Learning Constellations

• Learning the constellations is fun and easy. Moreover, knowledge of the night sky can provide hours of enjoyment whenever you look up on a clear night.
• In the exercises below, you will learn how to use a star chart to identify the brighter stars and constellations that are visible at a given time of year.
• Once you know the basic pattern of the constellations, you can then test your knowledge of them on a simulated sky in a series of four seasonal quizzes. In these quizzes, you will be asked to point out a constellation or star. Then, by clicking on the sky map where you think the constellation or star is, you will get the name of the constellation and a picture of it.

• The exercises consist of three parts:
  1. How to use a Star Chart
  2. What the Night Sky looks like at Different Times of Year.
  3. Constellation Quizzes to test your recognition of constellations and bright stars.

• To do the exercises, click on the links above.

NOTE: These exercises are designed so you can begin to learn the constellations without having to go outside. However, once you are a little familiar with the appearance of the night sky, you should test your skills outside by looking at the real sky. The computer is no substitute for the real thing.

One caution. These exercises do not show the planets or Moon. In looking at the real sky, it will help you to know where the brighter planets are so that you don't confuse them with stars. Check with your instructor, a planetarium program, or website to learn where the planets are on a given night. Eventually, you will recognize the planets in the sky from their appearance in constellations whose pattern you know.