Hácosa

Authors: ASE Tech Team

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Seri constellation: Hácosa (Pitahayas cutter) in the planetarium software Stellarium (CC-BY Raúl Pérez-Enríquez in Stellarium)

Hácosa is Seri constellation name. This constellation is referring to the Pitahayas cutter.

Etymology and History

All this knowledge of Comca'ac people comes from prehispanic epoch, and it has prevailed through centuries. Still today, it is possible to hear the stories and legends behind the naming of constellations and the events on the sea and on the desert.

The description of the Comca'ac (Seri) Constellations presented here comes from the book "Bajo el cielo Comca'ac: Astronomía entre el mar y el desierto", written by Arturo Morales Blanco, in which it is possible to identify the relations between sky, sea and desert, as they are recovered by oral tradition and family memories.

This knowledge has arrived to us by oral transmission from generation to generation through time and shows how the events from the sea like the appearance of crabs or the abundance of Totoaba (a large fish, now in danger), comes along with the presence of sets of stars in the sky. The coincidence of Pitahayas (cactus fruits) in the cactus with the appearance of constellation Hácosa (Corta-pitahayas) in the sky is very suggestive.

Origin of Constellation

It is said that when this constellation is pointing to the top of the sky, at September 7th, it appears similar to the instrument Hácosa (Pitahaya-cutter), and it is time to collect the wild fruits: 'péchitas de mezquite' (Mesquite seeds) and pitahayas (cactus fruit), for example. When there is no sign of it, the season will be bad.

References

• References (general)