Capella

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/capella

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the apparent magnitude?0.08, making it the sixth brightest star in the night sky
2. Why is Capella important for navigation?Capella's steady, bright light has helped sailors for thousands of years. By watching when it rises and sets, they could tell where they were and keep time.
3. How many stars make up Capella?Capella is made of four stars. Two big giant stars orbit each other every 104 days, and two smaller red dwarf stars are farther away.

Spectroscopic Binary: A binary star system whose components are detected by their spectral lines, often due to their orbital motion.
Stellar Evolution: The process by which stars change over time, from their formation to their eventual demise.
Giant Star: A star that has expanded significantly in size and luminosity compared to its main-sequence phase.