Constellations of the Sky Trivia Quiz

Answer: Carina

Found in the southern skies, Carina is known as the 'Keel'. It was part of a much larger constellation which was said to represent the ship sailed by Jason and his companions, called the Argo.

The Keyhole Nebula is part of a larger nebula called the Carina Nebula. The keyhole nickname dates from the second half on the nineteenth century when it was called this in a magazine article describing it.

Answer: Carina

As well as Carina being the keel, the other parts of the Argo also exist as separate constellations - the sails are now the constellation Vela while the stern is Puppis.

The brightest star in Carina is Canopus, Alpha Carinae, and only Sirius is brighter than Canopus in the night sky. The Arabic name is Suhail, or similar variations of spelling, while the Chinese name, translated into English, is the Star of the Old Man.

Answer: Carina

The name of the original large constellation, now broken up into three, was Argo Navis, making its connection to Jason and his Argonauts much more obvious.

The Wishing Well Cluster is NGC 3532 and takes this nickname as its stars resemble coins thrown into a well for luck. Other names include the Pincushion, the Football (the American kind) and the Firefly, with the latter name arising as the stars are described as looking like fireflies having a party.

Answer: Perseus

The constellation Perseus is primarily seen in the northern skies although some parts of the south can also see it. It is one of those named by Ptolemy.

The Little Dumbbell Nebula, Messier 76, gets its name from its appearance. It is probably formed from two separate nebulae which are linked by other stars, giving the appearance of a dumbbell. The nebula was formed from dying stars, meaning it is called a planetary nebula.

Answer: Perseus

The constellation was named for the legendary hero in myth, who is credited with killing Medusa. He also saved Andromeda and the constellation named for her is adjacent to the constellation Perseus.

Algol is also called the Demon Star, and is a variable star as its brightness changes. The likely explanation for this is that it is actually more than one star, moving closely with its companions. The name comes from Arabic, meaning the 'demon's head'.

Answer: Perseus

Perseus is the constellation from which the meteor shower called the Perseids appear. They appear every year between July and the end of August/early September.

The Double Cluster is, as you'd expect, made of two groups of stars which have in excess of three hundred supergiants in both of them. From Earth, the stars appear to be next to each other but, in reality, they are separated by over eight hundred light-years.

Answer: Orion

The Orion constellation can be seen from anywhere in the world as it lies on the celestial equator. It is particularly easy to see between November and February.

The Flame Nebula lies to the left of the Horsehead Nebula as you look at them, near the star Alnitak. The common is derived from the appearance of the nebula, which looks very like flames rising from a fire. Alnitak is responsible for this, as the light from this star causes electrons to disperse from the clouds of gas surrounding the Flame.

Answer: Orion

Orion is well known for its 'belt', an asterism which includes the stars Mintaka, Alnilam and Alnitak. Their location in the constellation as a whole places them halfway down Orion.

Bellatrix is just one of the prominent stars of Orion. Betelgeuse and Rigel are the brightest and are in the top ten brightest stars seen in the sky. Bellatrix is positioned on the left shoulder of the mythical Orion and has a name meaning 'female warrior'. In Arabic, it is known as 'the leader' and is also depicted as a lion in Arabic folklore.

Answer: Orion

The mythical Orion was a hunter, sometimes described as being a son of Poseidon. He was killed by a scorpion with Zeus placing them both in the sky, but on opposite sides to keep them apart. Scorpius is the constellation related to Orion by this myth.

The Trapezium Cluster contains many young stars which are still in the process of forming. The main stars, the brightest, are at the same stage of their lives and form the shape of a trapezium, giving the cluster its common name.

Answer: Draco

Draco is another of the large constellations in the sky with a name meaning 'dragon' in Latin. Its mythical origin is from the garden of the Hesperides which were guarded by a dragon.

The Cat's Eye Nebula is named for the way it looks, with a series of rings surrounding a bright centre, making it look like an eye. Other names applied to it are the Sunflower Nebula and the Snail Nebula, also relating to the appearance. It was among the first to be discovered.

Answer: Draco

Draco is another northern sky constellation and is another to be described and recorded by Ptolemy.in the second century.

Draco has seventeen named stars, including Alsafi and Eltanin, the brightest. Thuban, Draconis Alpha, is not particularly bright but is known for having been the Northern Pole Star from 3942 to 1793 BCE. It is actually a double star, with a companion which orbits with it. The name is directly taken from Arabic and translates as 'the snake'.

Answer: Draco

In myth, the dragon forms part of the story of Hercules who had to capture a golden apple from the gardens guarded by a dragon. The constellation named for the hero lies next to Draco in the sky.

The Lozenge Asterism consists of four stars which form the head of the dragon. They are Eltanin, Grumium, and Rastaban, from Draco, with the fourth being an unnamed star from the neighbouring Hercules. The four stars form a shape resembling a diamond and which humans have decided to call a lozenge. An asterism is any collection of stars located within a constellation or across more than one.