An Aboriginal Australian Record of the Great Eruption of Eta Carinae

Abstract

We present evidence that the Boorong Aboriginal people of northwestern Victoria observed the Great Eruption of Eta (η) Carinae in the nineteenth century and incorporated the event into their oral traditions. We identify this star, as well as others not specifically identified by name, using descriptive material presented in the 1858 paper by William Edward Stanbridge in conjunction with early southern star catalogues. This identification of a transient astronomical event supports the assertion that Aboriginal oral traditions are dynamic and evolving, and not static. This is the only definitive indigenous record of η Carinae's outburst identified in the literature to date.

Accepted in the Journal for Astronomical History & Heritage, Volume 13, Issue 3 (November, 2010). 9 Figures, 4 Tables