Constellations have imaginary boundaries formed by “connecting the dots” and all the stars within those boundaries are labeled with the name of that constellation. However, keep in mind that constellations are not real objects; they are just patterns as seen from our observation point on Earth.
However, keep in mind that constellations are not real objects; they are just patterns as seen from our observation point on Earth. The patterns we see are for the most part just by chance. The individual stars in a constellation may appear to be very close to each other, but in fact they can be separated by huge distances in space.
When do constellations appear?
Each constellation is best seen in the evening sky at a certain time of year, whether it only briefly shows up above the horizon or it is visible throughout the year from a certain location. Below is the list of constellations visible at 9 pm each month. These are not all the constellations that can be seen in the evening sky at any particular time, but simply those that are best observed at the given time of year.
For every hour later than 9:00, add half of a month. For every hour before 9:00, subtract half a month. The constellations are typically visible for more than just one month, depending on where you are on the Earth. If you need to know exactly when a constellation is visible, check in a star atlas or on a planisphere.
The months listed assume that you are looking at the sky at 9:00 PM. For every hour later than 9:00, add half of a month. For every hour before 9:00, subtract half a month. The constellations are typically visible for more than just one month, depending on where you are on the Earth.
How do the constellations change from season to season?
The constellations that are visible in the night sky in the evening change from season to season because stars appear to move by 90 degrees across the sky every three months.
What are constellations and why do we see them?
Constellations are groups of stars. The constellations you can see at night depend on your location on Earth and the time of year. Constellations were named after objects, animals, and people long ago. Astronomers today still use constellations to name stars and meteor showers.
One of the next things we asked ourselves was what is the purpose of the constellations?
The constellations are totally imaginary things that poets, farmers and astronomers have made up over the past 6,000 years (and probably even more!). The real purpose for the constellations is to help us tell which stars are which, nothing more. On a really dark night, you can see about 1000 to 1500 stars.
How close are stars in a constellation to each other?
The individual stars in a constellation may appear to be very close to each other, but in fact they can be separated by huge distances in space and have no real connection to each other at all. For example, look at the image below of the stars which make up the constellation Orion.