| While modern astronomers refer to most stars solely | | | | who was attacked by an octopus. The fisherman |
| by catalog numbers and astronomy coordinates, many | | | | defended himself by using a stone to stab the head of |
| people informally name stars using name a star | | | | the octopus. Although the octopus was wounded he |
| services. In fact, throughout history people from various | | | | was able to spray his ink, behind which he hid and was |
| cultures have used star names of their own choosing: | | | | able to escape. The Chimu Indians of Peru believed |
| Many civilizations explained their existence through | | | | that the middle star of Orion's belt represented a thief |
| mythological stories passed from generation to | | | | or mischief maker that the Moon Goddess punished. |
| generation, and often associated these stories with the | | | | The Moon Goddess punished the wrongdoer by |
| stars in the night sky. As we'll see, even a major car | | | | sending two stars to capture him and send him to four |
| company is named after the stars. | | | | vultures that would eat him. This mythological story |
| To illustrate, let's start with a constellation (an area of | | | | served as a warning for those who would commit |
| the night sky) modern astronomers have named after | | | | crimes. |
| a character from Greek and Roman mythology - | | | | Another interesting example from classical mythology |
| "Orion," the Great Hunter. Orion is one of the most well | | | | is related to a beautiful group of stars in the |
| known and easily-identifiable constellations, and can be | | | | constellation Taurus called "The Pleiades," or "The |
| seen from just about anywhere on Earth: The best | | | | Seven Sisters." These stars are visible in the evening |
| time to view Orion is during the evening hours | | | | sky from roughly November through April, and are |
| between roughly December and March. Many classical | | | | often confused with "The Little Dipper" (which is in |
| mythology stories are told about Orion and how he | | | | another constellation) as the bright stars of the |
| came to be placed in the heavens. One such story is | | | | Pleiades together resemble a very small dipper, or |
| that Orion had no fear of any animal and therefore | | | | ladle. The story from classical mythology is that Orion, |
| threatened to exterminate all of the animals of the | | | | the hunter, became enamored of these seven |
| earth. When Gaia, the goddess of the earth, heard this | | | | beautiful ladies, and relentlessly pursued them |
| she became enraged and sent a scorpion to kill Orion. | | | | throughout the world. Taking pity on the young women, |
| When Orion encountered the scorpion he was unable | | | | Zeus placed them in the heavens where Orion |
| to kill it, and the scorpion stung Orion and sent him | | | | continues to pursue them in the night sky. |
| falling to the earth, fatally wounded. In honor of this | | | | Many cultures have also associated the Pleiades with |
| story, Orion was placed in the night sky as a | | | | females or femininity. The Australian Aborigines saw |
| constellation, as was the scorpion - known as the | | | | this group of stars as a cluster of girls who were |
| constellation "Scorpius." | | | | musicians. These girls play their instruments for a group |
| While 21st century astronomers refer to the | | | | of young boys who are represented by the stars |
| constellation "Orion" after a hunter from classical | | | | seen in Orion's belt. Some Native American tribes |
| mythology, other cultures have had different | | | | viewed the Pleiades as seven mothers who were |
| interpretations of these same stars. One of the | | | | looking for their seven lost sons: According to the |
| distinguishing features of Orion is a line of three, bright | | | | Chumash Indians of California, these seven sons had |
| stars that form what is called "The Belt of Orion." The | | | | become the stars of the Big Dipper. The Kiowa Indians |
| ancient Egyptians thought these three bright stars | | | | saw these stars as young women who were placed |
| were the resting place of the god Osiris. The Dogon | | | | in the heavens by the Great Spirit so as to save them |
| people of West Africa viewed the three stars as the | | | | from attacking bears. In Norse mythology, they were |
| stairway to heaven. These same three stars have | | | | the hens of Freya, the goddess of love, beauty and |
| been associated with Christmas, viewed as | | | | fertility. In Japan the Pleiades were known as "Subaru," |
| representing the Magi - "The Three Wise Men" (The | | | | after which a Japanese car company is named. |
| Three Kings) from the Bible. The people of the | | | | Naming stars, then, is an age-old custom that has been |
| Marshall Islands viewed Orion's stars as an octopus | | | | practiced by different civilizations around the world. |
| and a fisherman: The story told was of a fisherman | | | | |
