Mask of the Black God

By Teresa M. Schulz

Abstract

One Navajo legend attributes the creation of the primary stars and constellations to "Black God." Today, a famous star cluster, the Pleiades, often appears on the traditional mask worn by chanters impersonating Black God during special ceremonies. In this case study, designed for an observational astronomy class or introductory astronomy class with a strong observational component, students learn about the Pleiades in Navajo cosmology while developing their observation and star map skills.

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Date Posted

05/09/2005

Overview

Objectives

Determine celestial coordinates (right ascension and declination) of a given celestial object.
Locate the sun on the celestial sphere for any day of the year.
Calculate the altitude of Polaris above the northern horizon and the altitude of the celestial equator above the southern horizon for any latitude in the Northern Hemisphere.
Predict the approximate rise, transit, and set times for a given celestial object from a specific location on a specific date.
Describe the location of the Pleiades relative to other prominent nearby constellations.

Keywords

Pleiades; Navajo cosmology; Black God; celestial coordinates; constellation; star map; winter sky

Subject Headings

Astronomy

EDUCATIONAL LEVEL

High school, Undergraduate lower division

FORMAT

PDF

TOPICAL AREAS

N/A

LANGUAGE

English

TYPE/METHODS

Discussion

Teaching Notes & Answer Key

Teaching Notes

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Answer Key

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