[BIG HIS] Threshold 3

Ethnoastronomy

The study of how different cultures understand celestial bodies and use them in daily life (farming, navigation, rituals, myths).

Dr. Dante Ambrosio

Known as the “Father of Philippine Ethnoastronomy”; studied Filipino star stories and their cultural meanings.

Balatik

A constellation seen as a hunting trap by early Filipinos (equivalent to Orion’s Belt in Greek mythology); symbolized hunting and seasonal cycles.

Tres Marias (Atlug Maria)

Orion’s Belt as recognized in Kapampangan and other groups; also used to mark agricultural seasons.

Mupu (Pleiades)

A cluster of stars associated with harvest and farming rituals in indigenous groups.

Bubu (Big Dipper)

Asterism used in orientation and navigation.

Mamahi Uttara

Term for the North Star (Polaris).

Sulung Daguis (Kapampangan) / Tanglao Daga (Tagalog)

Names for the planet Venus, often referred to as the morning star.

Bituing Maga (Tausug)

The name for Jupiter; linked with fertility rituals for pregnant women.

Seretar (Teduray Myth)

Orion seen as a heroic hunter, whose story immortalized ideals of bravery.

Milky Way

is known as Mala a Naga is also associated with different interpretations in various groups, sometimes linked to water, fire, or even a tree.

Hambot (day after full moon)

Agricultural Ethnoastronomy (Panay Bukidnon) – Best time for planting bananas.

Ugsad

Agricultural Ethnoastronomy (Panay Bukidnon) – Good for sowing rice.

Muro-puro or Bitoon (many stars at night)

Agricultural Ethnoastronomy (Panay Bukidnon) – Believed to give good harvest.

Lati

Agricultural Ethnoastronomy (Panay Bukidnon) – Good period for fishing (night fishing called panolo).

Mt. Arayat

seen as the cosmic center (Paralaya = toward Arayat; Paroba = away).

Sucsuc

term describing sun and moon piercing the sky.

Melindas ya ing aldo

Sun moving from middle sky.

Balasbas ning aldo

Changing sun path (seasons).

Kapampangan Creation Story – Mangechay

The Old One, a goddess who wove the universe like a tapestry, symbolizing continuity, harmony, and growth.

Nuclear Fusion

The process of combining light nuclei (like hydrogen) to form heavier elements, releasing huge energy (powering stars).

Nuclear Fission

The splitting of a heavy nucleus into smaller nuclei, also releasing energy (man-made in reactors, unlike fusion).

Stellar Nucleosynthesis

Formation of elements inside stars through fusion.

Supernova Nucleosynthesis

Creation of heavy elements (like iron and beyond) during the explosion of a massive star.

Supernova

Catastrophic explosion marking the death of a star, scattering elements into space and enabling new stars and planets to form.

Low-mass star

Star Life Cycle –Protostar → Main Sequence → Red Giant → Planetary Nebula → White Dwarf.

High-mass star

Star Life Cycle –Protostar → Blue Main Sequence → Red Supergiant → Supernova → Neutron Star or Black Hole.

Aristotelian Model

Ancient belief that Earth was the center of the universe and that all matter was composed of four elements: earth, water, air, fire.

Little Boy

The first atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima (August 6, 1945); a uranium-235 fission weapon containing 141.4 pounds of material (82.7% U-235). Only about 2 pounds underwent fission, releasing energy equal to 15,000–16,000 tons of TNT.

Fat Man

The second atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki (August 9, 1945); a plutonium-239 weapon containing 13.6 pounds of Pu-239, with only about 2 pounds undergoing fission. Yield was equivalent to 22,000 tons of TNT.