Constellations for Kids | Learn about the types of constellations, their names, and how to find them

**Constellations**

There are more than 300 billion stars in the Milky Way Galaxy, which is the galaxy where our solar system is located. Our solar system consists of space rocks, planets, the sun, the moon, and of course, Earth. Interestingly, the Milky Way is just one of about 100 billion galaxies! If we combine all those galaxies, there would be trillions of stars throughout the universe. That’s a lot of stars!

Amazingly, out of all those trillions of stars, when you look up at the night sky, you can only see about 4,500 of them. You are witnessing only a tiny fraction of how many stars are truly out there. What’s remarkable is that each star is unique. Some stars may have their own systems of planets, some are older than others, and some may no longer exist, but their light continues to travel toward Earth. It may seem odd that a star’s light can still be seen after it’s gone, but stars are born, they live, and eventually, they die, just like us. After they die, their light continues to travel throughout the universe. By the time its light reaches us, a star might have been dead for thousands of years.

There are people who study space, stars, and the universe for their jobs. These individuals are called astronomers. The earliest astronomers noticed that many of the brightest stars in our galaxy formed pictures in the sky, which they called constellations. Similar to “connect-the-dots” pictures, when the twinkling stars are connected, they form a constellation. The constellations depict shapes of people, animals, and mythological beings. The word “mythological” comes from the word “myth,” which refers to a made-up story. The Greeks and Romans created stories about gods, heroes, and creatures, such as serpents, dragons, or flying horses, and named various constellations after them.

Let’s take a closer look at a few constellations that might be familiar to you. As you observe these constellations, you may notice that some are easier to see than others. Sometimes the images are just a series of straight lines in a special pattern that may not look exactly like a person, animal, or mythological being. Many of the constellations require you to use your imagination to see the image they create.

See if you recognize any of these constellations:

– **Hercules** is one of the largest constellations, but its stars aren’t very bright. Hercules is a hero from Greek mythology, said to be very brave. This constellation represents Hercules, who became a god after his death.

– **Orion** mainly consists of supergiant stars, which are the largest and brightest stars. Three of these stars form a line called Orion’s Belt, leading to Sirius, the brightest star in the sky. Orion can be seen from both the Southern and Northern Hemispheres. In Greek mythology, Orion was a giant and a skilled hunter, placed among the stars by Zeus after his death. Orion appears to be defending himself from a nearby constellation called **Taurus the Bull**, holding a club in one hand and a lion pelt in the other.

– **Pegasus** is a constellation in the northern sky. In Greek mythology, Pegasus is a magical horse with wings. One story says that his hooves dug out a spring, and anyone who drank from it was gifted with the ability to write poetry.

– **Draco**, which means “dragon” in Latin, resembles a large snake winding through the Northern sky. It can be seen all year from the Northern Hemisphere. One common myth about Draco is that it was tasked with guarding golden apples for Hera, the wife of Zeus, but was slain by Hercules to obtain them. Hera was so saddened by Draco’s death that she placed him in the sky.

– **Aquarius** is another large constellation with stars that aren’t very bright. It is visible from either the Southern or Northern Hemispheres during different months of the year. The myth related to Aquarius is about a man named Ganymede, who was very handsome. Zeus noticed him and sent his messenger to invite Ganymede to Mount Olympus to serve the gods by bringing them water. Ganymede obeyed, and Zeus honored him by placing a constellation of him in the sky. Aquarius means “water carrier,” depicting Ganymede kneeling and pouring water from a pitcher.

– **Ursa Major** means “great bear.” You may have heard of a smaller section of it called “the Big Dipper,” which is a group of stars within Ursa Major. The Big Dipper forms part of the bear’s back and tail. The story of the Great Bear is that Zeus transformed a beautiful woman named Callisto into a bear to hide her from his wife.

– **Ursa Minor**, known as “little bear,” is the child of Great Bear. The Little Dipper is part of Ursa Minor.

There are twelve other constellations known as the signs of the Zodiac, which represent all the dates in a calendar year. Your birthday determines your zodiac sign. Some people believe that the different signs of the zodiac can reveal your talents and personality traits, indicating whether you are shy or outgoing, laid-back or serious. Others believe the signs can predict aspects of your life and future.

Here are the names of the 12 zodiac constellations: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces.

Constellations can be very useful. They have helped ancient farmers know when to plant and harvest crops and served as a type of calendar in the sky. Many travelers relied on stars like Polaris, the North Star, and various constellations to guide them on their journeys. Today, modern astronomers and stargazers use constellations to help track specific stars and locate other celestial objects, such as galaxies.

In 1922, the sky was divided into 88 different constellations, but not all are as well-known as others. Many constellations may be visible in the Northern Hemisphere but not in the Southern Hemisphere, and some may be easier to locate depending on the time of year. The next time you are outside, look up at the stars and see which constellations you can identify.