Constellations for Kids

Constellations are groups of stars up in the sky.  Because the stars are so far away, they appear to always be right next to each other, even though the stars move around in the night sky.  The first star you need to know is the ONLY star that never moves.  That's because the star is right above the North Pole, and it is known as the North Star, or Polaris.  The North Star will always stay in the same place, but other stars will spin around during the night.  So if you are ever lost outside, and you need to find out where you are, if you can figure out where the North Star is, you will know which way is north, and which direction you should walk in.

The Little Dipper

Here is a picture of the constellation we call the Little Dipper.  It's called that because it is shaped like a dipper, and because there is a bigger constellation called the Big Dipper (which we'll show you next).  See the big star at the top called Polaris?  That's the north star.  If you can find the Little Dipper, you can find the North Star.

The Big Dipper

The Big Dipper is probably the easiest constellation to find in the sky, because all of the stars are really bright.  It is also called "Ursa Major," which means "Big Bear" in Latin, because they used to say it looked like a bear.  But in America, during the Slavery period, the slaves used the constellation to point them north across the border and out of slavery, and to them, it looked like a Big Dipper, or a Drinking Gourd, so that's what they called it.  If you can't find the Little Dipper, you can take the two stars that are farthest to the right in this picture in the Big Dipper, and draw a line straight up.  The first bright star in that line is the North Star.  Remember, these two stars won't always be on the right!  Sometimes they will be upside-down or sideways, but it is always the two stars on the opposite side of the cup from the Dipper's handle.

Orion

Orion is the second easiest constellation to see in the sky.  That is because of Orion's Belt.  See the three big stars close together?  That is Orion's Belt.  It doesn't point to anything, but it's fun to try and find.

Southern Cross

If you live below the Equator - in Australia, New Zealand or South Africa - you can see the Southern Cross.  The Southern Cross is very famous in the Southern Hemisphere, and it appears on the Flags of Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Papua New Guinea, and Samoa.  You can't see it in the United States, but most of the constellations we have listed here can't be seen from the Southern Hemisphere.

THE ZODIAC

There are hundreds of constellations in the Night Sky, and they are all known as the Zodiac.  The Zodiac signs are the constellations that the Sun moves through during different times of the year.  Some people think that you can tell a persons fortune by their Zodiac Sign, which is what the sign was when they were born, but most of this is just a game, because it is fun to read fortunes. If you want to know your Zodiac Sign, find your Birthday in the list below.

Aquarius (January 21-February 18)

Aquarius is the Ocean.  We are currently living in what is called the Age of Aquarius.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Pisces is two fish who are connected with a string.

Aries (March 21-April 20)

Aries is a Ram.

Taurus (April 21-May 21)

Taurus is a Bull.

Gemini (May 22-June 21)

Gemini are two twins standing next to each other.

Cancer (June 22-July 22)

Cancer is a crab.

Leo (July 23-August 23)

Leo is a Lion.

Virgo (August 24-September 23)

Virgo is a young woman.

Libra (September 25-October 23)

Libra is a scale.

Scorpio (October 24-November 22)

Scorpio is a Scorpion.

Capricorn (December 23-January 20)

Capricorn is a goat.

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