Constellations are stars that appear to be close together. When connected by imaginary lines, they are seen as a picture.
The word “constellation” also refers to the area of the sky where we see any of the 88 recognized constellations. Some constellations are modern, but most are ancient. In Greek mythology, for example, Cassiopeia (kass-ee-oh-PEE-uh) was a very proud queen. The gods chained her to a throne and made her circle the North Star forever.
But constellations aren’t the only things in the sky. From a backyard or sidewalk, you can see many different objects. These include comets, shooting stars, human-made satellites, and more. Telescopes bring many of these distant sights to our eyes.
