The Astronomy of Aboriginal Australia

TL;DR

This paper explores the deep astronomical knowledge embedded in Aboriginal Australian cultures, highlighting their understanding of celestial motions, practical applications like calendars, and careful observations of phenomena like eclipses and meteorites.

Contribution

It reveals that Aboriginal Australians possess a sophisticated understanding of celestial movements and record-keeping, extending beyond myth to practical and observational astronomy.

Findings

Deep understanding of sky motion used for calendars

Careful records of cyclical phenomena

Attention to eclipses and meteorite impacts

Abstract

The traditional cultures of Aboriginal Australians include a significant astronomical component, which is usually reported in terms of songs or stories associated with stars and constellations. Here we argue that the astronomical components extend further, and include a search for meaning in the sky, beyond simply mirroring the earth-bound understanding. In particular, we have found that traditional Aboriginal cultures include a deep understanding of the motion of objects in the sky, and that this knowledge was used for practical purposes such as constructing calendars. We also present evidence that traditional Aboriginal Australians made careful records and measurements of cyclical phenomena, and paid careful attention to unexpected phenomena such as eclipses and meteorite impacts.