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wishing on stars our skin and stars

a stars life cycle

the human body

stardust

/’sta:d^st/ (usually uncountable, plural stardusts) (astronomy)

Small fragments of dust-like material found in space; specifically, a type of cosmic dust that formed from cooling gases ejected from presolar stars, which was then incorporated into the cloud from which the Solar System condensed.

Synonyms: extraterrestrial dust, space dust

We are all made of stardust.

of the human body consists of stardust, claim scientists who have measured the distribution of essential elements of life in over 150,000 stars in the Milky Way galaxy.

wishing on stars

People have different beliefs about shooting stars, such as spotting a falling star on the right side of the sky brings good luck. A popular belief is that wishing upon one makes the wish come true due to witnessing one being a rarity.

The history linked to the superstition of wishing upon stars dates far back in time and is still prominent today with falling stars being less common to spot.

when did the superstition begin?

antique celestial planisphere

greek

second century

Humans have wished for centuries. Shooting stars were a tangible symbol of the Gods looking down.

This theory originated from Claudius Ptolemy, a Greek astronomer. Back in the 2nd century, Ptolemy interpreted that the stars were a sign that the Gods were listening and that a wish or request made was likely to be heard and granted. He believed that stars slipped through spaces in heaven, therefore making it a good time to wish what you ask for most.

The Greeks and Romans believed that the appearance of comets, meteors and meteor showers were significant. They thought that they were signs that something good or bad had happened or was just about to happen.

orion constellation

The ancient Greeks named a figure of the great hunter they saw in the night time sky, Orion.

Orion is a prominent constellation. It is located on the celestial equator and is visible throughout the world.

the holy star above bethlehem

christian third century

Stars are spoken about throughout the Bible. According to legend, the shooting star was believed to represent the exact moment the Gods were contemplating life on Earth, which would be the ideal time to make them hear your wishes.

Christian belief around stars is still relevant today, with the Christmas star symbolizing the star of Bethlehem. According to the Biblical story, this star guided the three wise men, also known as the three kings, to Jesus.

Later in Christian religion, shooting stars were thought to represent rising or falling angels. Wishing on these stars amounted to the possibility of improving fortunes.

the holy star

This star was dedicated to the birth of Jesus and is also the heavenly sign of prophecy fulfilled long ago and the shining hope for humanity.

The Holy star or better known the Christmas star was likely a nova or supernova explosion.

shooting star photograph

modern day

twenty first century

The tradition of wishing on shooting stars has been strengthened in the modern era. In the case of these stars, urban light pollution has contributed to the increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which has obscured the stars in the night sky. This pollution has made shooting star sightings more rare therefore wish opportunities are more precious.

No matter if you believe wishing on a star or not, a shooting star is a symbol of positivity. If you are unsure about anything or you have current a pending decision, then seeing a shooting star is a signal from the universe.

shooting stars

A shooting star is a very small piece of rock or dust that hits Earth's atmosphere from space. It moves at such speed that it heats up and glows as it moves through the atmosphere. Shooting stars are what astronomers call meteors. Most meteors burn up in the atmosphere before they reach ground.

have you wished upon a star?

I am not sure if I believe they come true, but I’d like to think the universe is listening.

I always wish upon the first star I see or the brightest in the sky.

I have wished on a star but I don’t believe it will come true.

I do believe wishing something is asking the universe for help, which may listen.

I do think that stars are someone special up there.

I wouldn’t say I’ve wished upon a star but I have looked up and tried to find the brightest one.

our skin and stars

Our birth dates determine our zodiac signs, but can these constellations be found else where physically? Thousands of constellations can be drawn in the sky through a dot-to-dot method, similarly to humans and the marks on our skin.

There is more than just superstition between us and stars. We are much more closely linked than to the faint eye.

how is our skin connected to stars?

12 zodiac constellations

what are they?

Many people think of constellations as a group of stars. Often, it’s a group of stars that looks like a particular shape in the sky and has been given a name.

Over time, cultures around the world have created different names and numbers of constellations depending on what people thought they saw. Today, there are 88 officially recognized constellations. Some well known constellations include Orion and zodiacs such as Pisces and Taurus.

Not all constellations have to be official, if you were to draw lines in the sky between the stars like a dot-to-dot, the picture would look like an object, animal, etc.

pisces and taurus constellations

These constellations are two well known star clusters. These stars are part of the group of zodiac constellations, which are derived from the path the sun takes through the year. This therefore determines our zodiac constellations that are based on when in the year we are born.

participants response

miranda july

freckle constellations

Artist Miranda July explored our physical connection to stars through her website series “Learning to Love You More”. The series is comprised of non-web presentations of work generated by the public. Contributors accepted assignments, completed them by following simple instructions and their work was posted on the site.

Draw a constellation from someone’s freckles, moles or birthmarks on their body using a ball point pen was one of the assignments.

Miranda July’s series, her freckle constellation task in particular, evoked her participants to see their external link to stars. Her work created through this assignment expresses our human link to the sky through our skin.