APOD: The Ñandú in the Milky Way (2023 Jun 20)

[APOD Robot]

The Ñandú in the Milky Way

Explanation: Have you seen the bird in the Milky Way? Beyond the man in the Moon, the night sky is filled with stories, and cultures throughout history have projected some of their most enduring legends onto the stars and dust above. Generations of people see these celestial icons, hear their associated stories, and pass them down. Pictured here is not only a segment of the central band of our Milky Way galaxy, but, according to folklore of several native peoples of Uruguay, the outline of a great bird called Ñandú. Furthermore, Ñandú's footprint is associated with the Southern Cross asterism. In the foreground, in silhouette, is a statue of María Micaela Guyunusa, an indigenous woman of the Charrúa people who lived in the 1800s and endures as a symbol of colonial resistance. The composite image was taken in mid-April in Cabo Polonio, Uruguay, with the Atlantic Ocean in the background.

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[RocketRon]

Interesting.
The indigenous peoples of Australia have a similar view of the emu in the sky - part of the creator spirits.
The great river in the sky is where all the spirits reside. ?

https://www.ayersrockresort.com.au/site ... age002.jpg

[Ann]

The Ñandú in the Milky Way. Image Credit & Copyright: Fefo Bouvier; Line Drawing: Alfonso Rosso

---

Wow. Imagine having such dark skies that you can see the Coalsack as the head of an enormous cosmic bird!

APOD Robot wrote:

Pictured here is not only a segment of the central band of our Milky Way galaxy, but, according to folklore of several native peoples of Uruguay, the outline of a great bird called Ñandú. Furthermore, Ñandú's footprint is associated with the Southern Cross asterism.

Ñandú's footprint is associated with the Southern Cross asterism? I can see the blue stars Acrux and Beta Crucis adorning the head of the Ñandú like two slightly misplaced eyes. You mean the Ñandú's feet are on its head as well?

Ann

[Ann]

Interesting.
The indigenous peoples of Australia have a similar view of the emu in the sky - part of the creator spirits.
The great river in the sky is where all the spirits reside. ?

https://www.ayersrockresort.com.au/site ... age002.jpg

It's interesting that the indigenous people of Australia and the indigenous people of Uruguay see similar cosmic birds in the Milky Way, even though these parts of the Earth are very far apart!

Uruguay and Australia. Illustration: Phoenix500 at English Wikipedia

---

But both countries lie well south of the equator, and so have a splendid view of the glorious center of the Milky Way!

Ann

[Chris Peterson]

Wow. Imagine having such dark skies that you can see the Coalsack as the head of an enormous cosmic bird!

My skies are dark enough. The problem here is that at 38° north, the Earth is rather opaque.

[Rauf]

Wow. Imagine having such dark skies that you can see the Coalsack as the head of an enormous cosmic bird!

My skies are dark enough. The problem here is that at 38° north, the Earth is rather opaque.

Umm, what do you mean by opaque?

[Chris Peterson]

Wow. Imagine having such dark skies that you can see the Coalsack as the head of an enormous cosmic bird!

My skies are dark enough. The problem here is that at 38° north, the Earth is rather opaque.

Umm, what do you mean by opaque?

There's a deep opacity interfering with observing the Coalsack from my location. It always seems to be in the way...

[johnnydeep]

My skies are dark enough. The problem here is that at 38° north, the Earth is rather opaque.

Umm, what do you mean by opaque?

There's a deep opacity interfering with observing the Coalsack from my location. It always seems to be in the way...

Well, then, it's the Earth's sky that's opaque, not the Earth itself (though that's pretty opaque as well, to all but neutrinos!)

[johnnydeep]

In the foreground, in silhouette, is a statue of María Micaela Guyunusa

So, that's an actual statue installed on some random un-engineered rock out there on the edge of the ocean? Seems like an odd place for a statue.

[Rauf]

My skies are dark enough. The problem here is that at 38° north, the Earth is rather opaque.

Umm, what do you mean by opaque?

There's a deep opacity interfering with observing the Coalsack from my location. It always seems to be in the way...

I still don't get how is that related to your location's latitude...

[Chris Peterson]

Umm, what do you mean by opaque?

There's a deep opacity interfering with observing the Coalsack from my location. It always seems to be in the way...

I still don't get how is that related to your location's latitude...

It's always below my horizon.

[richardschumacher]

Known in our culture as The Great Bird of the Galaxy.

[Ann]

There's a deep opacity interfering with observing the Coalsack from my location. It always seems to be in the way...

I still don't get how is that related to your location's latitude...

It's always below my horizon.

I was dense (and opaque) enough not to get your joke! Thanks for explaining!

Ann

[Rauf]

I still don't get how is that related to your location's latitude...

It's always below my horizon.

I was dense (and opaque) enough not to get your joke! Thanks for explaining!

Ann

I almost feel ashamed not to realise what he meant And Johnydeep's comment did help to confuse me more

[Tekija]

In the foreground, in silhouette, is a statue of María Micaela Guyunusa

So, that's an actual statue installed on some random un-engineered rock out there on the edge of the ocean? Seems like an odd place for a statue.

