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?

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

   “not to scale” Using the orbit diagram, in which month is Scorpius high in the midnight sky, Jun?

   • December (position B)
   • June (position D)
   • March (position C)
   • September (position A)
4. 4.

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

   • One of them stops shining
   • They orbit each other
   • Earth's spin changes their shapes each night
   • They sit on opposite sides of the sky
5. 5.

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

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

6. 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.

7. 6.

   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 circles around Polaris
   • It stays in one spot above Polaris
   • It moves just once a year, with Earth's orbit
8. 7.

   Pia's pen pal lives in Australia, south of the equator. Why can't the pen pal see Polaris?

   • Polaris stops shining over Australia
   • Polaris is below the horizon there
   • Earth's orbit hides it there
   • Polaris moves south for their summer
9. 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
   • Earth's spin keeps Pisces below the horizon through spring
   • Pisces moved farther from Earth
   • Pisces stops shining in March
10. 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
    • Earth's orbit
    • The stars themselves are slowly dimming
    • Light pollution from outdoor lights
11. 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
    • Yes: it is high in the south
    • No: Orion's stars burned out