Research Paper on Constellations

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no written calendars or maps. Therefore, there was no sense for determining when to harvest the crops or for direction except by the stars (Krco). The constellations were a large help in shaping the history of navigation and agriculture, even calendars.

Over time, the ancient peoples began to notice that with each season, a part of a constellation would be more or less observable:

“Throughout the year, different parts of the sky and therefore different constellations become visible to us as the Earth completes its annual orbit around the Sun. The constellations we see at night are those that are located behind the Earth on our side of the Sun, as we cannot see those constellations in the opposite direction behind the bright Sun during the day…Which constellations can be viewed throughout the year depends upon your latitude and will vary from different locations around the world” (“Ten Interesting Facts About Star Constellations”).

Eventually, the ancients had the constellations memorized. For example, ancient people knew winter was coming soon when constellation Orion began to show and summer or spring was approaching if the Summer Triangle constellation was visible in the night sky. By memorizing the patterns of the constellations and relating it to the seasons, farmers knew when to plan for their harvest, plant their harvest, and when the prime time for growing was about to come to an end. In fact, the oldest artifact found that used the stars to align itself was used as a means of agriculture. When certain stars shined through the holes in the piece, they predicted when certain crops should be planted and what time of year was coming. Constellations were crucial in keeping up with time, even before 2200 B.C ("Oldest Known Art and Agriculture Calendar in New World Discovered”).

Not only could the visible patterns in the night sky help measure time and keep up with which seasons were upcoming. Back then, constellations were the only navigational tool for all types of travel (Sesti 36). The ancient peoples figured out that there is one star that is always accessible in the night sky, The North Star, a part of the Ursa Minor or the Big Dipper Constellation. The stars surrounding The North Star were called pointer stars and are the edges of the big pot. If found under The North Star, that is “true North” and the pointer stars around it are about five times the distance between them and the North Star. Therefore, a person can figure out his or her location just by determining the length the stars are away from each other and by how high the North Star is in the sky. Using constellations for navigation in ancient times, allowed ships to travel the vast ocean, the discover America, spread all cultures and develop civilization as we know it today (Krco 7-21).

Constellations have a realistic purpose in modern times as well. Constellations help to identify stars and decide their names. In order to name the stars, an astronomer would identify the constellation the star is located in and then choose from the brightest to dimmest star, labeled by the Greek alphabet (Krco 26-29). By recognizing new stars inside of constellations, astronomers make room for future space innovations whether it is inside the same constellation or not. Constellations guide present day astronomers to identify new parts of the universe to study as well as to elaborate on the previous findings found within.

The man still looks to the skies in amazement. But, currently there are lights to brighten up the night, telescopes to view the vast skies, and space travels to lessen the mysteries. Now, looking up into a clear night with thousands of stars sparkling overhead, their composure is no longer a secret. The figures the star’s form are not used to create fairy tales in an excuse to make sense of their creation. Instead, constellations current purposes include the naming and locating of new stars, galaxies, planets, and other objects. Correspondingly, the 88 constellations of the entire sky are primarily utilized for making money by astronomers and astrologists. In fact, the more we learn about the universe, the less important the history behind constellations becomes.

Works Cited

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“Oldest Known Art and Agriculture Calendar in New World Discovered.” Oldest Known Art and Agriculture Calendar in New World Discovered. University of Missouri-Columbia, 12 May 2006. Web. Apr. 2016.

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