As local observers, we have unprecedented familiarity with our night sky. Many of us know by heart scores of constellations, dozens of star names, and many deep sky objects. We often give less thought to how much of our knowledge is a local interpretation of the night sky. We know other cultures drew different patterns in the sky for their constellations, but our interpretations go beyond those simple drawings. The observing locations, specifically of differing latitudes, played a large role in how people interpreted the motion of the sky and kept track of time. This talk will look at how viewing locations such as Hawaii and Alaska played a large role in the constellations created and stories told by people living in those locations. We'll also look at the implications of many peoples using lunar calendars for time keeping and how they are reconciled with solar calendars.

Telescope observing afterward, weather permitting.