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Astronomy Year / Week 12 / Thursday
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Week 12 · Plan Your Own Sky Night

Thursday

A year of sky
// Eclipse safety and your year of sky watching
⏱ about 15 min

Thursday: A year of sky

Nova projects a year of sky pictures in a big circle.

"We saw so much!" Rocket says.

Raven smiles. "What do you notice? Each season had its own sky."

Nova blinks. "Hint: match each sight to its time of year."

Your sky calendar

Time of yearWhat to look for
Winter eveningsOrion, Betelgeuse and Rigel
Spring eveningsLeo; the Big Dipper high
Summer eveningsSummer Triangle; Milky Way; Scorpius low in the south
Fall eveningsCassiopeia high
Each AugustPerseid meteor shower
Each DecemberGeminid meteor shower
About every monthA full cycle of Moon phases
MATCH THE SEASON
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
When is Leo best seen in the evening?
When do the Perseids come?
When is Cassiopeia high in the evening?
Year reviewTrue or false?
The Moon goes through its phases about once a month.?
Orion is high on summer evenings.?
The Summer Triangle is high on summer evenings.?
WHY THIS EXERCISEThe sky follows patterns we can predict.
Try it
Point to the row for the season you are in now.
Which target from that row will go on your plan?

Patterns we can predict

The Moon goes through its phases about every 29.5 days.

Meteor showers come back in the same month each year.

Star groups come back each season.

That is how sky watchers plan ahead.

SKY PATTERNS
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
When do the Geminids come?
Which is a winter star group?
About how many days is one Moon cycle?
When is the Big Dipper high in the evening?
SEASONS IN ORDER
  • Start with winter.
  • Tap a card, then tap its spot.
11
22
33
44
Make a sky wheel with four seasons. Draw one target in each.

What a year! Tomorrow you look back at your own sky logs.

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