I don’t understand how one night a guy looked at the stars and said that if you draw a line between certain stars you can see a lion. And also were they chosen at random?
In: Planetary Science
Constellations aren’t “found” they’re created. Namely by enough people of the same culture agreeing that the same stars look like things. Different cultures have different constellations, but the Greco-Roman set has become popular worldwide with globalization.
It’s worth remembering that the night sky was a lot darker in the past. Light pollution is real. You’ve probably never seen a proper night sky like the people in the olden days, unless you’ve gone camping somewhere really remote. Or drove all the way out into the desert or something.
It’s a lot easier to see shapes when there are more bright things in the sky to connect.
Latest Answers