Meteors and Comets
A comet is basically a big rock made of ice and dust, that orbits the Sun in a wide, elliptical path. Most comets take
many years to complete a full orbit. One of the most famous, Comet Halley, visits the inner solar system once every 76
years. Comets are smaller than planets. Some are relatively small in size and some are many miles across.
A meteoroid is a tiny particle, usually about the size of a grain of sand, that was left behind by a comet. When
it comes close to Earth and enters the atmosphere, it burns up brightly and is called a meteor. Usually, meteors
come in large bunches. During a meteor shower thousands of meteors can be seen streaking across the sky for
several nights. A meteorite is a meteor that fell to the ground without burning up. (See Annual Meteor Showers
Table on page 14.)
Care and Maintenance
Remove batteries when not in use for extended periods. Keep star sphere clean with
a soft cloth and quality anti-static cleaner/polish. Never use abrasive cleaners.
Bulb replacement: Replacement bulbs are available at most electronics retailers.
Halogen bulb, Voltage: 3.6 V, Current: 500 – 600 mA. Part No. LR00001.
1. Remove Star Sphere and light wand from base.
2. Push a paper clip into the small hole directly above the on/off button.
At the same time, rotate light wand counterclockwise to Star Sphere.
Remove it from Star Sphere (see Fig. 7).
3. Carefully pull old projection lamp out of tip of light wand.
4. Insert replacement bulb into tip of light wand (see Fig. 8).
(Important: Be careful not to bend prongs of the bulb.)
Turn light wand on to make sure bulb lights up, then turn it off.
5. Reinsert light wand into Star Sphere. Rotate light wand clockwise until it clicks into place.
This is important for accurate date and time adjustments.
6. Place Star Sphere and light wand back into base.
The Constellations
In the past, constellations were stellar patterns created by connecting stars together with imaginary lines.
These “star pictures” were usually named after ancient gods, heroes and animals. Today’s astronomers
recognize constellations as an agreed-upon region of the sky containing a group of stars. There are 88 official
constellations.
Each constellation can contain dozens, if not hundreds, of visible stars. The following star maps show the brighter
stars—the ones you see when looking for star patterns in the night sky. The “connect-the-dot” lines will help you as
you learn these constellations. You will also see the mythological drawings of some of the more popular star patterns.
The constellations are divided into five different groupings; the stars in the northern sky and the stars of each
season. It’s important to remember that the seasonal groupings are a general guide. For example, winter
constellations are not just visible during the winter months of December, January and February. (Experiment
with your planetarium to discover why!) The season refers to the time of year the constellation or group of
constellations becomes easily visible in the night sky after the Sun sets.
The seasonal groupings also help us understand the cycle of the sky. Because of the Earth’s annual revolution
around the Sun, the stars in the night sky change over the course of a year. But due to the fixed nature of the
constellations, spring stars always follow the winter ones into the sky, summer stars follow the spring, etc.
Learning the brighter constellations from each season will open the door to understanding the entire night sky.
Projection
Lamp
Wand
Fig. 8
Projection
Lamp
Collar
Fig. 7
Push a paper clip into this
hole to release Star Sphere
