COMMON STARS AND CONSTELLATIONS

• Polaris


  The tip of Little Dipper's "handle"

  • north star
• Sirius


  "Dog Star"

  • brightest star in the night sky
• Ursa Major


  "Big Bear"

  • contains the Big Dipper
• Ursa Minor


  "Little Bear"

  • contains the Little Dipper
• Canis Major


  "Big Dog"

  • contains Sirius
• Canis Minor


  "Little Dog"
• Orion


  "The Hunter"
• Tres Marias/Three Marias


  Form the belt of the constellation Orion
• Proxima Centauri


  Closest star to Earth but too small to be seen in night sky.
• Alpha Centauri


  Closest star to the Earth that is visible in the night sky.
• Pegasus


  "The Winged Horse"
• Light Year

  • the distance light travels in one year
• Milky Way

  • the galaxy where the solar system belongs in
• Supernova

  • explosion of a big star
• Black Hole

  • areas in space with a very strong gravitational field that even light can't escape