High in the sky
New constellations created to encourage youngsters to develop their interest in space and astronomy
Astronomy experts have picked out a new set of constellations representing stars of sport, literature and science to encourage more youngsters to look up at the night sky.
The University of Birmingham created new star alignments in honour of Usain Bolt, Sir David Attenborough and Mo Farah among others.
The boots of Paddington Bear and Harry Potter’s glasses have also been captured in the heavens.
The new constellations were created after research showed that the traditional classical star formations, based on the zodiac and characters from ancient mythology are failing to inspire children today.
Seven out of 10 children in the United Kingdom said they had never looked up into the night sky to pick out a constellation, and 29 per cent were not able to pick out a single constellation when showed diagrams of the most well known.
Emma Willett, who led the University of Birmingham research team, said: “We really hope these new creations will help people of all ages develop their interest in space and astronomy, working to inspire the next generation of astronomers to take an interest in the field.” There are currently 88 existing constellations officially recognised by the International Astronomical Union. The new creations include wellknown stars to make it easier to find them in the Northern Hemisphere night sky. Harry Potter’s glasses, for example include the star Izar, a binary star in the official constellation of Bootes. Sir David Attenborough has been represented by a whale, and his constellation includes stars which are also found in Ursa Minor, or the little bear.
Paddington’s boots contain Bellatrix, Betelguese and Mintaka, all of which lie in Orion — which can be seen on this side of the equator.
Other new shapes include a tennis racket for Serena Williams, a spacecraft for British astronaut Tim Peake, and a book in honour of Malala Yousafzai.
Sir Mo Farah meanwhile has been immortalised in the form of an ‘‘M’’ shape constellation after his renowned ‘‘Mobot’’ celebration, with Usain Bolt. — The Daily Telegraph