Celestial Emu
The Celestial Emu is a constellation that can be seen in Australia’s southern skies from April through to August/September. Emerging from the dark dusk lanes of the Milky Way bands the Celestial Emu, or Gawarrgay in Gamilaraay language, the appearance of the constellation marks the beginning of emu breeding season.
Part of Land and Sky Country, the emu features strongly in First Nations cultures in story, totem, art and history.
‘This really beautiful constellation emerges from the dark dust lanes that we can see in the Milky Way bands that crosses our sky. We call it Gawarrgay in Gamilaraay language.’
Watch and listen as Karlie Noon discusses the yearly phases of Gawarrgay (the Celestial Emu) and dancer Daniel Mateo physically portrays how First Nations peoples use observations of the night sky to inform decisions about resources and significant cultural events.
Karlie Noon is a Gamilaraay astrophysicist and mathematician with more than a decade's experience in science communication and Indigenous heritage. She is also co-author of the award-winning book First Knowledges – Sky Country.
