Constellations and the changing night sky

Grade 6 Science Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Use this

   not to scale

3. 1.

   It is December (position B). At about midnight, which constellation is high in Ari's southern sky, and why?

   • Virgo: it sits behind the Sun
   • Pisces: Earth's spin points at it
   • Scorpius: it is closest to Earth then
   • Orion: Earth's night side faces it
4. 2.

   Three months after position A, Earth reaches B. Which constellation has replaced Pisces in Bo's midnight sky?

   Use the picture in question 1.

   • Pisces is still there
   • Orion
   • Virgo
   • Scorpius
5. 3.

   At position C (March), which constellation can Esme see at midnight, and which is hidden by daylight?

   Use the picture in question 1.

   • Both are hidden: their stars stop in March
   • Both are up through the whole night
   • Pisces is up; Virgo is hidden by daylight
   • Virgo is up; Pisces is hidden by daylight
6. 4.

   A star rises about 4 minutes earlier each night. Tonight it rose at 10:00 p.m. About when will it rise 7 nights from now, Jun?

   • About 9:32 p.m.
   • About 10:04 p.m.
   • About 9:56 p.m.
   • About 10:28 p.m.
7. 5.

   About 4 minutes earlier each night adds up. After about 30 nights, how much earlier does a star rise, Kira?

   • About 2 hours earlier
   • About 30 minutes earlier
   • About 2 hours later
   • About 4 minutes earlier
8. 6.

   In early December, Orion rises at about 8 p.m. (example time). About when will it rise one month later, Luz?

   • About 10 p.m.
   • About 8 p.m. again
   • About 6 p.m.
   • About 7:56 p.m.
9. 7.

   A claim says, "Constellations we can't see in summer have stopped shining." Agree or disagree, Noah?

   • Disagree: they are in the daytime sky then
   • Agree: stars rest during the summer
   • Disagree: Earth's spin hides them for months
   • Agree: they moved behind Earth for good
10. 8.

    Pia's classmate says the whole sky seems to turn each night because the stars circle Earth. Agree or disagree?

    • Disagree: the sky stays still through the night
    • Disagree: Earth's spin makes the sky seem to turn
    • Agree: the stars circle Earth each day
    • Agree: Earth's orbit turns the sky each night
11. 9.

    Every star seems to circle through the night except Polaris. Why does Polaris barely move, Tala?

    • Earth's spin axis points almost at it
    • Polaris is the nearest star to Earth
    • Polaris is the brightest star in the sky
    • Polaris travels along with Earth
12. 10.

    Zee's chart shows Altair, Deneb and Vega as the Summer Triangle, yet they belong to three constellations. What is the Summer Triangle?

    • The 89th official constellation
    • An asterism: a known pattern, not one of the 88
    • A constellation of three touching stars
    • A group of three planets