Task and resources

Your teacher will divide you into groups and assign a "culture" to each group.

Use the links below to prepare a presentations on how your assigned culture had developed a differing view of astronomy and explanantions for the constellations and other objects oberved in the sky.

1. European (Roman, Greek)
   • Myths about the Sky, Constellations and Stars - from Windows to the Universe, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
   • The Mythology of the Constellations
   • The Constellations
   • Naming The Constellations - Who Named the Constellations?
   • The Stories of the Constellations - from Upper Freehold Regional School District
   • Constellation Lore
2. Australian Aborigines
   • Astronomy and Australian Indigenous People - from Astronomical Society of South Australia
   • The Emu in the Sky
   • Astronomy - includes Australian Aboriginal beliefs
   • Aboriginal Astronomy
   • Aboriginal Astronomy
   • Aboriginal Astronomy
   • In the Eye of the Beholder
   • Aboriginal astronomy - dreaming in the sky
   • Seeing stars - in an entirely different way - from ABC Central Victoria
3. Egyptian
   • The Stories of the Constellations - from Upper Freehold Regional School District
   • Myths about the Sky, Constellations and Stars - from Windows to the Universe, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
   • Astrology in Ancient Egypt
   • Egyptian Astronomy
   • Constellation Lore
   • Constellations: Frequently Asked Questions
4. Central and South America
   • Myths about the Sky, Constellations and Stars - from Windows to the Universe, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
   • Secrets of the Incas - from Channel 4, see chapter on Myth and the Milky Way
   • Mayan Astronomy Page
   • Archaeoastronomy: Mayans
   • Archaeoastronomy: Aztecs
5. North America
   • Myths about the Sky, Constellations and Stars - from Windows to the Universe, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
   • Astronomy - from Encyclopedia of North American Indians
   • Mythology of North American Indians from Windows to the Universe
   • Archaeoastronomy: North America
6. Other
   • Myths about the Sky, Constellations and Stars - from Windows to the Universe, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
   • Archaeoastronomy: Middle east and Africa
   • Archaeoastronomy in Asia
   • Pacific
   • The Stories of the Constellations - from Upper Freehold Regional School District

---

Conclusion

1. What are five constellations visible from Australia?
2. Design alternative signs of the zodiac for each member of your group using the information from the culture you investigates or from the article you read about the Aboriginal zodiac. Here is a sample constellation.
   

Web Resources

• A beginner's guide to the Heavens in the Southern Hemisphere
• Free PDF Star Charts from the SFA Observatory
• Akira Fujii's Constellation pictures
• Australian (and Nearby Islands) Animal Printouts
• Stylised pictures of Australian animals

---

To notify us of any broken links or to suggest a site for inclusion on this page please send us an email, noting the url and name of this page in your email. Return to home page

---

© 1997 - 2010 UniServe Science

Page Maintained By: BioSciCH@mail.usyd.edu.au
Last Update: Thursday, 24-Mar-2005 14:22:37 EST
URL: http://science.uniserve.edu.au/school/sheets/constellations.html