AST201L.Lab6.Word
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Northern Arizona University *
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Course
201
Subject
Astronomy
Date
Dec 6, 2023
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docx
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LAB 6
FIGURES IN THE SKY
INTRODUCTION
The Sun, Moon and the night sky are prominent features of many Indigenous knowledge systems. Although the night sky may look
different where these different Peoples call home, there are remarkable similarities in the practice of using the sky as a navigational tool,
calendar, or visual aid for passing on knowledge from generation to generation. Many Indigenous cultures have their own system of
constellations which are integral to their ways of life: a rising constellation might mean it’s time to plant seeds, another might point the
way home, while others may tell the story of how the world and First Peoples came to be. In this lab we will explore some constellations
from different Indigenous Astronomies to learn how the night sky has been central to human cultures for millennia.
LEARNING GOALS
The points below are the expected topics to understand by the end of this lab period. Remember to review these points before completing
the lab. If you do not understand one, review the steps that cover it and discuss with your instructor.
Learn how the night sky is central to many Indigenous Astronomies around the world
Explore some constellations of different Indigenous Astronomies
Describe the importance of dark sky in indigenous and modern astronomy
LAB 6-1
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STEP 1: CONSTELLATIONS IN DIFFERENT CULTURES
In this section, we will use the website of
figuresinthesky.visualcinnamon.com
, developed by N. Bremer, which help us visualize and
explore stars and constellations viewed by some Indigenous cultures. Though it has many Indigenous constellations, it is by no means an
exhaustive list!
1.
[0.5pt]
Go to the website and scroll down to the first constellation image under
“The same sky, different figures”
. You should see the
Western constellation Orion with Betelgeuse highlighted (if not, click the bubble that says
“Western / Orion”
).
Now click on the
bubble labeled
“Tupi / old man”.
Which cluster(s) of stars from
Orion
(labeled in the figure) is not included
in the Old Man constellation?
A.
Club
B.
Bow
C.
Belt
D.
Sword
2.
[0.5pt]
Now look at the other constellations that include Betelgeuse. How many of the constellations look like a person to you? Write
down some of the cultures and their constellation names.
Arabic- the giant
Western- orion
Tupi- old man
Sardinian- the sticks
Ojibwe- wintermaker
Navajo- first slim one
Egyptian- sah
3.
[1pt]
Scroll down to the next section which lists the names of several stars. Click on
Aldebaran
. For each of the cultures below,
write the name of the constellation:
Culture
Constellation
Western
Taurus
Arabic
Bull
LAB 6-2
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Macedonian
Fox
Belarusian
The grass snakes
Inuit
dogs
4.
[1pt]
What do all these constellations have in common?
All of the constellations are animals.
5.
[3pt]
Close the Aldebaran view and pick a different star of your choice. Pick three constellations that include this star (and at least
one other star). Draw each constellation below, paying attention to the orientation of the stars, the lines connecting them, and their
brightness (shown as the size of the dot). Note the name of each culture and constellation and label the star you chose.
Culture:
Arabic
Constellation:
the reins-holder
LAB 6-3
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Culture:
Chinese
Constellation:
five chariots
LAB 6-4
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Culture:
Hawaiian starlines
Constellation:
the canoe bailer of makalii
STEP 2: CONSTELLATION STORIES
The Hawaiian Astronomical Society writes the following about the constellation Scorpius and Maui’s Fishhook
1
:
In Greek mythology, the story of Scorpius involves Orion, the hunter. Orion boasted that he was the greatest hunter in the
universe. When Zeus' wife, Hera, heard what he was saying, she became infuriated and sent a poisonous scorpion to kill him.
Orion fought with this creature for days and nights without any success. When weary Orion was not looking, the creature
sneaked in and stung him to death. Zeus took pity on Orion and placed him in the heavens where he appears as a giant, with a
girdle, sword, lion's skin, and club. Hera placed the scorpion in the heavens at the opposite end of the sky, so even now, Orion
tries to avoid the creature by hiding until it is completely under the horizon. On the other hand, Scorpius rises in the east when a
few stars of Orion still linger above the western horizon.
In Hawaii, we know Scorpius as the demigod Maui's Fishhook. One day Maui went fishing with his brothers in their outrigger
canoe. He brought with him a magic fishhook, instructing his brothers that whatever he caught with it, they were to continue
paddling and never look back. Maui caught a huge object and asked his brothers to paddle harder while he pulled the line. As
Maui hauled, many rocks appeared. The more he pulled, the more rocks appeared. Finally, he pulled hard enough that the large
chunks of land surfaced from the ocean. His brothers, tired from all the rowing, and curious about Maui's catch, looked back.
One of the brothers called out, "Look, Maui is pulling up land!" Furious, Maui responded, "Fools! Had you not looked back,
these islands would have been a great land." We now know these islands as Hawaii. New Zealanders tell a similar story about
Maui and their land.
Use your imagination to picture how the Ancient Greeks saw Scorpius and how the Native Hawaiians saw Maui’s Fishhook in the stars
below. In the space provided, do your best to fill in the pictures you imagined. For example, if you drew the constellation Orion, it might
look like these pictures below
2
:
1 Scorpius and Maui’s Fishhook website from the Hawaiian Astronomical Society: www.hawastsoc.org/deepsky/sco/
2 Image credits: Left— Richard David Serros at www.serrosstudios.com/orion-gallery/
; Right— Atse’et’sozi, Navajo, Chinle Unified School District.
LAB 6-5
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Draw Scorpius below:
Draw Maui’s Fishhook below:
[2pt]
How do you think the region of the world where Indigenous civilizations lived might affect the “figures” they saw in the night sky?
It can be different figures because they live in different areas that
STEP 3: Create Your Own Constellation
[2pt]
In the space below, draw down some stars and create your own constellations. Write down
2-3 complete sentences
below
explaining your constellation that has a meaning or value to you, whether it is about family, relationships, people, culture, the society, or
nature, something that you care about. If you have time, share it with your classmates.
LAB 6-6
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The constellation is a chess piece. Chess is important to me because it is a big stress relief for myself and help me stay sane during covid-
19 quarantine. The piece I choose was the knight, it is my favorite piece in chess and helped me win tournament games.
LAB 6-7