Asu Usiha

Authors: Lyu Haocheng, Susanne M Hoffmann, Youla Azkarrula

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Manchu script of Asu Usiha

Asu Usiha (Net) , a Manchu shamanic constellation located in Hercules. In Manchu, asu means "net" (used for hunting), and usiha means "star" or "constellation". This star name is also often recorded in Chinese as Gāngxīng (纲星).

Concordance, Etymology, History

For the Northeast Asian fishing and hunting peoples, including the Manchus, hunting nets were indispensable and culturally revered tools. Such nets were used to capture a wide variety of game — from birds and small forest mammals to fur-bearing animals such as the sable. The technique of net trapping involved covering a sable's burrow with a net before smoking it out, ensuring the animal was caught without damaging its fur. As a result, sable fur became a primary tribute item to the Qing court and a main source of livelihood for the people of the mountain regions.

A kind of sable-hunting net used by the fishing and hunting peoples of Northeast China.

Asu Usiha is shaped like a large hunting net and is also regarded as the embodiment of Banda Mafa, the shamanic hunting deity.

Identification of stars

Asu Usiha recorded by Fu Yuguang

Asu Usiha was recorded by Fu Yuguang during his fieldwork. The shamanic tradition has its own star chart, but since photography was not permitted, Fu Yuguang had to hand‑copy the star charts of all 20 constellations. Based on his field findings, he identified Asu Usiha with the constellation Hercules.

Maps (Gallery)

• Asu Usiha
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  Star map of Asu Usiha, drawn by Fu Yuguang
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  Asu Usiha in Stellarium
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  The superposition of traditional star charts and actual stars

IAU Working Group on Star Names

In 2026, the name of the historical constellation "xxx" was suggested to be used for one of the stars in this constellation. ...

Decision: ...

References

References (Chinese)