Steve Durst¹*
¹ International Astronomical Union (IAU) Member, International Lunar Observatory Association (ILOA) / Space Age Publishing Company (SPC) Director, Kamuela, Hawaiʻi, USA
Abstract
For millennia, humans used asterisms to track seasons, tell cultural stories, and measure time, as seen in artifacts like the Dendera Zodiac (circa 50 BCE) [1] and the Babylonian MUL.APIN [2]. John Flamsteed’s Atlas Coelestis (1729) [3] reflects this, mapping stars within traditional asterisms while including some telescopic stars. Flamsteed preserved overlaps, such as Capricornus’ stars in Aquarius’ arm [4]. However, Eugène Delporte’s 1930 IAU standardization introduced 88 constellation boundaries using straight lines of right ascension and declination, aligned to the B1875.0 and B1900.0 epochs [5, 6], fundamentally changing this system.
Using Carte du Ciel software to observe existing constellation boundaries [7] and Flamsteed’s charts, we identified discrepancies in the Pisces-Aquarius-Capricornus-Cetus region. Stars like 11 Peg, HD 209522, HD 210848, and Eta Psa were reassigned by Delporte’s lines disrupting cultural coherence [8].
Today, celestial maps’ original roles—seasonal prediction, storytelling, and timekeeping—are obsolete, replaced by digital age technologies like meteorology and atomic clocks [9]. Delporte’s Earth-centric boundaries also face obsolescence due to precession and stellar motion [10, 11]. We advocate for a dual framework to preserve cultural heritage while advancing astronomical precision, archiving cultural asterisms as borderless to preserve their historical significance, while adopting a universe-centric system using the International Celestial Reference System (ICRS) [12] and Gaia’s 3D stellar data [13, 14], balancing heritage with future astronomical precision. This approach not only honors our astronomical heritage but also embraces the precision required for future celestial exploration.
References
[1] Egypt Museum. (n.d.). The Dendera Zodiac [Bas-relief]. Displayed at the Louvre Museum, Paris, France (E 13420). Retrieved from https://egypt-museum.com/the-dendera-zodiac/
[2] Hunger, H., & Steele, J. (2019). The Babylonian Astronomical Compendium MUL.APIN. Routledge.
[3] Flamsteed, J. (1729). Atlas Coelestis. Retrieved from https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b53096741t/f54.item
[4] Ridpath, I. (n.d.). Flamsteed’s Atlas Coelestis. Retrieved from http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/flamsteed.html
[5] Delporte, E. (1930). Délimitation Scientifique des Constellations. Royal Observatory of Belgium.
[6] Paolantonio, S., & García, B. (2019). Uranometría Argentina and the constellation boundaries. Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union, 13(S349), 505-509.
[7] Chevalley, P. (n.d.). Carte du Ciel – SkyChart [Computer software]. Retrieved from https://www.ap-i.net/skychart/en/start
[8] Ridpath, I. (n.d.). Constellation boundaries. Retrieved from http://www.ianridpath.com/boundaries.html
[9] Aveni, A. (2001). Empires of Time: Calendars, Clocks, and Cultures. University Press of Colorado.
[10] Cloudy Nights. (2017). Constellation Boundaries and Precession. Retrieved from https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/580180-constellation-boundaries-and-precession/
[11] Kaler, J. B. (2012). The Ever-Changing Sky: A Guide to the Celestial Sphere. Cambridge University Press.
[12] USNO. (n.d.). International Celestial Reference System (ICRS). Retrieved from https://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/ICRS_doc
[13] ESA. (2018). Gaia Creates Richest Star Map of Our Galaxy and Beyond. Retrieved from https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Gaia/Gaia_creates_richest_star_map_of_our_Galaxy_and_beyond
[14] Gaia Collaboration, et al. (2018). Gaia Data Release 2: Summary of the contents and survey properties. Astronomy & Astrophysics, 616, A1.