The Constellations

 The Constellations

    Some stars are in groups. From Earth, they form a pattern. A star pattern is called a constellation. The night sky has about 88 constellations.
    One is the Big Dipper. The Big Dipper is a group of seven stars. These seven stars form a dipper. A dipper is a big spoon. It looks like a gravy ladle. These stars form the handle. Four stars form the cup.
    The Big Dipper is easy to find in the night sky. This is because its stars are very bright. The best time to see the Big Dipper is in the middle of summer. Look in the northern sky. First, find the handle. Then it will be easy to see the cup.
    We can use the Big Dipper to find other things in the sky. The two stars on the front of its cup line up with the Little Dipper. The Little Dipper is smaller than the Big Dipper. Its cup hangs down from its handle. Look for a bright star at the end of the Little Dipper's handle. That is the North Star. When we look at it, we know that we are facing north.