Constellations and the changing night sky

Grade 6 Science Worksheet

Circle the best answer.

1. 1.

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

   • Rising up from the western horizon
   • Higher, then sinking toward the west
   • Sinking back down in the east
   • In the same spot until dawn
2. 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 15°
   • About 1°
   • About 360°
   • About 24°
3. 3.

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

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

4. Read this first

   Use this

   not to scale

6. 4.

   Using the orbit diagram, in which month is Scorpius high in the midnight sky, Jun?

   • June (position D)
   • December (position B)
   • March (position C)
   • September (position A)
7. 5.

   Using the orbit diagram, in which season do evening skies over the US show Orion best, Luz?

   Use the picture in question 4.

   • Summer
   • Winter
   • Late spring
   • Midsummer, near noon
8. 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 50° above the horizon
   • On the horizon, at 0°
   • About 40° above the horizon
   • About 90°, straight overhead

9. 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.

10. 7.

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

    • It drifts away from Polaris toward the south
    • It moves just once a year, with Earth's orbit
    • It circles around Polaris
    • It stays in one spot above Polaris
11. 8.

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

    • Pisces is on the Sun's side, in the daytime sky
    • Pisces moved farther from Earth
    • Pisces stops shining in March
    • Earth's spin keeps Pisces below the horizon through spring
12. 9.

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

    • The stars moved away
    • The stars themselves are slowly dimming
    • Light pollution from outdoor lights
    • Earth's orbit
13. 10.

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

    • No: Orion is in the daytime sky then
    • Yes: Orion shows each midnight of the year
    • No: Orion's stars burned out
    • Yes: it is high in the south