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Article: Constellations.(facts about constellations)
- Article from:
- Science Weekly
- Article date:
- March 8, 1995
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1995 Science Weekly, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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For thousands of years people have looked at the night sky. They saw many patterns when they looked at the stars. We call these special star shapes constellations. There are 88 different constellations recognized by astronomers all over the world. Many of the constellations got their names from old stories and legends. They are also named for animals and other objects found on Earth.
The Light from Stars
Each star in a constellation gives off its own light, unlike planets and comets which just reflect the Sun's light. Stars shine all the time. We can't see them during the day, because the Sun's bright light blocks them from view. Stars are extremely far from ...