Up to the Sky Trivia Quiz

Answer: Northern Hemisphere

Cassiopeia is one of the most striking constellations in the northern sky, being fashioned by five bright stars in a shape resembling W or M: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Epsilon Cassiopeiae. Cassiopeia is visible in the Northern Hemisphere all year round, and its proximity to the North Star, otherwise known as Polaris, makes the constellation important in celestial navigation.

The constellation is named after the arrogant Greek mythology queen, Cassiopeia. She was punished by the gods for boasting that her daughter Andromeda was more beautiful than Poseidon's daughters, the Nereids.

Answer: Northern Hemisphere

Andromeda is an autumn constellation of the northern sky, visible through winter. It was named after the daughter of Queen Cassiopeia, Andromeda, who was saved by Perseus when she was chained to a rock to be eaten by the monster Cepheus. It is perhaps best known for containing the Andromeda Galaxy (M31), the closest major galaxy to the Milky Way. The Northern Hemisphere constellation is characterized by a chain of bright stars extending from Pegasus and pointing to the constellations Perseus, Cassiopeia, and Cepheus. Among its notable stars is Alpheratz, which connects Andromeda to Pegasus.

Andromeda is one of the constellations mentioned by 2nd-century BE astronomer Ptolemy in his famous work "The Almagest."

Answer: Northern Hemisphere

Lyra is a small but noticeable constellation in the summer northern sky, best known for containing Vega, one of the brightest stars in the night sky, twice as big as the Sun and thirty-seven times as bright. It is home to the stunning Ring Nebula (M57), a well-known planetary nebula observable through telescopes. Vega is part of the Summer Triangle asterism which is formed with Deneb in Cygnus and Altair in Aquila.

The constellation represents the lyre of Orpheus in Greek mythology and it has been associated with music and poetry for centuries.

Answer: Northern Hemisphere

Taurus, one of the twelve zodiac constellations, is a prominent northern-sky constellation in a distinctive V-shaped pattern, representing the head of a bull. It is one of the oldest recognized constellations; it's been known to humankind since the Babylonians in the 5th century BCE. The bull's eye is marked by the Aldebaran, a bright giant star. Two of the most well-known clusters of stars, the Pleiades and the Hyades, belong to Taurus as does the Crab Nebula (M1), a supernova remnant. It sits between Orion to the South and Perseus to the North.

Taurus is associated with Zeus in Greek mythology. The Olympian god took the form of a bull to abduct Europa, a Phoenician princess, and carry her to the island of Crete.

Answer: Northern Hemisphere

The large constellation Draco stretches between the Big and Little Dipper in the northern sky. Its name comes from the Latin word for "dragon." The most well-known star in Draco is Thuban. About 4,000 years ago, Thuban was the North Star due to the slow shift in the Earth's axis, and it will become the North Star again in 20,346, taking over from Polaris. Draco also contains the Cat's Eye Nebula and several distant galaxies. Draco is visible in the Northern Hemisphere all year round, and its twisting shape makes it quite striking.

In Greek mythology, the dragon Ladon guarded the golden apples of the Hesperides.

Answer: Southern Hemisphere

Crux, also called the Southern Cross, is the smallest but also one of the most recognizable constellations in the southern sky. The constellation contains four bright stars in a cross-shaped pattern and has long been used as a navigation tool since its longer axis points toward the South Celestial Pole. The stars are Acrux (Alpha Crucis), Gacrux, Delta Crucis (Imai) and Mimosa. Crux also hosts the beautiful star cluster called the Jewel Box Cluster (NGC 4755). The constellation can be found between the constellations Centaurus and Musca.

Crux is important in many cultures and it decorates the flags of Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Samoa, and Papua New Guinea.

Answer: Southern Hemisphere

Corvus (crow or raven in Latin) is a small constellation in the southern hemisphere. It is more visible during the spring, especially in April. The constellation's brightest stars are Gienah (Gamma Corvi), Alchiba (Alpha Corvi), and Beta Corvi. Corvus is another one of the 48 constellations in Ptolemy's "The Almagest" and it is connected with the god Apollo in Greek mythology.

Corax (Corvus) was the sacred bird of the god Apollo. The god sent him to fetch water, but the crow was delayed because he stopped to eat figs. To make up for his tardiness, he brought back a snake and excused himself by saying that the snake made him late. An angry Apollo cursed him to thirst forever and pinned him to the sky near Crater (the cup) and Hydra (the snake).

Answer: Southern Hemisphere

Phoenix is a small, but significant, southern sky constellation. It was first catalogued in the 16th century by Dutch astronomers Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman. The brightest star in Phoenix, Ankaa, gets its name from the Arabic word for "phoenix" and is the most recognizable feature of the constellation with its luminosity equal to 99 Suns. Although relatively faint, Phoenix does contain a few deep sky objects including several distant galaxies: the NGC 625 and Phoenix Cluster, a giant cluster of galaxies. Phoenix is most visible from the Southern Hemisphere during the spring and summer.

It was named after the mythical bird whose rebirth from its ashes symbolizes regeneration and immortality.

Answer: Southern Hemisphere

The huge, sprawling constellation of Eridanus represents a celestial river across the southern sky. It contains within it Achernar, its brightest star, which marks the endpoint of the river and is one of the ten brightest stars in the night sky. The constellation is also home to Epsilon Eridani, a nearby Sun-like star boasting an exoplanet.

Mostly visible from the Southern Hemisphere, Eridanus is a fascinating constellation with deep mythological and astronomical significance. It is associated with the mythical river in which Phaethon, the son of Helios, crashed after losing control of the Sun's chariot.

Answer: Southern Hemisphere

Carina is a constellation in the southern sky, best known for containing Canopus, the second-brightest star in the night sky. Carina means "the keel of a ship" in Latin and it was once part of the larger constellation Argo Navis. Argo Navis took the name of the ship of Jason and the Argonauts and it was formed by Carina and the constellations Puppis "the stern" and Vela "the sails".

Carina is another one of the 48 constellations observed and catalogued by Ptolemy in "The Almagest." It is visible primarily from the Southern Hemisphere and it belongs to the Heavenly Waters family of constellations, which contains nine constellations associated with water.