When we arrange the stars into constellations it helps us to map the sky
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The Unchanging Sky
The unvarying aspect of the relationships of the
stars' positions may have suggested to the ancients something that was analogous to
their beliefs about the universe. It is not surprising that they chose to express
their beliefs metaphorically, believing that groups of stars, constellations, and
moving planets were associated with their deeply held stories of the creation,
sustenance, and destruction of the universe. Human beings, even now, use metaphor
to express deeply held beliefs, in the
poetry
and
art of societies.
In more modern times some of the ancient designations for star arrangements have remained, giving us a flavor
of what the world felt like when the sky was "closer". The names, positions and
groupings of stars help us to give order to the sky in our minds.
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