Research Paper on Constellations

Why were constellations created by ancient man and how are they still a part of our culture?

The man has always been fascinated by the stars and the vastness of the sky. Before there were electric lights the night was much darker and thus the stars must have seemed much brighter. Before there was telescopes and space travel the night sky would have been a vast mystery. Imagine looking up into a clear night with thousands of sparkling lights and not knowing what a star was made of or how it was formed. In an effort to make sense of the galaxies, stories were produced to explain these mysterious lights in the heavens. Look into the night sky, take the stars and put them into imaginary shapes. By doing this, a constellation has been created. Even though “there is little similarity between the geometric star patterns on which the constellations are based and the fully detailed drawing of the constellations” (Smith). The imaginary patterns formed by the stars have already been defined and named multiple centuries ago. Constellations are and always have been visible in all parts of the world, no matter the view. Why were constellations created by ancient man and how are they still a part of our culture? Over the year’s constellations have served many roles including religious storytelling, entertainment, and guidance purposes like keeping up with time and navigation.

Although constellations have many functions, according to astronomer Marko Krco the first use for constellations was most likely religious. The night sky was considered heavenly to the ancients, therefore, the gods created and resided in them. Ancient Greeks saw the heavens as an immaculate bronze dome upon which the constellations were placed. Half of the dome was believed to be embedded in the lands of the dead and the other half rose up into the heavens. The Gemini constellation also called the twins, is an illustration of the two halves and is said to divide the time equally between heaven and hell (Atsma 5-8). In an attempt to understand the world around them many cultures used these star patterns and their position in the sky to tell stories of the gods. Constellations in Greek mythology were primarily god favored or cursed and originated from the great gods themselves. (Atsma 3). For instance, the constellation Andromeda means the princess in Greek and is about a beautiful princess who boasted of her beauty and ended up paying for her ego by eventually being turned into a rock. She is the daughter of Queen Cassiopeia and King Cepheus, who are also named after large constellations and are legends throughout Greek mythology (“Greek Constellations” 1-10).

Even though constellation names are derived from the Greek language: “The Greeks, did not invent them. Many people speculate that the ancient Babylonians and Sumerians are the actual inventors of many of the constellations. These cultures passed the tradition on to the ancient Egyptians and Greeks, who then passed on to others” (Smith). Therefore, the Greeks are not the only culture who believed that the positions of the stars were God’s way of telling stories The same stars that are considered to depict Orion’s story, a great Greek Hunter also depict the story of Osiris, by the Egyptians. Even in ancient times, “each different culture developed their own interpretation” (Krco 16). Another culture who used constellations and stars in relation to their God’s and Heaven are the Native American tribes associated with the Black Hills. Theses Native American tribes shared the same star myths, constellations and land Features with each other and passed them from generation to generation (Sandstorm and Bradley).

In previous eras, constellations played a huge role in religious circumstances. It was alleged that the designs the stars formed were produced by the gods and was the galaxies way of sharing its own account for the gods’ creations: “The stories were part of their religions, helping them to explain everyday events, such as the seasons” (Smith).

Constellations were heavenly structures in the sky that gave each culture proof to believe that their god or gods were real.

After years and years of passing down stories constructed by the Gods about the natural patterns in the sky and their names, the process was classified as a science and called Astrology. “Astrology is the use of rules about the relative positions and movements of heavenly bodies to generate predictions and explanations for actual events on Earth and to determine human personality traits” (“Astrology: Is it Scientific?”). Although Astrology was a form of science to predict actual events and depict religious stories, over time astrology became a source of pure entertainment.

In modern times, constellations groups are used mostly to predict one’s horoscope, in simple terms, astrology. Astrology deals with personal natures by providing a way out for those who can not make their own decisions and most importantly as a way to make money. Although astrological paraphernalia and horoscope predictions exist, 7 out of 10 Americans do not believe in astrology and only 11 percent of predictions are actually proven to come true (Bakich 37-40). However, some people may find that they fit their horoscope to a tee. These people go about their day, week, month or even year, hoping to fulfill the predictions of the Zodiac. These days, horoscopes are specifically developed to entertain. Why else would the most accessible place to find horoscopes be online and next to the comics’ section in the newspaper: “So if ever you're tempted to pick up the newspaper and read your horoscope, remember: astrology is — by every scientific and rational test — fiction” (Bakich 41).

Constellations in the entertainment category can serve up more than just horoscopes. Star gazing and constellation admiring have been a past time for centuries. What else was one to do when there was no Wi-Fi, TV, technology or even books, this is why “constellations have been called humanity’s oldest picture book” (Pontikis). People of all ages can admire the night sky and hunt for the constellation clusters that have been passed down from generation to generation. People can even craft their own constellation by simply connecting separate stars to form a specific object. They could even make their own story out of it, but then again, people don’t. As time has passed, people’s imaginations have decreased and this pastime has lost its grand appeal that once stood. Although star gazing is still something to do at night, the tales like the story of Andromeda and The Big Dipper have lost its significance significantly.

On the other hand, guidance is a more practical and scientific use of constellations. In ancient times, there was