Sumerian constellation _ Sumerian constellation map

Which country invented the constellation?

The constellation originated from the ancient Babylonian kingdom of Mesopotamia civilization. Mesopotamian civilization is Mesopotamian civilization, also known as the two rivers civilization. It refers to the civilization developed in the fertile crescent zone between the Tigris River and the Euphrates River, and it is the earliest civilization in West Asia.

Mesopotamian astrologers divided the starry sky into several regions for the convenience of studying and observing many stars in the sky, and each region was a constellation. It's hard to say clearly when humans began to have the concept of constellation. This astronomical knowledge was known long before there was a historical record. The name of the constellation probably comes from the sailors who sailed early.

The origin of constellations may be completely different between civilizations in different regions, but with the expansion and mutual influence of civilizations, the culture of constellations also includes the process of integration.

Extended data

In 270 BC, the Greek poet Aratus wrote Things, in which 47 constellations were mentioned. From the star regions recorded in Celestial Bodies, we can know that due to precession, the South Pole in the period described in the book is not consistent with the current South Pole, so it can be inferred that the starry sky recorded in the book is before 2000 BC.

At the same time, the blank area of the starry sky record indicates that the observer should be near 35 to 36 north latitude. So some people think that the practice of dividing the starry sky into constellations originated from Babylon and Sumer in Mesopotamia, and the constellations of Greece and Egypt may have been introduced from this area.

Baidu encyclopedia-constellation

Baidu Encyclopedia-Mesopotamian Civilization