All about stars and constellations
Did you know that every star you see in the night sky is bigger and brighter than the sun? Stars are a luminous (light, glow) sphere of plasma. There are approximately 9,096 luminous stars that are visible to the naked eye! You might think the sun is the biggest star in our solar system, Well that’s not the case! Instead it is UY Scuti. It’s radius is around 1,700 times larger than the sun.
Made of… – Stars are giant balls of hot gas mostly made of hydrogen. It is 98% hydrogen and helium but can contain small amounts of oxygen, nitrogen, carbon and iron. Stars shine by burning hydrogen into helium to them glow bright in the sky!
Types of stars – There are many types of stars like a double star, white dwarf, red giant, blue star etc. Double stars are also known as a binary star, which is the stars that appear close to each other, Hence the name double star. A red giant is a dying star in the final stages of the stellar evolution. In about five billion years, our own sun will become a red giant!
Constellations – Did you know constellations are used as landmarks in the sky? There are many types of extraordinary constellations like Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, Orion, Taurus, Scorpius, Cancer etc. Do you know the story behind Ursa Major and Ursa Minor? Well Ursa Major represents great bear and Ursa Minor represents small bear. Taurus, Scorpius and cancer represent our zodiac signs! When you were born a certain zodiac/constellation was shown, that would mean your zodiac sign.
Stars are a truly beautiful luminous sphere of plasma that glows brightly in the night sky. Stars can also come in different sizes and colours too! Constellations can be used as landmarks in the sky! Stars are amazing and interesting to learn about. You can find more information at NASA, Google and non fiction books.
Resources/Websites:
-www.nasa.gov
-www.universetoday.com
-www.nationalgeographic.com
-www.space-facts.com