This documents contains flow, info in which a Stargazing experience can be conducted
Environment:
● Dark Sky
● Preferable on new moon or few days before/after new moon. Check for Moonrise timings
as well. A proper plan using apps like Stellarium is really helpful.
● Silence is needed
● Campsites which are open are ideal for Stargazing (eg. Almost all campsites in Kashmir
Great Lakes and Tarsar Marsar; Nayata in Dayara Bugyal; Tilandi and Brahmatal in
Brahmatal; Balu ka Ghera, Chhatru in Hampta Pass; Bhoj Gadi, Pushtara in Phulara
Ridge etc)
● Have a flat area
● Can make trekkers sit/stand in a circle
● Also, during warmer months you can use the mattress from the dining tent with sleeping
bags. Make trekkers lie down in a circle.
What to focus on based on season:
● In summer months - April to September, the Milky Way Galaxy is the most prominent
thing in the night sky. Big Dipper, Small Dipper, Scorpion
● In the winters - November to February - Orion constellation is the most prominent object
in the night sky. Other important constellations and stars - Taurus, Canis Major (includes
the brightest star - Sirius), Big Dipper, Gemini
● Tell stories about certain stars and constellations (Orion and Constellation<Greek>, Ursa
Major<Greek>/Saptarshi<Indian>
Other Things that can be covered:
● Tell about vastness of the universe, galaxies, planets and stars. Size of Earth and Sun in
comparison with a Red Supergiant like Betelguese
● Death and Birth of a Star…Supernova
● Distance from Earth and certain stars in terms of light years…Can use examples of stars
like Vega(25 light years), Arcturus(36 light years) and Betelguese(497 light years)
● Play ‘Pale Blue Dot’ Audio by Carl Sagan…This connects very well with humility and
makes everyone realise about our insignificance in the Cosmos as well as importance of
ourselves and our Earth and be grateful for that.
● Navigation with Constellations/Asterisms - Big Dipper/Cassiopiea/Polaris for North,
Aguila/Milky Way for East-West, Scorpius/Orion’s Sword for South
● Season’s with help of constellation -> Orion-Winter, Pisces-Autumn, Scorpius-Summer,
Libra-Spring
● Zodiac - Astronomy vs Astrology:
https://physics.weber.edu/palen/clearinghouse/labs/Planisphere/sign.html
The Mallee Aborigines in northeast Australia knew to head to the coast to hunt magpie geese when the
orange Arcturus made its heliacal rising. Arcturus was on hand once more to remind the Aborigines that it
was time to set out to collect wood-ant larvae when it could be seen in the early evening.
The North American Arctic Inuit used two of the stars we have used to find north in a different way. For
them, Altair and Aquila formed part of their own constellation, Aagjuuk—it is worth bearing in mind that all
constellations are figments of local imaginations and we are free to invent our own if it helps our cause. I
do so regularly. The Inuit use the regular appearance of Aagjuuk to understand when the bearded seals
are migrating from open sea to the shore, and this triggers the start of their hunting season. Many
cultures, from ancient Egypt to contemporary Mursi in Ethiopia, have tied the seasonal flooding habits of
rivers to the annual and dependable timing of the stars.
While there is no urgent need, there is equally no reason why we should not enjoy such methods. In
different parts of the country and indeed the world, nature’s exact seasonal timings will be influenced by
local factors, but the principles are the same the world over.
Starboard
Flow/Idea:
The Night sky is interesting... There's patterns there
If you look into the Northern Sky you will come across a constellation which different cultures
viewed in the a different way.
Big Dipper - North America
La Casserole - French
Wooden Plough - Medieval England
Celestial bureaucrats on his rounds about the sky, seated on the clouds - Ancient Chinese
Seven Oxen - Romans
Charles' Wagon - Northern Europe
Tail of a great bear - Ancient Greeks(story of Callisto) and Native Americans
Seven Sages/Saptarshi - India (Story can be told - Vashist and Arundhati)
A Bull, a Reclining Man, a Strolling Hippopotamus with Crocodile on it back - Ancient Egyptian
What marvellous diversity in the images various cultures saw in this particular constellation.
But the same is true for all the other constellations.
Tell story of Orion and Scorpion as well.
Milky Way according to different cultures
Incas - The Incas recognized at the sky several animals who walked over the Willka mayu (the
name by which they knew the Milky Way in Quechua and whose literal translation is the Sacred
River) and whose main function was to signal different stages in the agricultural cycle. These
animals were found exactly in those dark spaces of the Milky Way.
Eastern Asia - Peoples in Eastern Asia believed that the hazy band of stars was the "Silvery River"
of Heaven
India - Akash Ganga…In similar lines to the Incas and Eastern Asian cultures.
Greek and Roman - One legend explains how the Milky Way was created by Heracles (Roman
Hercules) when he was a baby. His father, Zeus, was fond of his son, who was born of the mortal
woman Alcmene. He decided to let the infant Heracles suckle on his divine wife Hera's milk when
she was asleep, an act which would endow the baby with godlike qualities. When Hera woke and
realized that she was breastfeeding an unknown infant, she pushed him away and the spurting milk
became the Milky Way.
….and there are more…Other interesting cultures - Maori, Mesopotamian, Finno-Ugric
When 17th Century European sailors ventured out to the southern seas, they came across new
constellations that were relevant during their time like the telescope, microscope and many
scientific instruments.
In 20th or 21st Century we would have come up with more interesting objects as constellations.
Let’s do something now. Just like our ancestors have imagined patterns in the sky we will also
find some patterns in the sky and create a story. Let us recreate our experiences from the last
few days of the trek through patterns in the night sky. The night sky will be there forever, so will
be our experiences of this trek from the last few days. (We need to tell stories from different
cultures and how constellations evolved through the ages, so that they get a better
understanding on how they can create the story)
- Create a flow so that the all the information connects to similar point
- Design a concept in such a way the information is needed to be given in a such a
way it is concise
- There shouldn’t be too much information
- In tandem with information with philosophy (mixture)
- What to say before(information and philosophy), what to say during(very less…let
them choose stars, introspect) and after
- Give them piece of paper, pen
- Whatever part of night sky you want to choose
- End tell them their constellations were near to any particular constellation
- Individual or group reflections
- Can pass on the sketches on the constellations and stories
● Consolidate info+philosophy into a good flow
● Plan your flow according to different season…focus shouldn’t go to other
seasons
Starboard is a reflective experience
