The Constellations & Their History

15 Points Per Correct Answer - No time limit  

1. To the serious astronomer, amateur or professional, what would the definition of a "constellation" be? A galaxy, such as M31 (the Andromeda galaxy) A group of stars that forms an easily recognisable pattern, such as a budgerigar or a chestnut tree A section of the celestial sphere A cluster of stars with a common proper motion, i.e. physically related stars

2. The Greek geographer, astronomer and astrologer, Claudius Ptolemaeus a.k.a. Ptolemy (ca.85-ca.165), in his work "Almagest" introduced 48 constellations, most of which are still recognised today. Which of the following WAS one of the constellations introduced by him? Perseus Sextans Telescopium Mensa

3. Out of which Ptolemaic constellation was Crux, the Southern Cross, carved out by the German astronomer Johann Bayer in his 1603 text, "Uranometria"? Centaurus Ursa Major Piscis Austrinus Ara

4. Which two relatively large constellations, one far northern and the other equatorial, did Jacob Bartsch introduce in 1624? Lacerta (the lizard) and Pegasus (the flying horse) Ursa Minor (the little bear) and Ursa Major (the great bear) Canis Minor (the little dog) and Canis Major (the great dog) Camelopardalis (the giraffe) and Monoceros (the unicorn)

5. In which hemisphere do the majority (5 out of 7) of the constellations introduced by Johannes Hevelius in his 1690 text "Firmament urn Sobiescianum" lie? Answer: (One word- northern or southern?)

6. Among the 48 constellations introduced by Ptolemy was the large and unwieldy Argo Navis, the ship of Jason and the Argonauts. In 1763, Argo was broken up into 3 separate constellations by the French monk Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille: which of the following was NOT one of these? Pons Pontis, the deck Puppis, the poop Carina, the keel Vela, the sails

7. After Lacaille, there was a period when every celestial cartographer felt obliged to introduce new constellations, all of which were rejected by the IAU when it gave a firm footing to 88 constellations in 1922. Among these, Quadrans Muralis, introduced by the Frenchman J. J. Lalande, continues to be remembered, because of a certain periodic event. Which is this? A periodic comet A meteor shower Oppositions of Mars Sunspots

8. Besides the 88 IAU-recognised constellations, there a few other widely known groups of stars that make easily recognisable patterns, such as the sickle in Leo, the Summer Triangle, the Great Square of Pegasus, and Orion's belt. What are these "unofficial" groups of stars called? The Zodiac Open clusters Galaxies Asterisms

9. The constellation Ursa Major can also be called the "Big Dipper" or the "Plough". True False

10. What is sometimes referred to as "the sea of the sky"? A region containing a number of constellations with water-related themes The far-south region of the sky, which Northern Hemisphere-dwellers considered "low" The Milky Way band The constellation Crater (the cup)

11. The 88 constellations may be ranked according to their "size", or area covered on the celestial sphere. Which of the constellations, only 68 square degrees in area, is the smallest? Pavo Coma Berenices Delphinus Crux

12. Among the modern constellations, which is unique in being split into two pieces- Caput (the head) and Cauda (the tail)? Cetus Lacerta Serpens Chamaeleon

13. Our galaxy, the Milky Way, appears as a faint, hazy band of white light that stretches across the sky. Through which constellations does it pass? Cygnus, Vulpecula, Sagitta, Aquila, Scutum, Serpens, Ophiuchus, Sagittarius, Scorpius, Lupus, Ara, Norma, Circinus, Crux, Carina, Vela, Puppis, Canis Major, Monoceros, Gemini, Orion, Auriga, Perseus, Cassiopeia, Andromeda, Lacerta, Cepheus Ursa Major, Leo Minor, Cancer, Leo, Hydra, Antlia, Pyxis, Canis Minor, Lepus, Sextans, Crater, Corvus, Virgo, Coma Berenices, Canes Venatici, Boötes, Draco, Corona Borealis, Hercules, Lyra, Libra, Equuleus, Pegasus, Aquarius, Capricornus, Microscopium Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpius, Sagittarius, Capricornus, Aquarius, Pisces Telescopium, Corona Australis, Capricornus, Microscopium, Indus, Piscis Austrinus, Grus, Phoenix, Eridanus, Horlogium, Reticulum, Dorado, Pictor, Volans, Mensa, Hydrus, Tucana, Chamaeleon, Octans, Musca, Apus, Pavo

14. Quite surprisingly, there are only three constellations that have more than one first-magnitude star (i.e. with magnitudes less than 1.50). Which of the following is NOT one of these? Orion Crux Centaurus Eridanus

15. The zodiac is a band that extends approximately 8 degrees on either side of the ecliptic, and is a region both astronomers and astrologers are crazy about. While there are actually 13 constellations that lie on the ecliptic, the astrologer community recognises the existence of only 12 of them. Which is this so-called "13th constellation of the zodiac"? Pegasus Aquila Ophiuchus Delphinus

16. The constellation names "Scorpio" (the scorpion) and "Capricorn" (the sea goat) are recognised by the IAU. True False

17. In the direction of which constellation does the galactic centre lie? Sagittarius Sculptor Coma Berenices Scutum

18. Which is the only constellation of the zodiac that represents an inanimate (non-living) object? Answer: (One word)

19. The two Magellanic Clouds, dwarf galaxies orbiting the Milky Way, are conspicuous objects in the southern hemisphere, where they appear like detached parts of the Milky Way band. The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is located on the border between Dorado and Mensa; in which constellation does the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) lie? Tucana Eridanus Grus Canis Major

20. What is the distance (in light years) to Orion? The height of the sky 12 678,537,246,112 The question makes no sense.