way in late summer and early autumn). Looking at the winter constellations, we turn our gaze in the opposite direction from the center of the Galaxy, towards its outskirts - that is why the Milky Way is not so bright here. Still, be sure to wander around these places with good binoculars. How many star clusters and nebulae will you meet on your way!
Report for the speech
at the regional educational and scientific conference
"Start in Science"
on the topic: “Constellations of the winter sky”
Completed by: Lyubashin Alexander
student 2 "B" class
Municipal educational institution "Lyceum No. 50"
Head: Maslova T.V.
Saratov, 2012.
Introduction.
What is a star? Types of stars.
Constellations. What is this?
Constellations of the winter sky.
Interesting facts about stars.
Part 2. My observations.
2.1. Experiments.
2.2. Practical observations.
Part 3. My conclusions.
Conclusion.
Introduction.
(Slide 1.) In all centuries, people have been interested in the sky. Once during the holidays, in the village, on a warm summer evening, I looked at the sky for a long time. There were many stars on it. I wanted to reach them with my hand. Dad and Mom showed me the constellation Ursa Major and the Milky Way, the North Star. And on New Year's Eve, my parents drew my attention to the beauty of the winter sky. Indeed, in winter the stars seemed very bright, beautiful, and expressive to me. Since then, I liked watching the beauty of the starry sky and wanted to learn a lot of interesting things from this area.
(Slide 2.) I set myself a plan for my research:
Part 1. Study of textbooks, books and encyclopedias.
What is a star? Types of stars.
Constellations. What is this?
Constellations of the winter sky.
Interesting facts about stars.
Part 2. My observations.
2.1. Experiments.
2.2. Practical observations.
My conclusions.
( Slide 3.) What is a star?
In the lessons of the surrounding world, I learned that a star is a celestial body consisting of gas with a very high temperature. For example, the temperature of the Sun is about 15,000,000 (fifteen million) degrees.
(Slide 4.) Types of stars?
Stars come in different sizes: dwarfs, giants and supergiants. One of the largest known stars is Betelgeuse.
Its size is more than a billion kilometers - that's a thousand times larger than our Sun. The smallest star is about a hundred times smaller than the Sun.
(Slide 5.) Constellations. What is this?
The stars that we see on clear nights form certain figures in the sky that we call constellations. Even ancient astronomers paid attention to this and gave mythological names to the star figures.
(Slide 6.) Constellationswinter sky.
Due to the movement of the Earth around the Sun, the celestial sphere looks different at different times of the year. The starry sky is perhaps never as beautiful as in winter. At this time of year, perhaps the most expressive constellations shine in the sky. It is decorated with the most bright stars. These are the ones I want to talk about.
(Slide 7.) Constellation Canis Major.
Orion's belt-
Three stars diagonally
If you go to the left,
Miracle - you will find SIRIUS!
He is beautiful, no doubt!
So that this diamond is priceless
The evil thief did not take it away,
The watchman here is a HUGE DOG!
SMALLER DOG - a little taller
He went out on guard duty in heaven.
(Slide 8.) Constellation Orion.
Not afraid of winter and cold,
Having belted myself tighter,
Equipped for hunting
ORION performs
Two stars from the major leagues
IN ORION - this is RIGEL
In the lower right corner,
Like a bow on a shoe.
And on the left epaulette -
BETELGEUSE is shining brightly.
Three stars diagonally
Decorate the belt.
This belt is like a hint.
He is a heavenly pointer.
If you go to the left,
You will find the miracle SIRIUS.
And from the right end
Path to the constellation TAURUS
He points straight
Into the red eye of ALDEBARAN.
The HARE jumped out with acceleration
Right at the feet of ORION!
ORION is not dangerous -
He's targeting Taurus!
(Slide 9.) Taurus constellation.
Orion's belt -
Three stars diagonally
And from the right end -
The path to the constellation TAURUS -
He points straight
Into the red eye
ALDEBARANA.
The bull is well-fed and horned.
The right horn crowns the NAT,
And his nose is burning
Two hundred small GIADs.
Above the scruff of this mascara
Seven crystal flies hover.
We are glad to introduce you
With the PLEIADES cluster.
(Slide 10.) Constellation Geminis.
