Star Gazing 2 Trivia Quiz

Answer:

Named after a Greek woman who was chained to a rock as punishment for her mother's pride, Andromeda is one of the largest constellations with an area of 722 square degrees. That is more than 1400 times bigger than a full moon! Its largest star is Alpha Andromedae, which is visible from October-November in areas located north of 60° S.

Aquarius is located in a region called the Sea due to the location of several "watery" constellations. Named for the water-carrier, Ganymede, who was abducted by Zeus to serve the gods, its brightest star is Beta Aquarii, which can be seen in the Northern Hemisphere during the fall and the Southern Hemisphere during the spring.

The name for Ophiuchus comes from the Greek for serpent bearer; it represents the Greek god of healing, Asclepius. Depicted as a man grasping a snake, it is located on the celestial equator and is most easily seen from November to January in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Its brightest star is ? Ophiuchi, which is also called Rasalhague, or head of the serpent collector. It is part of a binary star system.

The constellation Canis Major, or greater dog, contains Sirius the dog star, which is the brightest star in the night sky because it is so close to earth. According to Greek legend, it represented Laelaps, a hunting dog, that was the largest of Orion's hounds. It is seen in the winter in the Southern Hemisphere and the summer in the Northern Hemisphere.

Ursa Minor, or Little Bear, is also called the Little Dipper, as its seven main stars form the shape of a ladle. It has been an important guide for navigators, as the constellation contains Polaris, known as the North Star. Ursa Minor is also called Arcas. In Greek myth he was the son of Zeus and Callisto; both mother and son were placed in the night sky to protect them from Hera's jealousy. Because Polaris is located close to the celestial pole, it stays in mostly the same spot all the time in the Northern Hemisphere while the other stars circle around it. It cannot be viewed in the Southern Hemisphere.

Centaurus is one of the largest constellations, and contains several well-known stars, including Alpha Centauri, the nearest star to the solar system, and HR5171, one of the largest stars that has been discovered. In Greek mythology a centaur was a creature that was part human and part horse; the constellation is typically associated with Chiron, a centaur who ran a school and mentored several of the Greek heroes. The entire constellation can only be viewed in the Southern Hemisphere.

One of the smaller constellations, Lyra, is typically depicted as a vulture or eagle carrying a lyre, which represents the lyre of Orpheus, who was said to have been able to charm anything - even rocks - with his music. Vega is its brightest star, and is one of the points in the Summer Triangle, which is seen in both hemispheres. The entire constellation of Lyra, however, is best seen in the Northern Hemisphere during the summer months.

Aquila is the Latin name for eagle; it was associated by the ancient Greeks with the eagle that carried Zeus' thunderbolts. According to mythology, it was also the same eagle that kidnapped Ganymede to serve as Zeus' cupbearer on Mount Olympus. Its brightest star, Altair, is another one of the corners of the Summer Triangle; Altair has a luminosity eight times greater than the sun, and can best seen during the summer in the Northern Hemisphere.

Representing a crouching lion, the constellation Leo is associated with the Nemean Lion that was killed by Heracles. It is easy to see in the night sky as it contains nine stars that can be viewed with the naked eye, with Regulus being the brightest. It is visible from almost every place on earth - except for Antarctica. The constellation can be seen in the Northern Hemisphere from late March through May, which is fall in the Southern Hemisphere.

In Greek mythology, Cassiopeia was the vain mother of Andromeda, who especially angered Poseidon because she claimed to be more beautiful than even the sea nymphs. There are many bright stars in the constellation that looks like a W or a M, depending on one's perspective; the brightest is Schedar. The best time to view the constellation is during autumn - September to November - in the Northern Hemisphere. At the same time it can also be viewed from the Southern Hemisphere, however, it is not as bright there.

Scorpius is located in the Southern Sky, and is located close to the center of the Milky Way galaxy. After Orion claimed that he could kill every creature on earth, a scorpion was sent by Artemis and her mother, Leto, to kill him. Zeus raised both Orion and the scorpion to the sky in order to remind humans to watch their boastfulness. Antares, which is about twelve times larger than the Sun, is the brightest star in the Scorpius constellation. It has a red hue, much like the planet Mars. The best time to see Scorpius in the Northern Hemisphere is mid-July, when it is highest in the night sky; it is more easily viewed in the Southern Hemisphere from May-November.

With a name meaning horned goat, Capricornus is really shaped more like a sea goat, a mythological creature that was part goat and part fish. Sometimes the Greeks envisioned it as Amalthea, the she goat that fed the infant Zeus. Her broken horn might have been the first cornucopia, or horn of plenty. Capricornus is difficult to view because it doesn't have any really bright stars. Its brightest is called Delta Capricorni, or Deneb Algedi. While mid-September is the best time to see it in the Northern Hemisphere, it is visible from June-October in the Southern Hemisphere.

All of the incorrect answers are planetary moons.