Just the facts, Ma’am

What is Ethnoastronomy?

It is the investigation of how cultures perceive the celestial vault. They don’t just look at the stars; Ethnoastronomers uncover the stories, myths, time and navigation techniques that define civilizations.

What’s the difference between an asterism and a Constellation?

A constellation is an officially recognized grouping of stars. In 1922 and 1930 the International Astronomical Union divided existing common asterisms into 88 constellations, each with precise boundaries. Examples of constellations are Orion, Ursa Major, and Perseus.

An asterism is a recognizable pattern of stars, but not necessarily an official constellation. Asterisms can be part of a constellation or span multiple constellations. Think of the sky as a road map. Constellations are like countries with official borders. Asterisms are like landmarks, roads, or shapes people see within or across those countries.

How many asterisms and cultures has the World Asterism Project collected so far?

The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada’s World Asterism Project is a listing of as many asterisms from as many cultures as possible. It expands all the time. Since I started the project in 2021 we have uncovered over 19,000 asterisms from 771 cultures from ancient civilizations to modern day culture. See the Evidence Locker for a link to the Project.

“Constellations are official. Asterisms are personal. That’s where the clues get interesting.”

Asterism Detective

No smoking gun,
No guilty face,
Just ancient lines of light.
Connecting dreams
Across the world,
One clear winter night.

The sky remembers
What we forget,
Its evidence won’t fade.
Each generation
Adds a page
To every starry case.