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
   • Pisces: Earth's spin points at it
   • Virgo: it sits behind the Sun
   • 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.

   • Virgo is up; Pisces is hidden by daylight
   • Both are up through the whole night
   • Both are hidden: their stars stop in March
   • Pisces is up; Virgo 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 10:04 p.m.
   • About 9:32 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 30 minutes earlier
   • About 2 hours later
   • About 2 hours earlier
   • 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 8 p.m. again
   • About 7:56 p.m.
   • About 10 p.m.
   • About 6 p.m.
9. 7.

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

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

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

    • It shines brighter, so it cannot set
    • Its stars travel faster than Orion's
    • Earth's orbit holds it up through the night
    • It circles Polaris and stays above the horizon
11. 9.

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

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

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