Stars+-+Constellations+&+Twinkle+CN

Getting Started

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Rubric: [[file:Space Exploration Adventure Rubric.doc]], [[file:Space Exploration Adventure Rubric.pdf]]

 * Written Information **: As you enter text, the area will expand. Make sure to check the required details of the assignment and review the rubric (see document links) to self-assess your work. Your paragraphs will be in block format, enter one return between paragraphs. The tab key, indent feature will not appear when typing directly into the wiki page.

Visuals Make sure to include the location of your image; add a caption with this information
 * [[image:http://www.enchantedlearning.com/cgifs/Cassiopeia.GIF width="233" height="172" link="@http://www.enchantedlearning.com/cgifs/Cassiopeia.GIF"]] || [[image:https://encrypted-tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ3IOogk3kWDLxgDwj0zgsxELbFwIWeyu8ndgVNXW-ycI4-k1Z_iA width="224" height="151" caption="https://encrypted-tbn0.google.com/images?"]] || [[image:http://www.starlistings.co.uk/images/starname/crux.gif width="240" height="231" caption="http://www.starlistings.co.uk/images/starname/crux.gif"]] ||
 * [[image:http://www.enchantedlearning.com/lgifs/Lupus.GIF width="234" height="168" caption="http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/activities/dots/canismajor/"]] || [[image:http://www.pa.msu.edu/people/horvatin/Images/constellations/lupus.jpg width="190" height="220" caption="http://www.pa.msu.edu/people/horvatin/Images/constellations/lupus.jpg"]] ||  ||
 * [[image:http://www.enchantedlearning.com/cgifs/Canismajor.GIF width="227" height="201" link="@http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/activities/dots/canismajor/"]] || [[image:http://www.hiltonpond.org/images/CanisMajor01.jpg width="203" height="268" caption="http://www.hiltonpond.org/images/CanisMajor01.jpg"]] ||  ||
 * [[image:http://www.enchantedlearning.com/tgifs/Twinkle.gif width="228" height="146" align="right" caption="http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/activities/dots/canismajor/"]] || [[image:http://www.teachscienceandmath.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/star1.jpg width="206" height="286" caption="http://www.teachscienceandmath.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/star1.jpg"]] ||  ||

**Works Cited** **Sources** : Internet ©1999-2010 EnchantedLearning.com (constellations & stars) ©1995-2012 The University of Texas McDonald Observatory (constellations) [|www.zoomschool.com]
 * Your Source List:**

**Topic: Research Focus** Constellations & Why Stars Twinkle
 * What is your topic?**
 * State the focus of your research:** To show images of certain constellations and explain why stars twinkle

**Notes** ==== Include notes, statistics and facts that you will use to write your final paper. You may want to label sections of your notes to help you be more organized as you write. As you take notes from a source, you should list the source citation in the Works Cited section above. ====

__//**Why Stars Twinks-**//__ The scientific name for the twinkling of stars is stellar scintillation (or astronomical scintillation). Stars twinkle when we see them from the Earth's surface because we are viewing them through thick layers of turbulent (moving) air in the [|Earth's atmosphere]. Stars (except for the Sun) appear as tiny dots in the sky; as their light travels through the many layers of the Earth's atmosphere, the light of the star is bent (refracted) many times and in random directions (light is bent when it hits a change in density - like a pocket of cold air or hot air). This random refraction results in the star winking out (it looks as though the star moves a bit, and our eye interprets this as twinkling). Stars closer to the horizon appear to twinkle more than stars that are overhead - this is because the light of stars near the horizon has to travel through more air than the light of stars overhead and so is subject to more refraction. Also, planets do not usually twinkle, because they are so close to us; they appear big enough that the twinkling is not noticeable (except when the air is extremely turbulent). Stars would not appear to twinkle if we viewed them from outer space

__//**Casdiopeia-**//__ Is an easily-seen [|constellation] that is in the far northern sky. It circles the pole star ([|Polaris]) throughout the year and also straddles the [|Milky Way]. The five major stars of Cassiopeia (also known as "The Lady of the Chair") are shaped like a "W" (or an "M," depending on your orientation). All of the stars in Cassiopeia are all less than second magnitude brightness. The brightest star in Cassiopeia is Schedar (alpha CAS), which is a multiple star that is pale rose in color and varies in magnitude from 2.2 to 2.8 magnitudes. The second-brightest, called Caph (beta CAS), is a white star of magnitude 2.4. Cassiopeia contains two open clusters, M52 (magnitude 7.3) and M103 (magnitude 7.4). The strongest radio source, Cassiopeia A, emanates from Cassiopeia; it is the remnant of a supernova which ocurred about A.D. 1660, and is 10,000 light years from us. The constellation Cassiopeia was named for Cassiopeia, the mother of Andromeda (and the wife of Cephus) in Greek mythology.

__//**Lupus (the wolf)-**//__ Is a constellation in the Southern Hemisphere. It is located between Centaurus to the west, Scorpius to the northeast. The open star cluster NGC 5822 is in Lupus.

__//**Canis major (The Great Dog)-**//__ is a constellation near [|Orion]. The brightest star in Canis Major (and the brightest star in the sky) is Sirius, also known as the dog star. Canis Major is one of the constellation Orion's hunting dogs (together with Canis Minor).