10 replies to this topic

[Pharquart]

I'm going to be doing some classroom and night sky outreach to fourth and fifth graders this spring. I'm trying to compile a list of mnemonic devices to help kids identify and remember stars and constellations. I still remember sayings like "Arc over to Arcturus, then speed on to Spica" and "When the dipper pours, the lion roars" even though I only heard them once long ago.

A Google search turns up lots of options for remembering the order of the planets ("my very educated mother..."). Other common search results list the stellar classifications, which I figure is over the heads of most elementary school kids. I'm looking more for ones that help kids locate and identify stuff in the night sky.

Does anyone have any good ones to add to the list?

Brian

[Jason B]

This website has lots of good information:

LINK

If you click on the finding constellations link on the homepage, there are some nice articles on using Ursa Major, Pegasus and Orion as guides to find other stars, etc.

[CoolHobieCat]

Tell a joke about Uranus.

WAIT !!! Don't do that.

[teast]

I Eat Green Caterpillars

Io Europa Ganymede Callisto

To remember the order of the Galilean Moons around Jupiter. The kids should love the "yuck" factor!

-Tom

[tedbnh]

"Castor rises faster" to remember which of the twins is which.

(Thanks for I Eat Green Caterpillars, that is going to come in handy the next few weeks!)

[MikeBOKC]

Stellar magnitude categories -- Oh Be A Fine Girl, Kiss Me

[Kaelin]

For the Galilean moons:

I Enjoy Godiva Chocolates

[frolinmod]

Stellar magnitude categories -- Oh Be A Fine Girl, Kiss Me

I remember it as, "Oh Be A Fine Girl, Kiss Me Right Now Sally."

[Matthew Ota]

R,N, and S are defunct. See the Wikipedia article on stellar classification. Extended Spectral Types

[Doc Willie]

R,N, and S are defunct. See the Wikipedia article on stellar classification. Extended Spectral Types

Ow. That made my head hurt. :pulpdnc:

[tkobyrne]

With the addition of the dwarfs L and T, I was hoping for the coolest being a P for please. what am I going to do with Y? Oh Be A Fine Girl Kiss Me Lots Of Tongue Y????