Star Facts

- Many stars and constellations are part of old mythologies, e.g. Orion occurs in the lore of ancient Greeks, Sumerians, Ancient Egyptians and many others.

- Almost all star names are hundreds or even thousands of years old. Star names often relate to the part they play in the constellation e.g. the star, Deneb, means 'tail' because it's the tail of Cygnus the Swan. Others describe the star itself, such as Sirius, the brightest star in the sky, means 'scorching'. Quite a few star names are Arabic, others have Greek or Latin origins. 

- Modern astronomers study many stars too faint to see without a telescope, and these are so numerous they are known only by numbers and coordinates. Star names are essentially limited to the old names

Extra Ideas for Students:

 1. Look up some interesting star names at: http://www.obliquity.com/skyeye/misc/name.html

2. What constellations you can see from your home?  Do you know any stories about them? Perhaps you know different myths, to the African myths of stars mentioned in Fish Notes and Star Songs. Write down the stories of stars that you know.

3. Find out if there is a planetarium near you and see if you can visit it to find out more about stars.

3. For extra info on stars go to:   http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/

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