Download Name Lab Night________________

OTHER EYES/OTHER VIEWS (Rev 2/2013)
Part I: The constellations and stars shown by the Voyager program come mainly
from countries around the Mediterranean Sea. Besides being a character in the
Harry Potter movies, Draco was a dragon in Greco-Roman mythology. Perseus
and Andromeda are from Greek mythology. Gemini is Latin for twins but the “twin”
stars story came from Greek mythology. The constellation Taurus was associated
with a bull in ancient Egypt while the star names Mizar &Vega are of Arabic origin.
In Part I of this lab you will look for constellation names and descriptions from
other cultures. Pick one culture from each group below. Use the Internet to find a
description of the constellation from that culture using Google. Fill in information
requested on report form. The constellations in the cultures below must be a
different person, animal, or object from those on the standard list. It cannot
be the same but with a different name because the language is not English or
Latin. A little bear is still a little bear even though it might be called ein kleiner bar.
#1 (blanks 1-4) Pick one culture from Asia.
Chinese -Scorpio
Hindu-Scorpio
Japanese-Orion
#2 (blanks 5-8) Pick one culture from North America or South America.
Inca – Scorpio or Orion
Lakota- Orion
Mayan(Olmec) – Libra or Taurus
Navajo/Navaho- Ursa Major or Scorpio
#3 (blanks 9-12) Pick one culture from a hot climate.
Aboriginal (in Australia) – Orion
Egyptian – Cassiopeia or Sagittarius
Africa – search for Starlab African Mythology Cylinder- Ursa Major (Big Dipper) or
Taurus
#4 (blanks 13-16) Pick one culture from a cold climate.
Inuit – Ursa Major (Big Dipper)
Norse - Cassiopeia
Part II
Pick one of the constellations on the Star Quiz list for this semester. Come up with
a new name and description. Put on report form. For example Orion (the Hunter)
might be updated to become Rambo based on movies with Stallone as a Vietnam
veteran named Rambo. Ursa Major might become the Elephant. The bear’s tail
becomes the trunk of an elephant.
Part III Star Names
For these stars find out where the name of the star originated and the meaning of
the name. For example Fomalhaut is of Arabic origin and means mouth of the
whale. Sirius is the Latin form of a Greek name meaning scorcher. Your answer
must be for the name given below not just any name/country listed for the star.
Star List: Polaris, Rigel, Aldebaran, Arcturus, Altair, Deneb