Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were the world’s first astronomers, studying the night sky and navigating using the stars long before Babylonia, Greek or Roman astronomers. Tens of thousands of years of culture and heritage are reflected in WA’s night sky. The Emu in the Sky is a well-known Aboriginal constellation that’s outlined by dark areas of the night sky, not the stars. In almost all parts of Australia you will find emu, and the bird frequently features in the Creation stories held by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and in their paintings and carvings.
On moonless nights from April to September, look for the Southern Cross constellation (Crux) above the southern horizon. Two bright stars known as “the pointers” (Alpha and Beta Centauri) point to the Southern Cross.
To find the head of the Emu, look for a dark oval shape next to the Southern Cross, called the Coalsack Nebula. This dark nebula is visible to the naked eye as a dark patch obscuring part of the Milky Way. The Coalsack Nebula forms the head of the emu. The emu’s long neck stretches through the middle of ‘the pointers’. The body and legs of the emu stretch halfway across the sky through the band of the Milky Way.
There are many images outlining the emu in the sky that make it easier to find, and you can learn more about Aboriginal Astronomy via Indigenous astronomers including Karlie Noon (author of Astronomy: Sky Culture) and Kirsten Banks. We also recommend ABC Science’s Beginners’ Guide to the Night Sky, Emu Dreaming, An Introduction to Australian Aboriginal Astronomy by Ray and Cilla Norris, and The First Astronomers: How Indigenous Elders read the stars by Duane Hamacher.
Image credit: Australian National University
When and where to look:
The best times this year to see the Emu in the Sky are the same dark nights the Milky Way is visible. In April/May you’ll look towards the south east. Then as the year moves on, the Emu will appear right across the sky from south east to south west, before turning to lie on its back towards September and October.
Noongar Season Dateless Planner
WA’s Wheatbelt NRM organisation, in conjunction with the Wheatbelt NRM Elders Advisory Group, has produced a wonderful yearly planner laid out with the Noongar six seasons. It’s a dateless planner and includes photographs and stories from all over the Wheatbelt along with art from local Ballardong artist Rikki Garlett. You’ll discover more about the six Noongar Aboriginal Seasons and the unique Wheatbelt environment. The planner is for sale from Wheatbelt NRM’s website.
See the Emu in the Sky
To see the Emu in the Sky, you need a very dark, moonless, cloudless night sky. Find an Astrotourism Town destination and be inspired with its beauty.