What will the constellations look like in 100,000 years?
Since ancient times, constellations have been fundamental for navigation and observing the
sky. However, the way the stars are arranged in the night sky will not always be the same.
In thousands of years, the constellations that our descendants will see will be completely different
from the ones we see today, but... What will these constellations be like? Will they differ from
modern ones, or will they have some similarities? Let's find out!
Constellations are made up of stars, and stars are celestial bodies in constant motion around
the galaxy. Although most stars move at speed so slow that it is not perceptible
in a human lifetime, these movements are significant on much longer time scales.
The movement of the stars is produced by several factors,
including the proper movement of each star separately and gravitation.
Proper motion is the apparent displacement of stars in the sky due to their actual motion in
space. This apparent motion is caused by the Earth's orbit around the Sun, as well
as the motion of the star itself through space. On the other hand, gravitation is the result of
gravitational interactions between stars. These interactions can be especially significant in
regions of high stellar density, such as in the centers of galaxies and star clusters.
How stars move through the galaxy significantly affects our understanding of the universe.
First, it can affect the location and appearance of the constellations.
As the stars move, their position in the sky changes, changing how we see the constellations.
In some cases, stars can even completely leave one constellation and join another,
creating new constellations and causing the disappearance of old ones.
Furthermore, the movement of the stars has implications for navigation and space exploration.
If the stars drift far enough, the coordinates used to navigate in space can no longer be
accurate. This could have severe consequences for space missions and exploration of the universe.
The importance of the constellations
Constellations have been a vital tool for navigation and exploration for thousands of years.
Ancient navigators and explorers used the constellations to orient themselves at sea and
land and map the stars. Even today, constellations are still helpful for navigation in some cases,
and they are also an essential part of popular culture and astrology.
Navigation is one of the areas where constellations have been most influential. For
centuries, sailors used the stars to find their way around the sea. With the help of an astrolabe,
a navigational instrument that made it possible to measure the height of the stars above the horizon,
sailors could calculate their position at sea with reasonable precision.
In the northern hemisphere, the constellation Ursa Major has been beneficial for navigation,
as two stars, known as "the chariot," point toward the Pole Star, a fixed star indicating north.
Constellations have also been important for exploration. Terrestrial explorers have used
the stars to orient themselves for centuries. For example, explorers in Antarctica have often been
guided by the position of the constellation Orion to find their way back to their camp.
In contrast, in space exploration, constellations have been used to
help spacecraft orient in space and locate celestial objects.
Although navigation and exploration are the areas where constellations have been most important,
they also have a significant role in popular culture and astrology.
In many cultures, constellations have been the subject of myth and legend. In astrology,
the position of the stars at the time of a person's birth is believed to influence their
personality and destiny. Although astrology is not a science, it is still popular today
and has been present in the most influential cultures in the history of humanity, such as:
1. Egyptian culture: The ancient Egyptians had a close relationship with the night sky and the
stars, which they considered a manifestation of the gods. The constellations and the
observation of the stars were fundamental in their daily life. They were used as a
reference in agriculture, navigation, and in constructing their temples and pyramids.
One of the actual constellations for the ancient Egyptians was Orion, which they called Shah. Its
appearance in the night sky heralded the start of the Nile River flood season, which was vital for
agriculture and the sustenance of civilization. They also believed that the Osiris constellation,
known as the Great Osiris, represented the god of the same name and that its
appearance in the night sky was related to the god's cycle of life and death. In general,
constellations and stars were an integral part of Egyptian culture, and their legacy can be seen in
the iconography and architecture of the time. 2. The Greek civilization: It is known for its
significant contribution to culture, philosophy, politics, and art. But they also attached great
importance to constellations and stars. The ancient Greeks believed that the constellations
represented their gods and mythological heroes. The constellation Ursa Major was known as the
Chariot of Helios, the sun god, and was believed to be driven by him.
The Andromeda constellation was seen as the image of a chained princess rescued by the hero Perseus.
Furthermore, the ancient Greeks were fascinated with astronomy and astrology, and many of their
great philosophers and scientists, such as Aristotle and Ptolemy, contributed
significantly to the knowledge of the cosmos. Constellations and stars were also used for
navigation and time calculation. The position of the stars in the night sky was an essential
reference for the navigation of Greek ships. Furthermore, the Greeks developed
the first known solar calendar based on the movement of the stars and the sun. In short,
the Greek civilization recognized the importance of constellations and stars in their daily lives.
Their legacy has been crucial to modern astronomy, astrology, and calendars.
But even though constellations have been present for thousands of years in human history,
this will not always be the case. Do constellations change shape?
Even though the stars move in space, the constellations keep their shape over time.
This is due to the great distance that separates us from the stars and the fact
that the changes in their position are relatively small about their distance.
Most stars visible to the naked eye are hundreds or thousands of light-years away, which means it
takes a long time for their light to reach us. Therefore, the position we see in the night sky is
an image of the past, which may be several years old. Although the stars are moving over time,
these movements are so small about their distance that we cannot see them with the naked eye.
Also, constellations are not physical groups of stars that are close together in space but
rather imaginary patterns that we have created to help us navigate and locate the stars in the sky.
In summary, the constellations change shape, and humanity has always seen the
same constellations because we have existed as a species on this planet for a short time.
The first records of existing constellations are not more than 5
thousand years old. In 5 thousand years, the stars have moved, but very little.
Though all the stars travel around the Via Lactea, their distances are enormous. To
appreciate a significant change in how they are ordered, a minimum of 50 thousand years must pass.
We must also remember that the stars are not at the same distance; each one is at
a different distance, and although from Earth, it seems that they are all at the same distance,
in reality, they are not. Each star in the night sky
is very far from the others, and they all move differently in different directions.
What will the constellations look like in the future?
Astronomers use various techniques and tools to predict how constellations will change.
One of the main tools is a computer simulation, which allows modeling and visualizing the
movement of stars and constellations over time. For years astronomers have observed all the stars
in the sky and studied their movements to find out how they have moved in recent years. Thus,
if we can know what the constellations looked like 50,000 years ago, we can also know what
they will look like 50,000 years in the future. This is how the graphic designer from Slovakia,
Martin Vargic, created a series of computer images with the data of the movements of
the constellations, which he was able to capture in a very accurate way what some
constellations will look like in the future. Next, we attach examples of how some
constellations, in them you will be able to see how constellations looked 50,000 years ago,
how they look today, and how they will look in 50,000 and 100,000 years, respectively.
1. Constellation Leo: 2. Orion Constellation:
3. Crux Constellation: As you can see in these images,
not only do the constellations change shape but also the entire background of stars behind them.
Let's remember that all stars move, so it is logical that they all change as time passes.
The study of the movement of constellations is a fascinating field of astronomy that
has had profound importance for humanity throughout history. Since ancient times,
constellations have been used for navigation, agriculture, religion, and popular culture. They
have inspired the human imagination with their beautiful shapes and patterns in the night sky.
But beyond its cultural and aesthetic value, studying constellations has important implications
for modern science. Investigating the stars and their movement has allowed us to understand
better the universe's evolution and how the celestial objects we see in the sky were formed.
In addition, knowledge of constellations is vital for space exploration and the search
for life on other planets. They help us locate and study nearby stars and planetary systems,
allowing us to search for signs of life on distant worlds.
In short, the study of constellations is a window onto the universe that surrounds us, connecting us
with our ancestors and inspiring us to explore and discover new horizons in science and life.
In an ever-changing world, the night sky and the constellations remind us of our
connection to the cosmos and invite us to see our past and our future.