Pathfinder:
Stars & Constellations
Stars & Constellations: Articles
Articles from scholarly journals are a great resource to supplement books. Many of these articles highlight different cultural histories of stars and constellations, a topic that often gets overlooked. Digital object identifiers (DOI) are included for those articles that can be found online through open access journals. However, many of the articles may be found behind a journal paywall. Users can find formal citations in APA format in the Bibliography section for each article so they can be easily interlibrary loaned.
1.
"The Sky at Night: Astronomical Knowledge in the New Kingdom" by Bert Bastijns in Ancient Egypt Magazine (2017), vol.18, issue 3.
This article brings to light the work of Ancient Egyptian astronomers and examines the sky charts found in Egyptian tombs.
2.
"Stars and Cultural Astronomy" by Bernadette Brady in Journal of Skyscape Archaeology (2018), vol. 4, issue 1.
This article gives a brief background on how humans have perceived stars and constellations throughout history. The author discusses what can be learned about cultural histories using their sky narratives and constellation stories.
3.
"Stars and Constellations of a Pawnee Sky Map" by Ralph N. Buckstaff in American Anthropologist (1927), vol. 29, issue 2.
This article analyzes a sky map of the Pawnee Native Americans, a Central Plains tribe. Although it's an older article, it gives a unique look at the stars and constellations that were important to their culture.
4.
"A Newly Documented Whole-Sky Circumpolar Constellation in Alaskan Gwich’in" by Chris Cannon and Gary Holton in Arctic Anthropology (2014), vol. 51, issue 2.
This article examines the single Gwich'in constellation yahdii which maps nearly the entire sky. It is an unique history from the perspective of one Alaska Native culture.
5.
"Alessandro Piccolomini and the First Printed Star Atlas (1540)"
by Nick Kanas in Imago Mundi (2006), vol. 58, issue 1.
This article discusses the first printed star atlas to bring together many different maps, manuscripts, and printed books on constellations. Included are references and analyses of Ancient Greek star maps.
https://doi-org.emporiastate.idm.oclc.org/10.1080/03085690500362355
6.
"Urban Skygazer" by Corey S. Powell in Discover (2013),
vol. 34, issue 6.
This article appeals to city dwellers who have to worry about air and light pollution when viewing the sky. It briefly touches on the best times to stargaze in spite of pollution. The article was written for Discover magazine, so it's not necessarily peer-reviewed the same way many articles from academic journals are.
7.
"Al-Farghānī on the 48 Ptolemaic Constellations: A Newly Discovered Text in Hebrew Translation" by Shlomo Sela in Aleph: Historical Studies in Science and Judaism (2016),
vol. 16, issue 2.
This article discusses the importance of stars and constellations to Jewish traditions starting from the 12th century. Included is a translation from a 13th century Hebrew text which shows the impact in Hebrew astronomy.
https://doi-org.emporiastate.idm.oclc.org/10.2979/aleph.16.2.249