Here’s another one. There must be more.

https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luettelo ... m_side.JPG

[orin stepanek]

Wow; I don't know how anyone can see a big bird here; They
have a very good imagination to do so! I thought my
imagination was beyond reality! Anyway, I'm glad they
do because I love the picture!

[johnnydeep]

In the foreground, in silhouette, is a statue of María Micaela Guyunusa

So, that's an actual statue installed on some random un-engineered rock out there on the edge of the ocean? Seems like an odd place for a statue.

Here’s another one. There must be more.

https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luettelo ... m_side.JPG

Huh - thanks. I guess it must be a "thing" then! Who knew?

[johnnydeep]

It's always below my horizon.

I was dense (and opaque) enough not to get your joke! Thanks for explaining!

Ann

I almost feel ashamed not to realise what he meant And Johnydeep's comment did help to confuse me more

Yeah, I am now equally ashamed to have had that excellent joke woosh speedily over my totally unaware head.

[VictorBorun]

Interesting.
The indigenous peoples of Australia have a similar view of the emu in the sky - part of the creator spirits.
The great river in the sky is where all the spirits reside. ?

https://www.ayersrockresort.com.au/site ... age002.jpg

It's interesting that the indigenous people of Australia and the indigenous people of Uruguay see similar cosmic birds in the Milky Way, even though these parts of the Earth are very far apart!

Uruguay and Australia. Illustration: Phoenix500 at English Wikipedia

---

But both countries lie well south of the equator, and so have a splendid view of the glorious center of the Milky Way!

Ann

talking of Ann's joke about the sleepless in Australia & Uruguay.
There was a Soviet (=anti-Soviet) joke about planning to send man to the sun after failing to reach the moon.
But is it not too hot up there? — We are not such fools at Politburo you know. We'll launch the ship at night.

[VictorBorun]

The Ñandú in the Milky Way. Image Credit & Copyright: Fefo Bouvier; Line Drawing: Alfonso Rosso

---

Wow. Imagine having such dark skies that you can see the Coalsack as the head of an enormous cosmic bird!

APOD Robot wrote:

Pictured here is not only a segment of the central band of our Milky Way galaxy, but, according to folklore of several native peoples of Uruguay, the outline of a great bird called Ñandú. Furthermore, Ñandú's footprint is associated with the Southern Cross asterism.

Ñandú's footprint is associated with the Southern Cross asterism? I can see the blue stars Acrux and Beta Crucis adorning the head of the Ñandú like two slightly misplaced eyes. You mean the Ñandú's feet are on its head as well?

Ann

I see an article with Great Bird asterism (galactism?) schemes, but they're all in Spanish
https://www.plazacielotierra.org/conste ... ia-lactea/

[Ann]

Interesting.
The indigenous peoples of Australia have a similar view of the emu in the sky - part of the creator spirits.
The great river in the sky is where all the spirits reside. ?

https://www.ayersrockresort.com.au/site ... age002.jpg

It's interesting that the indigenous people of Australia and the indigenous people of Uruguay see similar cosmic birds in the Milky Way, even though these parts of the Earth are very far apart!

Uruguay and Australia. Illustration: Phoenix500 at English Wikipedia

---

But both countries lie well south of the equator, and so have a splendid view of the glorious center of the Milky Way!

Ann

That's funny, Victor!

Ann

talking of Ann's joke about the sleepless in Australia & Uruguay.
There was a Soviet (=anti-Soviet) joke about planning to send man to the sun after failing to reach the moon.
But is it not too hot up there? — We are not such fools at Politburo you know. We'll launch the ship at night.

[Ann]

The Ñandú in the Milky Way. Image Credit & Copyright: Fefo Bouvier; Line Drawing: Alfonso Rosso

---

Wow. Imagine having such dark skies that you can see the Coalsack as the head of an enormous cosmic bird!

APOD Robot wrote:

Pictured here is not only a segment of the central band of our Milky Way galaxy, but, according to folklore of several native peoples of Uruguay, the outline of a great bird called Ñandú. Furthermore, Ñandú's footprint is associated with the Southern Cross asterism.

Ñandú's footprint is associated with the Southern Cross asterism? I can see the blue stars Acrux and Beta Crucis adorning the head of the Ñandú like two slightly misplaced eyes. You mean the Ñandú's feet are on its head as well?

Ann

I see an article with Great Bird asterism (galactism?) schemes, but they're all in Spanish
https://www.plazacielotierra.org/conste ... ia-lactea/

You could try running the Spanish text through Google Translate. Or not.

I once had a text in German on Eta Carina that I wanted to translate, because my German is very shaky indeed. So I used Google Translate to translate it into English. Guess what happened? Google Translate called Eta Carina an asterisk - yep, this thing: * - and it called the Homunculus Nebula "fog"!

I haven't used Google Translate to translate any texts after that!

Ann