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6th grade Constellations and the changing night sky worksheet

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Constellations and the changing night sky

Grade 6 Science Worksheet

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

  1. At 9 p.m., Orion is low in the east on Ari's chart. Where will it be later that night?

    • Sinking back down in the east
    • In the same spot until dawn
    • Higher, then sinking toward the west
    • Rising up from the western horizon

  2. The sky seems to make one full turn, 360°, in about 24 hours. About how far does it turn in 1 hour, Bo?

    • About 24°
    • About 1°
    • About 360°
    • About 15°

  3. A star rises due east at 8 p.m. Where will Esme find it about 6 hours later?

    • Still low in the east
    • Highest in the south, heading west
    • Setting back into the east
    • Rising in the west

  4. Kira reads that Orion and Scorpius are never up at the same time from the mid-northern US. Why not?

    • They sit on opposite sides of the sky
    • One of them stops shining
    • They orbit each other
    • Earth's spin changes their shapes each night

  5. “not to scale” Using the orbit diagram, in which season do evening skies over the US show Orion best, Luz?

    • Winter
    • Midsummer, near noon
    • Summer
    • Late spring

  6. The height of Polaris above the horizon equals your latitude. In a town at about 40° north, how high does Milo see Polaris?

    • About 40° above the horizon
    • On the horizon, at 0°
    • About 90°, straight overhead
    • About 50° above the horizon

  7. Read this first

    Use this

    Star chart (dot-and-line), Northern Hemisphere, facing north. Seven dots joined by lines make the Big Dipper, part of Ursa Major: four stars form the bowl and three form the handle. The two outer bowl stars are labeled Merak (bottom) and Dubhe (top). A dashed line from Merak through Dubhe reaches a star labeled Polaris.

  8. At 8 p.m., the Big Dipper is above Polaris on Noah's chart. How does it move through the night?

    • It moves just once a year, with Earth's orbit
    • It circles around Polaris
    • It drifts away from Polaris toward the south
    • It stays in one spot above Polaris

  9. “not to scale” At position C (March), Ren looks for Pisces at night but cannot find it. Why?

    • Earth's spin keeps Pisces below the horizon through spring
    • Pisces is on the Sun's side, in the daytime sky
    • Pisces stops shining in March
    • Pisces moved farther from Earth

  10. Bright outdoor lights glow all night near Tala's home, and few stars show. What does the NPS say causes this?

    • Light pollution from outdoor lights
    • Earth's orbit
    • The stars moved away
    • The stars themselves are slowly dimming

  11. “not to scale” At position D (June), can Zee see Orion at midnight?

    • Yes: Orion shows each midnight of the year
    • No: Orion is in the daytime sky then
    • No: Orion's stars burned out
    • Yes: it is high in the south
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6th grade Constellations and the changing night sky worksheet – printable
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About this worksheet

Constellations and the changing night sky. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

  • I can say what a constellation is (one of 88 official patterns) and that its stars lie at very different distances.
  • I can explain nightly motion (Earth's spin: east to west, about 15° an hour, circling Polaris) and seasonal change (Earth's orbit).
  • I can use an orbit diagram to say which constellation is in the midnight sky in a given month, and why another is hidden.

Standard: none in middle school (5-ESS1-2 is the Grade 5 PE)

Words to know

constellation: A named star pattern; the IAU recognizes 88 covering the whole sky

asterism: A well-known star pattern that is not one of the 88, like the Big Dipper

Polaris: The North Star, which seems to stay still while the sky turns

circumpolar: Close enough to Polaris to circle it without setting

latitude: How far north or south of the equator you are, in degrees

Common mistakes

Your child thought the stars themselves travel across the sky. The motion we see comes from Earth spinning each day and orbiting each year. Try spinning slowly in a room and watching the walls seem to move.

Your child mixed up Earth's daily spin and its yearly orbit. The spin moves stars across one night; the orbit changes which constellations show from season to season. Try walking around a lamp while turning.

Your child thought stars we can't see have stopped shining. Stars keep shining; daylight, the Sun's glare or outdoor lights hide them. Try looking for a flashlight's beam in a bright room and a dark one.

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with constellations and the changing night sky?

Your child thought the stars themselves travel across the sky. The motion we see comes from Earth spinning each day and orbiting each year. Try spinning slowly in a room and watching the walls seem to move.

Are these 6th grade science worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions at each level are free to print, with the answer key, and no account is needed.

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