PencilGo

Grade 6 · Science

6th grade Constellations and the changing night sky worksheet

6 printable versionsBuilding Confidence10 questions · answer keyFree · no account

Level: Building Confidence · On Level · Challenge Me

When it’s done, scan the sheet with your phone and PencilGo marks it and picks the next one. Create a free account

Version
Print

Constellations and the changing night sky

Grade 6 Science Worksheet - Building Confidence

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

  1. Bo reads that astronomers split the whole sky into official constellations. How many does the International Astronomical Union recognize?

    • 12
    • 88
    • 7
    • 1922

  2. The stars of a constellation look close together on Esme's chart. How far apart are they really?

    • Joined by real glowing lines
    • At exactly the same distance
    • Often very far apart, at different distances
    • Touching, like beads on a string

  3. 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.

  4. The Big Dipper on Kira's chart is a famous pattern inside a larger constellation. Which constellation is it part of?

    • Orion
    • Scorpius
    • Ursa Major
    • Polaris

  5. Using the chart, which star seems to stay still while the others circle it through the night, Luz?

    • The last star of the handle
    • Polaris
    • Dubhe
    • Merak

  6. From a tent, Milo sees Orion slide from the east toward the west over one night. What causes that motion?

    • Earth spinning on its axis
    • Earth orbiting the Sun
    • The stars of Orion traveling
    • The Moon pulling the stars

  7. Noah sees different constellations on winter evenings than on summer evenings. What causes that change?

    • The stars changing places
    • Stars switching off in summer
    • Earth's trip around the Sun
    • Earth's daily spin

  8. Through one night, which way do stars in the southern sky seem to move, Pia?

    • From east to west
    • From west to east
    • Straight up from the south
    • From north to south

  9. Use this

    not to scale

  11. Using the orbit diagram, which constellation is in Ren's night sky when Earth is at position A (September)?

    • Scorpius
    • Virgo
    • Orion
    • Pisces

  12. Using the orbit diagram, which constellation fills the midnight sky when Earth is at position B (December), Tala?

    Use the picture in question 8.

    • Virgo
    • Scorpius
    • Orion
    • Pisces

  13. At position A (September), why can't Zee see Virgo at night?

    Use the picture in question 8.

    • Virgo is on the Sun's side, up in the daytime
    • Virgo's stars stop shining in September
    • Earth's spin hides Virgo for the year
    • Virgo moved to another part of space
PencilGopencilgo.com

6th grade Constellations and the changing night sky worksheet – printable
Print: 123456

About this worksheet

Constellations and the changing night sky. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

  • I can say what a constellation is (one of 88 official patterns) and that its stars lie at very different distances.
  • I can explain nightly motion (Earth's spin: east to west, about 15° an hour, circling Polaris) and seasonal change (Earth's orbit).
  • I can use an orbit diagram to say which constellation is in the midnight sky in a given month, and why another is hidden.

Standard: none in middle school (5-ESS1-2 is the Grade 5 PE)

Words to know

constellation: A named star pattern; the IAU recognizes 88 covering the whole sky

asterism: A well-known star pattern that is not one of the 88, like the Big Dipper

Polaris: The North Star, which seems to stay still while the sky turns

circumpolar: Close enough to Polaris to circle it without setting

latitude: How far north or south of the equator you are, in degrees

Common mistakes

Your child thought the stars themselves travel across the sky. The motion we see comes from Earth spinning each day and orbiting each year. Try spinning slowly in a room and watching the walls seem to move.

Your child mixed up Earth's daily spin and its yearly orbit. The spin moves stars across one night; the orbit changes which constellations show from season to season. Try walking around a lamp while turning.

Your child thought stars we can't see have stopped shining. Stars keep shining; daylight, the Sun's glare or outdoor lights hide them. Try looking for a flashlight's beam in a bright room and a dark one.

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with constellations and the changing night sky?

Your child thought the stars themselves travel across the sky. The motion we see comes from Earth spinning each day and orbiting each year. Try spinning slowly in a room and watching the walls seem to move.

Are these 6th grade science worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions at each level are free to print, with the answer key, and no account is needed.

More grade 6 science

See all grade 6 science

Every sheet you scan goes into your child’s record: dated, marked and ready for the year-end portfolio. Homeschool records

Ready for easier practice?

Print a sheet, scan it when it’s done, and PencilGo picks the next one.

Create a free account