How to Spot Your Favorite Constellations
Special | 2m 21sVideo has Closed Captions
Dive into the mesmerizing world of constellations with our latest video!
Dive into the mesmerizing world of constellations with our latest video! Since prehistoric times, people have used constellations to orient themselves. Star Gazers host Trace Dominguez tells us about the history of constellations and why astronomers still study these unique patterns in our night sky.
Star Gazers is presented by your local public television station.
Funding provided by The Batchelor Foundation and The William J. & Tina Rosenberg Foundation
How to Spot Your Favorite Constellations
Special | 2m 21sVideo has Closed Captions
Dive into the mesmerizing world of constellations with our latest video! Since prehistoric times, people have used constellations to orient themselves. Star Gazers host Trace Dominguez tells us about the history of constellations and why astronomers still study these unique patterns in our night sky.
How to Watch Star Gazers
Star Gazers is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV, Android TV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio.
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipshape or an object assigned by humans.
Since# prehistoric times, humans have been using the## stars to help navigate and find their way# across the Earth.
The first evidence that## shows constellations were being used in this# way is from 17,000-year-old cave art.
Many## different ancient cultural groups have defined# constellations in their own way throughout time;## however, modern constellations, they come from# ancient Greek sources.
The 88 constellations## in our sky were formally established by the# International Astronomical Union 100 years## ago.
Standard constellations, they're like a shared# language.
It makes astronomical observations and## identifications so much easier.
For example,# the super massive black hole in the middle## of our galaxy.
It's called Sagittarius A star, which means when you look in the sky, you can## find its position by looking in the boundaries# of the constellation Sagittarius.
Overall, while## constellations aren't as useful for night# sky navigation as they were in ancient times,## they're still an important part of astronomy.
Not# to mention, knowing which ar If you're interested in seeing# different constellations in the night sky,## there are a couple of tips to factor in.
First,# the constellat the time of the year because Earth is in a# different spot in its orbit throughout the## year, so the stars are going to move slightly# west every night.
Also, where you are on the## planet matters too.
Since the Earth is tilted# a bit, those who are in the Northern Hemisphere## are going to get a slightly different view of# the stars than those who live in the Southern#Hemisphere.
In the northern sky, many people use# the North Star to orient themselves, known as## Polaris.
You can find it using the Big Dipper,# but fun fact, the Big Dipper not actually a## constellation.
It's an asterism.
Asterisms are# also patterns of stars, but they're usually## smaller than constellations and take up parts# of them.
They aren't recognized as one of the## 88 constellations.
The Big Dipper is actually# part of the constellation, Ursa Major the Great#Bear.
After orienting yourself under the night# sky, you can find your favorite constellations## and you can really get stargazing.
If you want# more tips and tricks on what to look for whe stargazing, check out our weekly Star Gazers# videos and as always, keep looking up!## For more Star Gazers, click the video below.
Don't# leave me hanging.
Come on, click it, click it.
Star Gazers is presented by your local public television station.
Funding provided by The Batchelor Foundation and The William J. & Tina Rosenberg Foundation