The Harp (constellation)
Southern Hemisphere constellation.
Astronomy
>
Constellations
The Harp is a constellation that appears over the skies of the Southern Hemisphere. It is named after the "harp," an ancient instrument which has seen a revival since its discovery in the Greater Basin. The constellation has been historically used as a navigational tool by southern cultures, primarily through the reference of its brightest stars in unison as a northbound pointer. Alternatively, they can be followed “inversely” to locate the Polar Star.
The Harp is visible across the Southern Hemisphere for most of the year, but begins to disappear closer to the lower latitudes (especially during summer months). For many of the mid-high latitude regions, however, it is a circumpolar constellation and generally culturally significant to groups living there.
Above; A labelled map of the constellation. From this perspective, the Polar Star can be found if the observer looks directly upward and some distance past Krone.
Abbreviation:
Symbolism:
Stars brighter than mag. 6:
THa
the Harp
3
Characteristics & Features
The three brightest stars of The Harp form an asterism known as “The Wayfinder” (also “The Pointer”) in the southeastern regions of the continent. Clockwise, starting at the southernmost portion, these stars are:
Krone (”the crown”): the brightest star of The Harp, with a magnitude of 4.13,
Bohja (”the base”): the second-brightest, with a magnitude of 4.82,
Humero (”the shoulder”): the third-brightest, magnitude 5.15.
History
The Harp has been used by a number of southern-continental cultures for navigation toward the northern regions, but especially by groups fleeing the Greater Basin, Lesser Basin, and areas further south during the First Shift. It has been mentioned in a number of ancient manuscripts and literature, such as within various religious texts of the Alet faiths and Maz tradition.
Cultural Significance
Its appearance in different configurations has been adopted as a symbol of several southern nations and organizations, and the constellation largely has a role in various mythologies from southern cultures. Notable reverence is held by the Mittansa peoples and followers of the Alet faiths, whose ancestors largely relied on The Wayfinder asterism to escape declining conditions south of The Divide. Many sects of the Alet faiths view the stars of The Harp as representations of several deities or upper-level spirits to varying degrees. Krone is most often viewed as a representation of God Above (their supreme deity) in these perspectives.