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?

   • Scorpius: it is closest to Earth then
   • Virgo: it sits behind the Sun
   • Pisces: Earth's spin points at it
   • 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.

   • Scorpius
   • Orion
   • Pisces is still there
   • Virgo
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 9:56 p.m.
   • About 10:28 p.m.
   • About 10:04 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 later
   • About 2 hours earlier
   • About 4 minutes earlier
   • About 30 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 6 p.m.
   • About 7:56 p.m.
   • About 8 p.m. again
9. 7.

   Milo reads a claim: "The stars of the Big Dipper are close neighbors in space." Agree or disagree?

   • Agree: chart lines join them in space
   • Disagree: they are planets
   • Agree: they keep their shape, so they must touch
   • Disagree: they just look close from Earth
10. 8.

    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: they moved behind Earth for good
    • Disagree: Earth's spin hides them for months
    • Agree: stars rest during the summer
11. 9.

    Orion sets each night, but Cassiopeia, near Polaris, never sets for Ren in the northern US. Why?

    • It shines brighter, so it cannot set
    • Earth's orbit holds it up through the night
    • It circles Polaris and stays above the horizon
    • Its stars travel faster than Orion's
12. 10.

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

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