GEMINI - two true friends
They walk side by side in a circle.
How similar their figures are!
These are the Dioscuri Brothers.
CASTOR - once and
POLLUX – two!
Their friendship is praised by word of mouth!
(Slide 11.) Constellation Auriga.
Can you hear the sound in the heights?
Then the ringing sound of hoofs!
The goat walks boldly
And her name is CAPELLA.
Little goats hurry after her,
Stepping on her heels.
Take a closer look
And count: one, two, three!
And their owner is the CHARAITER
And smart and energetic,
Because all year round
He drinks fresh milk.
(Slide 12.) Constellation Cancer.
Two brave TWINS
A messenger was sent to LION:
“We send our respects to the King of Beasts!
We are looking forward to your visit in January!”
The messenger hastened to go,
True, backwards.
To deliver the letter on time
Crawling all the time to the east,
But I couldn’t make it in time,
After all, this messenger is CANCER!
Interestingfacts about stars.
(Slide 13) I learned that the constellation Ursa Major is featured on the Alaska flag.
And Sirius, together with the four bright stars of the constellation Canis Major, is depicted on the flag of Brazil.
Astronomers have shattered our usual idea of stars as hot objects by discovering a star that is at room temperature. Only 30 degrees. The star belongs to the class of brown dwarfs and is 63 light years away from Earth.
Did you know that without equipment, you can see and count about 5,000 stars in the entire sky. If you arm yourself with modern technology, more than two billion can be observed. However, scientists estimate that there are approximately 150 billion stars in our Galaxy.
(Slide 14). Did you know that the smallest known star is Kuiper. However, size does not prevent Keiper from being unusually heavy. A liter of the substance of this star is equal to the load of 12 railway freight trains, which is about 36 thousand tons. If a match were made from this substance, it would weigh six tons.
(Slide 15). Did you know that the brightest star in our sky is Sirius. Because it is so bright, we can see Sirius, although the distance between it and the Earth is 83 trillion kilometers.
(Slide 16). Did you know that Alpha, a star from the constellation Hercules, is the largest star discovered to date. In diameter it is 200 thousand times larger than the Sun. It would take 800 thousand years to fly along Alpha's equator in a jet plane. Alpha is so far from Earth that, flying at a speed of 300 thousand kilometers per second, a beam of light covers this distance in 1200 years.
My observations.
Using the knowledge I gained, I decided to put it into practice.
On the advice of my class teacher, I conducted the “Day Stars” experiment, which showed that the stars shine constantly.
(Slide 17). For the experiment, I prepared three sheets of thick paper: two white, and one sheet I painted with black paint, leaving small spots unpainted, previously applied with a simple pencil - these are “stars”.
(Slide 18). I placed the painted sheet between two white sheets and pointed a table lamp at the top sheet, which imitated the sun. The leaf remained white. Then I covered the table lamp with the same sheets, and the “stars” began to glow on the white sheet.
Explanation. In a lit room, light passes through unpainted spots on a sheet of paper, regardless of where the lamp is located, but they become visible only when the spots, thanks to the light passing through them, begin to stand out against a darker background. The same thing happens with stars. During the day they also shine, but the sky becomes so bright due to sunlight that the light of the stars is obscured.
(Slide 19). With the help of my parents, I made a model of the winter starry sky.
(Slide 20). On the model you can study the location of stars and constellations visible in the sky in winter, their names, the movement of stars and their position at different times of the day.
(Slide 21). Also, I go with my parents to watch the starry sky at different times of the day.
(Slide 22.) INconclusions
Having become interested in the starry sky, I learned that there is a whole science about stars, constellations and celestial bodies - astronomy.
Astronomy not only reveals the structure of the world outside planet Earth, but also helps a person navigate time and space, as well as predict the weather.
Astronomy is a very interesting science, but complex; to study and understand it, you will need to study sciences such as mathematics, physics and chemistry well.
List of sources used.
1. Janice Vancleave. Experiments in astronomy.
2. Dubkova S.I. Walking in the sky. Legends about myths and constellations: a children's encyclopedia.
3. E.P. Levitan. Kids about stars and planets.
4. Lyubov Talimonova. Tales of constellations.
5. Erich Ubelakker. Constellations. Encyclopedia for children.
