Stars and Brightness — Answer Key
Part A: Fix the Sentence
Each sentence has an error. Rewrite it correctly on the line.
1. Fix the sentence:
A constellation that look like a hunter with a sword is Orion.
Corrected: A constellation that looks like a hunter with a sword is Orion.
Subject-verb agreement requires looks because the subject constellation is singular.
2. Fix the sentence:
Ancient sailors used star patterns to navigates across the open ocean.
Corrected: Ancient sailors used star patterns to navigate across the open ocean.
An infinitive verb following to does not take the -s ending used for present tense.
3. Fix the sentence:
There is 88 official constellations recognized by astronomers worldwide.
Corrected: There are 88 official constellations recognized by astronomers worldwide.
The plural noun constellations requires the plural verb are for proper agreement.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. A pattern of seven dots shaped like a soup ladle in the northern sky is the Big Dipper.
The Big Dipper is named for its ladle-like shape, with a bowl and a curved handle.
2. Three dots in a straight row across the middle of a hunter shape is Orion's Belt.
Orion's Belt is the row of three nearly evenly spaced bright stars in the constellation Orion.
3. A zigzag of five dots forming a W or M shape belongs to the constellation Cassiopeia.
Cassiopeia's five brightest stars trace a clear zigzag W or M against the sky.
4. Connect-the-dots that form a Great Bear with the Big Dipper inside name the constellation Ursa Major.
Ursa Major means Great Bear, and the Big Dipper makes up the bear's hindquarters and tail.
Part C: Short Answer
Answer each question in one or two complete sentences.
1. How can the Big Dipper help you find Polaris in the night sky?
Sample answer: Follow the line made by the two stars at the end of the Big Dipper's bowl, and it points directly to Polaris.
The two pointer stars Dubhe and Merak align with Polaris, making them a quick celestial guide.
2. Why might one observer call Cassiopeia a W and another call it an M?
Sample answer: Cassiopeia rotates around Polaris during the night and across seasons, so its zigzag shape sometimes appears upright like a W and sometimes flipped like an M.
Earth's rotation makes Cassiopeia appear to spin around the celestial pole, flipping its orientation.