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The constellations south of the equator were primarily named by sailors and navigators from Europe, who saw familiar items in the patterns of stars in the Southern Hemisphere heavens. "Cetus", the Whale, or "Telescopium" or "Octans" are a couple of obvious examples.

Much of our scientific nomenclature comes from European and Arabic/Middle Eastern traditions. Other cultures have their own names, but these are primarily used only within their own cultures. Cultures without extensive written languages generally did not contribute much to our scientific knowledge. This is a shame on several levels, because modern science often discovers that unwritten aboriginal traditions are based in factual accounts.

For example, some Australian aboriginal "dreamtime" legends appear to be related to an asteroid impact in the Indian ocean which caused extensive tsunamis and flooding all around the Indian Ocean basin - floods that may be related to the Sumerian legends of Gilgamesh or the Noah legends of the biblical Great Flood!

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15y ago

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