Myths about the Sky, Constellations, and Stars

Since long ago, people around the world have associated the heavens, the stars, and the patterns they make in the sky with their gods and goddesses. Links from this page will take you to descriptions of the role of selected stars, star patterns, and related gods and goddesses in various cultures.
This is the <a href="/the_universe/Constellations/summer/scorpio.html&edu=high&dev=">Greek constellation Scorpius</a>, the scorpion. It contains a bright star, <a href="/the_universe/antares.html&edu=high&dev=">Antares</a>, that is often referred to as "the heart of the scorpion". To the ancient Greeks, Scorpius was related to the death of the hunter <a href="/mythology/orion.html&edu=high&dev=">Orion</a>.<p><small><em></em></small></p>

Explore Myths about the Sky, Constellations, and Stars

Stars

Explore myths about specific stars in the night sky ...Read more

Constellations

Learn about how different cultures associated myths with arrangements of stars in the sky. ...Read more

Sky

Explore myths from various cultures about the sky and the heavens. ...Read more

Historical Events

Full Earth and Space Science    History Calendar (Members only)

Teacher Opportunities

Full Teacher Events Calendar (Educator Members only)

Did you know?

Did you know that the Maya believed that the Earth was flat, and that there was a jaguar called a bacab in each corner that supported the sky?

Did you know that the Japanese god Susanowo was the god of the sea and storms, and that he had a terrible temper?

 

Earth and Space Science Concept of the Day

Do you know what this word or phrase means?

Quaternary
xQuaternary : The Quaternary is the geologic time period comprising about the last 1.65 million years.

Click on the word to find out!

Research Highlights

Unprecedented Warming in East Africa's Lake Tanganyika

Lake Tanganyika, the second-oldest and second-deepest lake in the world, could be in for some rough waters. Geologists have determined that the East African rift lake has experienced unprecedented warming...Read more


Windows to the Universe, a project of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, is sponsored in part is sponsored in part through grants from federal agencies (NASA and NOAA), and partnerships with affiliated organizations, including the American Geophysical Union, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Earth System Information Partnership, the American Meteorological Society, the National Center for Science Education, and TERC. The American Geophysical Union and the American Geosciences Institute are Windows to the Universe Founding Partners. NESTA welcomes new Institutional Affiliates in support of our ongoing programs, as well as collaborations on new projects. Contact NESTA for more information. NASA ESIP NCSE HHMI AGU AGI AMS NOAA