Have you ever looked at the night sky- looking for shapes and naming them? How about the clouds in the sky- what images do you see? Clouds change in an instant, but the stars have their rhythms. Some are always visible, some seem to change places, some appear to disappear and then come back. Over time people associated the movement of the stars with measuring time, planting, navigating, and knowing when the beasts migrate across the plains. The daily count came from the sun, the monthly count from the moon and the yearly count came from the stars that reappear or disappear on the horizon every six months!  It was crucial to be able to remember a cluster of stars if it only arrives every 6 months. And that’s when the stories are created and passed on to the next generation.

There are 88 constellations recognised by the International Astronomical Union each of which has a story behind it. Some of the constellations “link up” to retell some of the Greek Myths but other cultures have their own stories of the night sky.  Nowadays knowing these stories helps with star constellation recognition, crucial for scientists to observe changes in the night sky which may affect us. Einstein is attributed to saying that to encourage intelligence in a child, tell them fairy stories. And to become more intelligent – more fairy stories. Being able to “see” the stories helps to develop both imagination and curiosity “muscles” when seeking to make sense of shapes in the sky. Skills and attributes that both adult and young scientists need!  

It explores how other cultures view the night sky as well as the Greek centric myths.