constellations

Hi guys
Just had this email through from Tessa regarding information about constellations...

>>> On 23/03/2010 at 06:57, in message <56451248-6A62-4DEC-9672-8DAF3B88BD22@cfa.harvard.edu>, Jean-Michel Désert wrote:
Hi Tessa,

Good to hear from you! It was really great to see you in NY. Will I see you next week in LA? I hope so...

Thanks for asking me about the constellations. However, I have to admit that my knowledge about them is very limited. Surely, the name of the constellation reflect the knowledge development of the people who named them. But this is only one part of there names. The most important parts being history and mythology. Chinese or pre-Columbian constellations for example are defined by very different tales compared to the antics (Greco-mesopotamian) that we use in our civilization.

The Chained Lady, the Microscope and the Southern Fish, are 3 different constellations (which themselves are part of other constellations defined by other civilizations) which have been named at different epochs (just to be clear, they are not the same constellation with 3 different names). Therefore, one can argue that this constellations reflect different knowledge. De Lacaille for example named southern constellations during the mid-eighteenth century with technical instrumental names such as the "Microscope", reflecting the enlightenment of science at that time.


Excellent! Constellation have been used to map our sky and find our ways! -- you cannot be lost anymore.

The title that you have chosen sounds really great. I hope that you'll keep it! It sounds really great.

Unfortunately, I don't have a great knowledge about constellations. However, there must be modern editions of Bayer and Hevelius books who named most of the constellation that we know today (in the 17th century). I am sure that it must be quite interesting to flip through them. There is a classic book in the US ("The Book of constellations"), but you may find it a bit boring since it is mainly descriptive.

I am sorry that I I am not helping you more, but this is the limit of my knowledge on this subject.

I hope that this will help. Please let me know if you need more information. I could definitely look more into that subject.


Jean-Michel