GCSE (9-1) Astronomy Distance Learning

New Pupil Toolkit for GCSE (9-1) Astronomy

GCSE (9-1) Astronomy

Pupil Worksheet

Week 5 Topic 6.2

Spec. refs 6.2, 6.3, 6.4

1. Which bright star can be found by following the two right-hand stars in the Plough?

Choose from:

Sirius Polaris Arcturus

Your answer: ...... (1)

2. Which of the following is a constellation?

x A Orion’s Belt

x B The Great Bear

x C The Pleiades

x D The Plough (1)

3. Which of the following is an asterism?

x A Cygnus

x B Orion

x C The Little Bear

x D The Plough (1)

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4. A student made a computer sketch of a well-known constellation.

(a) What is the name of this constellation?

...... (1)

(b) The constellation contains a familiar asterism of three bright stars.

(i) What is the name of this asterism?

...... (1)

(ii) The three stars point to two bright stars. What are their names?

...... and ...... (2)

...... (1)

5. Which 3 stars form the Summer Triangle asterism?

x A Altair, Polaris and Vega

x B Altair, Deneb and Vega

x C Deneb, Pollux and Polaris

x D Deneb, Pollux and Vega (1) New Pupil Toolkit for GCSE (9-1) Astronomy © Mickledore Publishing 2017 New Pupil Toolkit for GCSE (9-1) Astronomy

6. Hanan made a computerised sketch of another asterism.

the ‘handle’

(a) What is the name of this asterism?

...... (1)

(b) The three stars in the ‘handle’ indicate the location of a bright star.

What is the name of this star?

...... (1)

7. A teacher projected a number of names of asterisms and constellations onto a screen.

Cassiopeia Cygnus

The Winter Triangle

Orion’s Belt Square of Pegasus

The Southern Cross

The Plough Orion

Highlight the names of the constellations only. (4)

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8. Crux, the Southern Cross, is the smallest (in terms of area) of the 88 official constellations.

The ancient Greeks could see these stars, thinking them to be the hind legs of a mythical beast.

To some Aboriginal people from fishing communities in northern Australia, the same stars represent a stingray being pursued by a shark.

Why do you think that there is a range of names of constellations and asterisms among different cultures?

......

...... (2)

9. A student made a sketch of part of the constellations Pegasus and Andromeda.

(a) What is the name of the asterism consisting of four bright stars (including X and Y)?

Choose from:

Great Square of Pegasus Orion’s Belt The Winter Triangle

Your answer: ...... (1)

(b) On the diagram, indicate the location of the Andromeda Galaxy. Use the letter G. (1)

New Pupil Toolkit for GCSE (9-1) Astronomy © Mickledore Publishing 2017 New Pupil Toolkit for GCSE (9-1) Astronomy

x A Aldebaran

x B Arcturus

x C Betelgeuse

x D Fomalhaut (1)

Solutions

1. Polaris (1 mark)

2. B (1)

3. D (1)

4 (a) Orion (1)

(b) (i) Orion’s Belt (1) (ii) Sirius (1) and Aldebaran (1)

5. B (1)

6 (a) The Plough (1)

(b) Arcturus (1)

7. Cassiopeia Cygnus

The Winter Triangle

Orion’s Belt Square of Pegasus

The Southern Cross

The Plough Orion

Score 1 mark for each correct highlighted constellation. Deduct 1 mark for each asterism highlighted. Maximum 4 marks; minimum 0 marks.

8. Any 2 marks from (underlined):

When asterisms and constellations were first named, there was very little mass- communication: different cultures were relatively isolated compared with today, and so were unable to share/exchange stories, myths and legends (1).

Different cultures were able to see different stars and identify patterns because of different geographical locations (1).

Different cultures used different stories, myths and legends on which many of their asterisms and constellations were named (1).

9 (a) Great Square of Pegasus (1)

(b) G correctly located (1)

G (1) X

Your score: / 20