Constellation
/ˌkɑnstəˈleɪʃən/
nounB2
Definition
A constellation is a set of stars that look connected to each other and form a shape or picture in the night sky. People have used constellations for a long time to tell stories, find directions, or mark seasons.
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⚡ See It in Action
A group of stars forming a recognized pattern in the sky
- •The Big Dipper is a famous constellation easy to spot.
- •Ancient sailors used constellations to find their way at sea.
- •The constellation Orion is visible during winter nights.
A group or collection of things or people arranged in a pattern or system
- •The city has a constellation of museums and galleries.
- •Her ideas formed a constellation of thoughts around creativity.
🧲 Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "constellation" like "group" (A1 word), but this group is made of stars arranged to look like pictures in the sky.
- ✓Picture dots of light in the dark sky connected by imaginary lines to make shapes like a hunter, a bear, or a big dipper.
- ✓It’s the feeling of looking up at the stars on a clear night and seeing familiar shapes that tell stories or guide travelers.
- ✓Sounds like "con-stell-A-shun" → Imagine stars sending a "call to tell a nation" stories through their bright lights.
- ✓Remember stories from myths where heroes and animals became star groups in the sky, like Orion the hunter.
- ✓NOT like a single star (one light), a constellation is many stars working together to form a picture.
- ✓NOT like random stars scattered around, constellations have a shape people recognize and name.
🔄 Try Other Words
- •Cluster: a close group of stars or things (Use when stars are close together but not necessarily forming a pattern)
- •Pattern: an arrangement of things in a regular or repeated way (Use when focusing on the shape or design)
- •Array: an ordered arrangement of items (Use when the focus is on order or display rather than stars specifically)
🔍 Unboxing
- •Word parts: "con-" (together) + "stell" (star) + "-ation" (a noun suffix meaning action or result)
- •Etymology: From Latin "constellatio," meaning "set of stars"
- •Historical development: Used since ancient times to describe star patterns important for navigation and mythology
- •Modern usage: Used in astronomy for star groups and metaphorically for any special arrangement of things
💭 Reflect & Connect
•How do constellations help people connect stories and nature across different cultures?
•Can the idea of a "constellation" be used to describe groups of people or ideas in your own life? How?
Fill in the blanks with the correct word:
1.Sailors used constellations ___ to navigate the seas before modern tools.
2.The constellation Orion is ___ visible during winter nights in the Northern Hemisphere.
3.Unlike a random cluster of stars, a constellation has ___ lines or shapes that people recognize.
4.The word constellation comes from Latin and means a ___ of stars.
5.People often tell stories about constellations to explain ___ in the sky.
6.When talking about a constellation of ideas, it means a group of ___ connected in some way.
7.The Big Dipper is one of the most famous ___ in the night sky.