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You are here: Home > Homeschool Astronomy > Monthly Great Stars

๐ŸŒŸ Twelve Great Stars for the Homeschool Year

So when at times the mob is swayed
To carry praise or blame too far,
We may choose something like a star
To stay our minds on and be staid.

โ€”โ€ŠRobert Frost, โ€œChoose Something Like a Starโ€

Little homeschool astronomy lessons and monthly teaching tips on twelve of the brightest stars of the northern-hemisphere night sky โ€” twelve great friends for life โ€” from the River Houses Homeschool Network. Follow this miniature astronomy curriculum for just a few minutes each month to enlarge your studentsโ€™ understanding of science and the universe. Print your own River Houses Star Calendar on our main calendar page, and add your name to our mailing list to get these and other little homeschool science lessons delivered right to your mailbox every week.ย ๐Ÿ˜Š

๐ŸŒŸ STAR BRIGHT: Deneb for September and the New Homeschool Year

9 September 2023 by Bob O'Hara

Get the new homeschool year off to a great start by making a new friend this month: the giant star Deneb in the constellation Cygnus the Swan, one of the brightest stars in the northern hemisphere night sky.

Filed Under: Homeschool Astronomy, Monthly Great Stars

๐ŸŒŸ STAR BRIGHT: Vega for August and the End of the Homeschool Year

12 August 2023 by Bob O'Hara

Make one last homeschool friend for the summer: our blue-white neighbor-star Vega in the constellation Lyra the Lyre, one of the brightest stars in the northern hemisphere night sky.

Filed Under: Homeschool Astronomy, Monthly Great Stars

๐ŸŒŸ STAR BRIGHT: Arcturus and Boรถtes for July

8 July 2023 by Bob O'Hara

Introduce your homeschool students to the ancient orange giant Arcturus in the constellation Boรถtes the Herdsman this month, one of the brightest stars in the northern hemisphere’s night sky, and make it their friend for life.

Filed Under: Homeschool Astronomy, Monthly Great Stars

๐ŸŒŸ STAR BRIGHT: Spica and Virgo for June

10 June 2023 by Bob O'Hara

Make the acquaintance of the young blue-white giant Spica in the constellation Virgo the Virgin this month, one of the brightest stars in the northern hemisphere sky, and make it your homeschool friend for life.

Filed Under: Homeschool Astronomy, Monthly Great Stars

๐Ÿ–‹ ๐ŸŒŸ WONDERFUL WORDS: Hymn to the North Star

20 May 2023 by Bob O'Hara

“A beauteous type of that unchanging good,ย / That bright eternal beacon, by whose rayย / The voyager of time should shape his heedful way.” (An extra astronomical homeschool poem-of-the-week, from William Cullen Bryant, for Polaris, our Great Star for the month of May.)

Filed Under: Homeschool Astronomy, Homeschool Language & Literature, Monthly Great Stars, Poems-of-the-Week

๐ŸŒŸ STAR BRIGHT: Polaris and Ursa Minor for May

13 May 2023 by Bob O'Hara

Make the acquaintance of the pole star Polaris in the bearish constellation Ursa Minor this month, one of the most important stars in the northern hemisphere sky, and make it your homeschool friend and sky-mark for life.

Filed Under: Homeschool Astronomy, Monthly Great Stars

๐ŸŒŸ STAR BRIGHT: Regulus and Leo for April

8 April 2023 by Bob O'Hara

Make the acquaintance of “the little king” Regulus in the constellation Leo the Lion this month, one of the brightest stars in the northern hemisphere sky, and make it your homeschool friend for life.

Filed Under: Homeschool Astronomy, Monthly Great Stars

๐ŸŒŸ STAR BRIGHT: Sirius and Canis Major for March

11 March 2023 by Bob O'Hara

Make the acquaintance of the brilliant nearby star Sirius this monthย โ€” “the dog star” in the constellation Canis Major and the brightest star in the earth’s night skyย โ€” and make it your homeschool friend for life.

Filed Under: Homeschool Astronomy, Monthly Great Stars

๐ŸŒŸ STAR BRIGHT: Betelgeuse and Orion for February

11 February 2023 by Bob O'Hara

Make the acquaintance of the red giant Betelgeuse in the constellation Orion the Hunter this monthย โ€” aย strange, irregular, enormous variable starย โ€” and make it your homeschool friend for life.

Filed Under: Homeschool Astronomy, Monthly Great Stars

๐ŸŒŸ STAR BRIGHT: Capella and Auriga for January

14 January 2023 by Bob O'Hara

Make the acquaintance of Capella in the constellation Auriga the Charioteer this monthย โ€” a nearby four-star system and one of the brightest lights in the northern hemisphere night skyย โ€” and make it your homeschool friend for life.

Filed Under: Homeschool Astronomy, Monthly Great Stars

๐ŸŒŸ STAR BRIGHT: Aldebaran and Taurus for December

10 December 2022 by Bob O'Hara

Make the acquaintance of the ancient red giant Aldebaran in the constellation Taurus the Bull this monthย โ€” one of the brightest stars in the northern hemisphere skyย โ€” and make it your homeschool friend for life.

Filed Under: Homeschool Astronomy, Monthly Great Stars

๐ŸŒŸ STAR BRIGHT: Algol and Perseus for November

12 November 2022 by Bob O'Hara

Make the acquaintance of the variable star Algol this monthย โ€” “the demon star” in the constellation Perseus the Hero and one of the brightest stars in the northern hemisphere skyย โ€” and make it your homeschool friend for life.

Filed Under: Homeschool Astronomy, Monthly Great Stars

๐ŸŒŸ STAR BRIGHT: Alpheratz and Andromeda for October

8 October 2022 by Bob O'Hara

Make the acquaintance of the young double star Alpheratz in the constellation Andromeda this monthย โ€” one of the brightest stars in the northern hemisphere skyย โ€” and make it your homeschool friend for life.

Filed Under: Homeschool Astronomy, Monthly Great Stars

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