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Abstract:
Aboriginal people in Australia have a rich astronomical tradition such
as the "Emu in the Sky" constellation of dark clouds, and stories
about the Sun, Moon, and stars, revealing a depth and complexity of
pre-contact Aboriginal cultures which are not widely appreciated by
outsiders. Not only did they know the sky intimately, but they were
familiar with planetary motions, tides, and eclipses. Their songs and
stories show that Aboriginal Australians sought to understand their
Universe in a similar way to modern science. They used this knowledge
of the sky to construct calendars, songlines, and other navigational
tools, enabling them to navigate across the country, trading artefacts
and sacred stories. The image above is a bark painting showing
sky-stories by Dhuwarriny Yunupingu of the Yolngu people.
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