These checklists and the additional exerises (at the bottom of this page) are required for the Gold Level certification (certificate and pin).  You must also complete the Obsolete Constellation checklist (the Silver Level).

In studying the constellations and star groups of other cultures, it is important to note the similarities and differences. Many cultures, for instance, saw a pattern in what we call the asterism the Big Dipper. However, their lore and traditions may be different than ours, or may have changed over time. To meet the requirements of this portion, all the information provided for the Obsolete Constellations should be provided, as well as answering these 5 questions for each grouping researched and sketched:

1. Does the selected and sketched pattern resemble any known asterism or official constellation that we use today? If so, which one(s)?
2. Did the culture in this section have a similar mythology (e.g. dogs, hunter, boat, etc.)?
3. If yes, describe any material differences in either the figure’s star pattern as imagined by the culture, and / or the difference in the mythology.
4. Is it likely that this star group, for this culture, may have been influenced by older or adjacent cultures? If so, whom?
5. If, for this culture, this group was significant for calendar, crop, or social events, describe what was involved, and how the timing or the appearance of the group was important or useful.

Special Note:

• Please note, that due to issues with differing research interpretations of some of the ancient constellations, you can substitute another constellation from the same culture if you are having difficulty identifying specific constellationsof other cultures.
• For example:  Te Te – The 2 Groups (Akkadian).  This may be replaced by another constellation from the same culture (Asian) as long as all of the requirements of the program are met using the new constellation.

These constellations are a bit more of a challenge than the obsolete constellations.  We have included websites that are helpful under source.  If you discover other helpful websites, please let the Coordinator know.  We suggest asking your local library to see if they can get a copy of the books mentioned.

Native American Star Groups (20):

Star Group	Tribe	Source	Completed
Never Ending Bear Hunt	Micmac	Website
She is Sitting	Seneca	Book: Stars of the First People, Dorcas S Miller, p 72
Coyote’s Family	Shoshone	Website
Slingshot Stars	Cochiti Pueblos	Book: They Dance in the Sky, Jean Guard Monroe & Ray A. Williamson
Star Zigzag	Zuni Pueblos	Website
Real Snake	Pawnee	Website
Wolf That Hangs at the Side of the Heavens	Osage	Website
3 Persons in a Race	Coeur d’Alene	Book: Stars of the First People, Dorcas S Miller, p 122
Lodge of Spider Man	Blackfoot	PDF File
Stones Supporting a Lamp	Inuit	Website
3 Who Went Together	Apache	Book: Stars of the First People, Dorcas S Miller, p 194
Spiderman’s Fingers	Blackfoot	PDF File
Mountain Sheep	Paiute	Website
4 Big Ones	Zuni Pueblos	Book: Stars of the First People, Dorcas S Miller, p 183
Snake Not Real	Pawnee	Book: Stars of the First People, Dorcas S Miller, p 225
Grizzly Bear	Shoshone	Website
Horned Head of Wild Animal	Iroquois	Book: Stars of the First People, Dorcas S Miller, p 72
The Arm / Elbow Stars	Cherokee	Book: Myths of the Cherokee, James Mooney
Long Sash’s Place of Doubt	Tewa	Website
Spirit’s Path / Road of Dead	Ojibway	Website

 

Asian Star Groups (10):

Star Group	Translation	Source	Completed
Tien Ta Tsaeng	Heaven’s Great General (China)	website
Kasah Shekesteh	Broken Platter (Persia)	website
Arye	Lion (Hebrew)	website
Mithuna	Boy and Girl (India)	website
Tien Ching	Celestial Balance (China)	website
Al Babadur	The Strong One (Arabian)	website
Te Te	The 2 Groups (Akkadian)	website
Chang Jin	The Old Folks (China)	website
Al Rakis	Dancer (Arabian)	website
Acvini	Horse or Horseman	website

 

Central and South American Star Groups (5):

Star Group	Translation	Source	Completed
Colca	Shepherd (Peru)	website or website
Tzab	Rattlesnake’s Tail (Aztec)	website
Ac Ek	Turtle (Mayan)	website
Citlaltlachtli	Ballcourt (Aztec)	website
Urcuchillay	Llama (Inca)	website

 

African Star Groups (5):

Star Group	Translation	Source	Completed
Monius	Water (Egypt)	PDF File
Flock of Birds	Flock of Birds (Sotho)	PDF File
Meant	Sky Figure (Egypt)	PDF File
dintsa le Dikolobe	3 Dogs Chasing 3 Pigs (Tswana)	Website
IsiLimela	Digging Stars (Xhosa)	PDF File

 

Australian Star Groups (5) (Note: only a portion of some of these are visible in the north):

Star Group	Translation	Source	Completed
Emu	Emu (Gurangai)	Website
Julpan	Canoe (Yolngu)	Website
Maya-Mayi	Sisters (Wurundjeri)	Website
Woodliparri	House River (Yolngu)	Website
Forbidden Fish	(Yolngu)	Website

 

Pacific Islanders Star Groups (5):

Star Group	Translation	Source	Completed
Moroporo	Boiling Lights (Phillipines)	Website
Ke Kā o Makali‘i	Canoe Bailer (Hawaii)	Website
Ha’amonga	Sun Gate (Tonga)	Website
Ka Makau Nui o Māui	Big Fishhook (Hawaii)	Website
Matariki	Eyes of God (Maori)	Website

 

Additional Exercises:

1. Do you have a star group or groups that you enjoy that is not one of the “official” constellations? If so, sketch them on the observing form (remember to complete all required data), and answer these questions:
   1. Do you associate the star group with any date or season, or memory of its “discovery” by you?
   2. What does the figure look like (e.g. horse, king, spoon, etc.)?
   3. Do you have a story or anecdote you would like to share about this star group?
2. Sketch the following on the provided log sheet (none of the usual data is required, other than your name):
   1. The Sun is an average star, so it is not seen as spectacularly bright from other star systems as in our sky. But, assuming you could see it, and you were on a planet at the following stars, where would the Sun appear in your sky, and how would the official constellation it is “in” change from what we see here? For simplicity, assume all the other stars stay in the same relative place.
      1. Alpha Centauri
      2. Deneb
      3. Betelguese
   2. 12,000 years ago, at the dawn of agriculture, the precession of the equinoxes not only gave us a different North Pole Star (Vega) but caused some of the constellations we see easily now to be invisible from around 40 deg N latitude. For simplicity, ignore any changes that may have occurred over the centuries due to star proper motion.
      1. Name 2 official or alternate constellations we see now that were probably hard to see then, and sketch the southern horizon at their highest point, including both groups in the sketch
      2. Name 2 official or alternate constellations we have difficulty seeing now that would have been easy then, and repeat the sketching exercise for those 2 groups
      3. Given this, are there any alternate, official or non-European groups that make more sense if we consider that they may have been “discovered” long ago? If so, name it and indicate (with a separate sketch) how it looked at its highest point 12,000 years ago.