What Will the Constellations Look Like in 50,000 Years?

Discovery News has a feature in which astronomer Robert Hurt of NASA’s Spitzer Science Center uses space simulation software Starry Night to explain how Earth’s view of five major constellations will change over time, like Ursa Major:

Ursa Major - now and in 50,000 years

“Stargazers of the future will look into a different night sky. That’s because the stars are constantly moving relative to each other. These shifts are nearly imperceptible during a person’s lifetime, but they add up over the centuries and millennia. This means that in, say, 50,000 years, many common constellations will have a very different shape.”

See the other four constellation shifts at Discovery News.

Image credit: Starry Night Education software/Discovery News

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