Constellations

                             Constellations
     A constellation is a group of stars that form a shape or pattern. Astronomers use constellations to tell which star is which. If it's really dark, we can see about 1,000 stars out in the sky. It's important for astronomers to group up the stars so that they can study them easier. 
     The constellations were named after mythological characters, animals, and people. A lot of the names were actually made by people from all over the world dating from 3000 B.C., or maybe even earlier. In the olden days, people use constellations for navigating at night or for telling the changing seasons. People in different places around the globe have different perspectives of the constellations. The constellations look differently because of Earth's rotation. Constellations are kind of like the connecting the dots game that everyone can play. 

     Due to Earth's rotation, in different times of the 12 months, different constellations appear. Our 12 zodiac signs are constellations. I think constellations originated from Babylonia. Later, Romans added on to their idea.  
     One constellation is called the Big Dipper. It's a group of 7 stars that points to the direction of Polaris, the end star of the Little Dipper.