New stars in the old sky

Australia is peculiar in many ways. One of them is our sky map. Did you know that Australian constellations are totally different from those you’re used to seeing in the Northern hemisphere? That’s right, these are no Ursa Major, Cassiopeia and others of the sort. None of those shapes you’d look for in the night sky back home. Instead, we have the mysterious Tucana, Phoenix and of course the Southern Cross. Here is a photo of this constellation that marks the South Pole of our planet http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap080707.html. Locals know it by another name, though. Since ancient times, aboriginal tribes have referred to it as ‘the Emu in the sky.’ If you look close, you can really see its body and head outlined by several dark nebulas against the Milky Way. By the way, there is a nice Australian legend for it too. Long ago, people here believed that after death their soul would be taken by a mystical canoe down the sky river. I like to use that image in my meditation, fancying myself hovering among the stars, taking in their energy and light… The sight of the night sky makes me feel so free and inspired! When you are in Australia, you can’t miss a single minute of your time, be it day or night!