Lesson 17.

Superstitions and Beliefs on

Constellations
 recall that different beliefs
1 and superstitions on
celestial bodies exist;
Objectives
recognize different beliefs
At the end 2 and superstitions on
of the constellations;
lesson, you
should be understand that beliefs
able to: and superstitions on
3 constellations vary from
culture to culture;
 recognize that there are
different constellations
Objectives 4 (and names of stars) for
At the end every culture; and
of the
lesson, you analyze whether or not
should be beliefs and superstitions
5 on constellations have a
able to:
scientific basis.
 Learn about It!

Superstitions and Beliefs on Constellations

● Creation of star patterns
can be traced back to the
ancient times.

● Several myths and stories

about gods, heroes, and
other mythological
creatures are associated
with various constellations.
The constellation Perseus was
named after a Greek hero who
beheaded Medusa.
 Learn about It!

Superstitions and Beliefs on Constellations

● Orion was a great Greek hunter.
He enraged the goddess Gaia
when he said that he would kill
all animals on the planet. The
goddess tried to kill him by using
a poisonous scorpion.

○ It is considered the reason

why Orion and Scorpius are Scorpius and Ophiuchus in the
not seen together in the sky. night sky
 Learn about It!

Superstitions and Beliefs on Constellations

● Ophiuchus was said to revive
Orion when he died.

○ It is considered to be the
explanation why Ophiuchus
is located between Scorpius
and Orion.

Scorpius and Ophiuchus in the

night sky
 Learn about It!

Superstitions and Beliefs on Constellations

● Other societies also
created their own
mythologies for the
constellations. Suzhou star
cartography
or the Chinese
● It usually introduced sky map
stories about a hero
who was rewarded
with a place in the sky.
 Learn about It!

Superstitions and Beliefs on Constellations

● Constellations in the
southern hemisphere are
usually not associated
with myths.

● Star patterns in the

southern hemisphere
were only recognized in
the 17th century by Constellations in the southern
European explorers. hemisphere
 Learn about It!

Superstitions and Beliefs on Constellations

Constellations and Agriculture

● Farmers have utilized the stars

in planning and
forming agriculture.

● Farmers near the equator

used constellations to know
the most suitable time to The appearance of Orion in the sky
is a sign that cold season is near.
plant and harvest crops.
 Learn about It!

Superstitions and Beliefs on Constellations

Constellations and Navigation

● Constellations have helped

with navigation.

● They have allowed ships to

navigate across the globe,
discover nations and land,
and spread cultures and Polaris, as it always points to the
civilizations. north, help in finding directions.
 Learn about It!

Superstitions and Beliefs on Constellations

Constellations and Astrology

● Astrology consists of belief

systems which mainly
include the association of
human affairs and behavior
with the motion of the
planets, the moon, and the
sun within the zodiac Astrology believes that events on
Earth are reflections of those that
constellations. take place in heaven.
 Learn about It!

Superstitions and Beliefs on Constellations

Zodiac Sign Common Name Dates of Birth Covered
Constellations and Aries The ram March 21 to April 19

Horoscope Taurus The bull April 20 to May 20

Gemini The twins May 21 to June 20
Cancer The crab June 21 to July 22
● In astrology, a Leo The lion July 23 to August 23
constellation is Virgo The virgin August 23 to September 22
believed to influence Libra The scales September 23 to October 22

a person born within Scorpio The scorpion October 23 to November 21

Sagittarius The bowman November 22 to December 21
the period covered Capricorn The goat December 22 to January 19
by a certain Zodiac Aquarius The water carrier January 20 to February 18
sign. Pisces The fishes February 19 to March 20
The different Zodiacs and their assigned dates
 Learn about It!

Superstitions and Beliefs on Constellations

Constellations and Horoscope

● Horoscopes present
descriptions about the
personalities of people
of a certain Zodiac sign.

● These predictions have

no scientific basis.
The 12 Horoscope symbols
 Learn about It!

Superstitions and Beliefs on Constellations

Constellations as Predictions
of the Future

● Stars were used to predict

weather in ancient times.

○ Sirius was associated with

drought.
Sirius in Canis Major (left) and
○ Cancer was associated Cancer (right)
with storm.
 Learn about It!

Superstitions and Beliefs on Constellations

Constellations as Predictions
of the Future

● Astrologers also view the

alignment of planets as
foretellers of disasters.

● The Mayans believed that

December 21, 2012 was the The Mayan calendar
end of the world. created by a craftsman
 Learn about It!

Superstitions and Beliefs on Constellations

● Astrologers in the early times
recorded the changing
locations of celestial bodies,
which provided valuable data
for the astronomers today.

● Zodiac and the other

constellations serve as sky
map, which helps in locating
several celestial bodies. Stargazing
Key Points

Astrology consists of belief systems which mainly

include the association of human affairs with the
1 motion of planets, the moon, and the sun within the
zodiac constellations.

Most of the beliefs and astrological traditions are

2 inspired by pagan customs and ancient religions.

Beliefs and superstitions on constellations vary from

3 culture to culture.
 Check Your Understanding

Complete the following table about the Zodiacs.

Zodiac Constellation Common Name Dates of Birth Covered
The bull April 20 to May 20
July 23 to August 23
The scales
Scorpio
Capricornus
The fishes February 19 to March 20
 Challenge Yourself

How are Filipino beliefs

and superstitions in
constellations similar
to and different from
those of other nations?
 Bibliography
Bagnall, Phillip M. 2012. The Star Atlas Companion: What You Need to Know About the Constellations.
New York: Springer

Cornell University Astronomy Department. “What are constellations used for?” Accessed September 22,
2017. http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/about-us/117-the-universe/stars-and-star-clusters/
constellations/375-what-are-constellations-used-for-intermediate

Eastern Illinois University. “Connecting the Dots: Understanding the Constellations.” Accessed
September 22, 2017. http://www.eiu.edu/eiutps/Constellations.pdf

Education and Public Engagement at the Lunar and Planetary Institute. “The Myths, the Magic, and the
Mysteries of the Universe.” Accessed September 22, 2017.
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/skytellers/constellations/

Institute for Astronomy University of Hawaii. “Constellations.” Accessed September 22, 2017.
https://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/~barnes/ASTR110L_F03/constellations.html
 Bibliography

NASA Space Place. “Do constellations ever break apart or change?” Accessed September 21, 2017.
https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/review/dr-marc-space/constellations.html

The Ohio State University Department of Astronomy. “Lecture 6: Daily & Annual Motions.” Accessed
September 21, 2017. http://www.astronomy.ohiostate.edu/~pogge/Ast161/Unit2/motions.html

University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Astronomy. “The Closest Star to the Earth.” Accessed
September 22, 2017. http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/extra/nearest.html

University of Iowa Astronomy and Astrophysics. “Stars.” Accessed September 20, 2017.
http://astro.physics.uiowa.edu/~kaaret/s09/L12_starsmainseq.pdf

University of Michigan. “Introduction to the Constellations.” Accessed September 22, 2017.

http://umich.edu/~lowbrows/guide/constellations.html