The emu in the sky

We've had some very nice clear sky nights recently, so I took the opportunity to get out and photograph the emu. This is the Aboriginal constellation formed out of the dark patches in the Milky Way.

The emu head is the Coalsack - right next to the Southern Cross. The body stretches down from that, a fair way across the sky.

The Guringai people carved an engraving of this on a rock platform in the now Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. When the emu in the sky lined up with the one on the rock, it was time to harvest emu eggs.




Our own traditional astronomy makes its constellations by drawing lines between stars. Here are the Cross, the Pointers, and Scorpius.



Below: a visitor posing in front of the Ku-ring-gai Chase engraving.



There's a nice little video on the emu in the sky, as understood by the Kamilaroi people, courtesy of the NSW Government. Go to this link and click on the video link.
http://lrrpublic.cli.det.nsw.edu.au/lrrSecure/Sites/LRRView/14145/14145_02.htm