I was playing with google sky and noticed the Southern Cross is at the base of the milky way. I was wondering if this has any aspect in astrotheology/mythology that anyone knows about. It seems pretty significant to me and would have been noticed. Not sure if it can be seen in northern hemisphere at certain times of the year?
astrotheology
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@janesix
The relative nature of celestial objects and phenomena is such that they have always aroused the human imagination.
Whether there is more to it than that (other that as a navigational or reference point) is impossible to say.
It does no harm to imagine though.
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@janesix
The Southern Cross has spiritual or mythic significance in a number of cultures. For example:
The Maori name for the Southern Cross is Māhutonga and it is thought of as the anchor (Te Punga) of Tama-rereti's waka (the Milky Way), while the Pointers are its rope.
As for its visibility from the north, it can be seen from tropical latitudes of the northern hemisphere a few hours every night during winter and spring.
The Cross was once much more visible from the northern hemisphere; the ancient Greeks wrote about it. Precession changed all that by 400 BC, which perhaps explains why the constellation does not have more significance in Christianity.
Sometimes my arms bend backwards.
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@zedvictor4
The relative nature of celestial objects and phenomena is such that they have always aroused the human imagination.
True Zed, and since less was known about cosmos/Universe visible to the naked eye, ---and Earth in general-- the imagination was allowed to be more speculative about was truth ex are the Gods in the sky above the clouds?
This plays well with some of the fantasy movies we have seen over the years. My favorite is Dr Strange { Benerdict Cumberbatch } with the God of time the doctors clever { Meta-space } ability to drive God of Time insane { aggravation } with recursive-ness/repetition .
Siblings do this all the time, to each other. I have a younger sister { @ .. @ }
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@janesix
The Southern Cross being "at the base of the Milky Way" is an Earth perspective and not its actual location in the Milky Way. Only from Earth is that, or any constellation, visible in that pattern. From any other vantage point, they do not appear as a cross, at all. Not to mention that constellations are not permanent patterns. Leo, for example, in 20,000 years, will appear, from Earth, to resemble a radio telescope.