and as they weave and bob across the sky

[twincityhacker]

I think when using pictures from an 1825 astonomy text book would make an awesome mood theme, I think it's time for bed. Though being a old school astonomy text book, not only do the constilations are actual drawings instead of just lines, but they're werid drawings.

Like this picture of Monoceros (a unicorn), Canis Major, and... something that looks like a solar panel. And it's not even named, like that super cool Aparatus constelation. If your wondering why it's all Greek mythology then suddenly it's Machina Electria, it's because Astonomers in either the 19th or 18th century made up a whole bunch of crappy constilations for the stars in the southern hemisphere, as constilations even today are one of the best ways to navigate where things are in the heavens. I still want to smack them for some of them. Southern Cross, fine. The one that's a giant protrator? Still silly.

Comments

[hideyuki-tah.livejournal.com]

Wow, maybe they did a lot of Opium when making these? Either way, I'd never be able to navigate with those.

[msp-hacker.livejournal.com]

Not navigating on Earth, per se, but figureing out where say a specfic star is. Though you can navigate using constilations, it's a little harder. Usually it's find Ursa Minor, then the north star. Or find the Southern Cross then the blank spot that holds over the south pole, though the last star before the true south pole is only a few degrees off. Then you can figure out lattiude - you're completely screwed on the longitude though.