Vanuatu Sky - native astronomy of Vanuatu

Presented languages
appMelsisi, Pentecost (Ethnologue: app)
bkiBaki (Ethnologue: bki)
bpaSesivi (Daakaka), Ambrym (Ethnologue: bpa)
ergErromanga (Sie) (Ethnologue: erg)
lrvLarevat, Malakula (Ethnologue: lrv)
mmgOlal, North Ambrym (Ethnologue: mmg)
nwiNahwal, Tanna (Ethnologue: nwi)
ombLolopuépué, Ambae (Ethnologue: omb)
tnlNetwar (Lenakel), Tanna (Ethnologue: tnl)
tnnNorth Tanna (Ethnologue: tnn)
upvWala-Rano, Malakula (Ethnologue: upv)

Sun	appAl11 appMetakal15 bkiMwereinyo17 bpaIaa9 ergNén / Nomonkam18 lrvNeiel14 ombAho12 tnlMet3 tnnMitgar16 upvNial13
Moon	appWul11, 15 bkiSimbério17 bpaÉmbaté9 ergItais18 lrvNal14 ombVulé12 tnlMawuk3 tnnMaugh16 upvNavil13 Waxing crescent appWul te out15 tnlMawuk wi7, 8 ('new Moon') First quarter appGere wul15 ergNévlog koné18 tnlNail ratuatu8 ('it stays straight', meaning that in the sky the Moon appears straight in the zenith in the evening) Full Moon appMweram15 ergNémtar18 tnlMawuk ramépép malwia7 ('the Moon is like the fish épép malwia' (Platax orbicularis)) tnlNati tawar8 (means that when the sun is setting, the Moon just appears above the mountains) Last quarter appWul monok15 ergTandum nivini18 tnlNumanmel8 Waning crescent tnlNumanmel8 New Moon appWul bulmet15 ergNulmon mori18 Lunar eclipse tnlMawuk ramemes3 ('dead Moon')
Venus	bpaNgaga9 ('grandfather of the Moon', always found close to the new Moon) Morning star appWamso roworen11, 15 ('star of morning) bkiLéngian17 ergNalautambuindan18 lrvM'si na metevarn14 nwiFétukai5 tnlFétukai3 Evening star appWamso nan ut reverep11 ('star of evening) appWamso temram15 bkiVioméljo17 ergIorohunmé18 nwiKéwita5 tnlKéwita3
Jupiter	tnlKaratéi1
Shooting star	appWamso mwaiah11 appWamso ah mworop15 bpaMeseli bisiu9 (foretells a sunny and hot day) ergIoro18 lrvM'si tetv14 tnlMahau ramiwuk8 ('jumping star', bad omen foretelling a death)
Star	appWamso11 bkiMarvitan17 bpaBisiu9 ergMosi18 lrvM'si14 ombVisiu12 tnlMahau3 tnnMoho16 upvVivor13
Large Magellanic Cloud Fig. 10	tnlNowanuman4 ('earth oven')
Small Magellanic Cloud Fig. 11	tnlNowanuman4 ('earth oven')
Milky Way Fig. 8	bpaIémarmatewés9 ('widow speeping the road') nwiNémlauk5 ('ash') tnlNemrau5 ('ash') tnlNuafuganan6 (less common term of unknown meaning)
Orion's Belt Fig. 5 HIP: 26727, 26311, 25930	bpaÉvévéo an man9 ('man with yoke carrying crops') ergUmbrit mimé18 ('three men deciding about weather') nwiKasulia apam5 ('long yoke') tnlKasulia apam4 ('long yoke')
Orion's Sword Fig. 6 HIP: 26237, 26235, 26241	bpaÉteto an véavin9 ('old woman, returning from the garden with crop in her bag') nwiKasulia kuakua5 ('short yoke') tnlKasulia rerparep4 ('short yoke')
Taurus' Head Fig. 2 HIP: 21421, 20894, 20205, 20455, 20889	nwiKuhwa5 ('pincers used for taking hot stones out of the fire') tnlKou4 ('pincers used for taking hot stones out of the fire')
Orion's Body Fig. 4 HIP: 27989, 25336, 25930, 24436, 27366, 26727	nwiKelel5 ('fan') tnlKilil4 ('traditional fan' made from palm leaves)
Southern Cross Fig. 7 HIP: 61084, 60718, 62434, 59747	appWamso nan kawolwol11 bpaLébuowuo9 nwiSuatu kuas5 ('four customary ways') tnlSuatu kywer5 ('four customary ways' connecting four villages with a nakamal; it rises in the evening in March and symbolizes the time when in the nakamal people do temahwa for good harvest)
Pleiades Fig. 1 HIP: 17847, 17702, 17608, 17499, 17573	bpaVéviép mbwéiagiag9 (their appearance on the sky marks the time of planting yams) ergOwonian omontai narvin18 (their appearance on the sky marks the time of new yams) mmgUaiu10 nwiNepian Lapnuman5 ('brothers of Lapnuman') tnlNowaswas Lapnuman4 ('young boys of Lapnuman') tnlNeperawen Lapnuman4, 5 ('young girls of Lapnuman')
Spica Fig. 12 HIP: 65474	nwiIahuk rul1, 5 ('rat', seen in the evening in zenith when it is time to prepare gardens) tnlKahau rul1, 2, 5 ('rat', seen in the evening in zenith when it is time to prepare gardens)
Alpha Centauri Fig. 9 HIP: 71683	tnlNatem1, 2 (when he touches the 'natem' tree (Pometia pinnata) in the evening, it's time to plant the yams in the 'tow')
Aldebaran Fig. 3 HIP: 21421	nwiKwota tepas5 tnlKapaumeta3, 4
?	tnlMowaimawuk6 (name of an unidentified star, said to be close to the Moon or to rise close to it)
?	nwiIaiapom1, 5 (name of an unidentified star (possibly Altair), which sets in the morning in time of preparation of gardens (July)) tnlIaiapom1, 4, 6 (name of an unidentified star (possibly Altair), which sets in the morning in time of preparation of gardens (July))
?	nwiKoraiapom1, 5 (name of an unidentified star (possibly Rigel), found in September in the morning near zenith) tnlKoraiapom1, 4, 6 (name of an unidentified star (possibly Rigel), found in September in the morning near zenith)
?	tnlKwankaio1, 2 (name of an unidentified star (possibly Procyon), rising in February in the morning)

Constellation illustrations: Honza Čermák

Sources
1) Jimmy Napip (Ikumhala (Tanna))
2) Lomai Tain (Ielkes (Tanna))
3) Sylvano Kapalu (Ipai (Tanna))
4) Iawilu Naumusapen (Lowkweria (Tanna))
5) Kasékasé (Imapul (Tanna))
6) Nausien (Lamlu (Tanna))
7) Pierrot Nako Yaru (Lowanatom (Tanna))
8) Joe Natuman (Lowkweria (Tanna))
9) Donatien Cainas (Sesivi (Ambrym))
10) Viktori Batick (Olal (Ambrym))
11) Marie Reine Salwai (Melsisi (Pentecost))
12) Erina Vutiala (Lolopuépué (Ambae))
13) Sylvio Labouckly (Bethel (Malakula))
14) Astride Amos (Unmet (Malakula))
15) Flora Molvidoh (Melsisi (Pentecost))
16) Rosa Tepi (Lownapaiu (Tanna))
17) Graham Firiam (Epi)
18) Jerry Taki (Poniélogé (Erromango))