Waikhasa
Authors: ASE Tech Team
Waikhasa is a Tukano constellation for a kind of grill to cook fish. It is identified with our Taurus Hyades open cluster of stars with the bright Aldebaran following the Pleiades. This is an easy asterism to be seen all over the sky.
Etymology and History
Variant Spelling:
- Waikasa (Tukano language)
- Moquém (Portugese)
Constellations within Tukano astronomical culture are related with natural phenomena as a whole. In general, Tukano constellation, or parts of it, are observed when its setting occurs, like the sunset (heliacal setting) during the short period of an year. There are an amount of natural phenomena related with this astronomical event. For example we can consider Aña’s head setting during November and its relation with the increase and decrease of the Tiquié river level. The variation of the river level is accompanied with an emerging of different fishes which appear as the result of these changeable natural conditions. Other larger fishes follow the first group for multiple purposes (eating smaller ones for example). All of them eat some fruits which eventually fall over the river surface. Ground animals and microorganisms are interested on these fruits, as well as either. So, a phenomenon first described as an astronomical set for us can be seen inside a more complex behavior for Tukanos and their neighbors around this region. Animals, plants and also spiritual manifestations are in a complex relationship under the cosmological view that we can’t more ignore.[1]
Mythology
IAU Working Group on Star Names
Weblinks
Reference
- ↑ Cardoso (online). Tukano sky culture in Stellarium, https://github.com/stellarium/stellarium , printed in Hoffmann and Wolfschmidt (eds., 2022), Astronomy in Culture --Cultures of Astronomy. Astronomie in der Kultur--Kulturen der Astronomie.: Featuring the Proceedings of the Splinter Meeting at the Annual Conference of the Astronomische Gesselschafb Sept. 14-16, 2021, tredition, Ahrensburg (Germany): 730-732.
