Constellations

= **Constellations** =

Constellations are groups of stars in the night sky that form shapes. They’re not connected, nor are they squares or triangles. Shapes such as Orion, a Greek hunter, or Cancer a crab, but not with lines connecting the stars, as said before. Some of the most famous constellations are: The Little Dipper, The Big Dipper, and Orion. Here are two stories of constellations.

The Egyptians named the constellation Orion after the great pharaoh Osiris. They thought the constellation was made by Osiris’s brother cutting him into pieces, putting them into a box, and floated them down the Nile River. The pharaoh's wife probably found the pieces, threw the pieces into the sky, to create the constellation.

During the time Heracles was fighting the Hydra (a monster), a crab pinched Heracles. Hera, a goddess, was an enemy of Heracles, rewarded the crab, making him a constellation, now known as Cancer.

Mary and Ella



Constellations are groups of stars that form a pattern or picture. Long ago people used their imagination to connect the stars to form a picture. Some of the most well known constellations are the Little Dipper, Big Dipper, Orion, Cancer, Leo the Lion, Cancis Major, Cancis Minor, Crux, and Pegasus. The Big Dipper and the Little Dipper are also known as Ursa Major and Minor. In the Greek legend Leo the Lion is defeated by Hercules. In another legend, Cancer, a crab, lived with Hydra. Hydra is a sea monster that has the body of a dog and 100 snake heads. When Hydra fought Hercules Cancer got stepped on. Hercules fought Hydra because of the twelve deeds. One of the deeds was to defeat Hydra.

 Max L. and Robert