Tamriel:Astronomy

The UESPWiki – Your source for The Elder Scrolls since 1995

Appendices

Artifacts Astronomy Ayleid Language Calendar Daedric Alphabet Demographics Dwemer Alphabet Ehlnofex Languages Names Septim Lineage Chart Transportation Wars and Conflicts Weights & Measures

Contents 1 Moons 1.1 Notes 1.2 Baar Dau 2 Constellations 2.1 The Apprentice 2.2 The Atronach 2.3 The Lady 2.4 The Lord 2.5 The Lover 2.6 The Mage 2.7 The Ritual 2.8 The Serpent 2.9 The Shadow 2.10 The Steed 2.11 The Thief 2.12 The Tower 2.13 The Warrior 3 Starmaps and the Orrery 3.1 The Dwemer 3.2 The Yokuda 3.3 The Elder Scrolls

[edit] Moons

Above Nirn, there are two moons, Masser and Secunda. (Also known as Jode and Jone, or Mara's Tear and Stendarr's Sorrow.) Masser is the larger of the two, over twice as large by appearance. (Since Secunda is sometimes seen to transit Masser, it is clear that Masser is indeed larger, not just closer.) The phases of these moons are known as the Lunar Lattice, or ja'Kha'jay to the Khajiiti. Khajiits are born in differing forms depending on the current phases of the moons. See Khajiit Morphology for details.

[edit] Notes

• Masser is clearly a color-modified version of real-life photos of Mars. Secunda is likely based on an actual heavenly body as well, but which one is uncertain at this time although it greatly resembles Triton, one of Neptune's moons.

[edit] Baar Dau

The city of Vivec has a moonlet hovering over it, named Baar Dau. The Ministry of Truth is built upon this object. According to legend, Vivec stopped the moon from crashing into and destroying the city, and it is only the faith of the people in their local god that prevents this disaster from occuring even today.

[edit] Constellations

There are thirteen named constellations in the sky. These are most familiar to players of Morrowind or Oblivion as the Birthsigns. There are three Guardian signs; The Warrior, The Mage, and The Thief, each of which protects three charges. Each of these twelve signs corresponds to one of the twelve months in the Tamrielic year. The thirteenth sign, The Serpent, has no guardian or month and moves around the sky, usually threatening the other signs. The Dwemer have symbols for these constellations, which (except for The Serpent) correspond to letters in the Dwemer Alphabet.

Guardian	The Warrior Last Seed K	The Mage Rain's Hand F	The Thief Evening Star A
Charges	The Lady Heartfire N	The Apprentice Sun's Height I	The Lover Sun's Dawn D*
	The Steed Mid Year H*	Atronach Sun's Dusk R	The Shadow Second Seed G
	The Lord First Seed E	The Ritual Morning Star ?	The Tower Frost Fall ?
The Serpent no season

* Unconfirmed characters.

[edit] The Apprentice

The Apprentice's Season is Sun's Height. Those born under the sign of the apprentice have a special affinity for magick of all kinds, but are more vulnerable to magick as well.

[edit] The Atronach

The Atronach (often called the Golem) is one of the Mage's Charges. Its season is Sun's Dusk. Those born under this sign are natural sorcerers with deep reserves of magicka, but they cannot generate magicka of their own.

[edit] The Lady

The Lady is one of the Warrior's Charges and her Season is Heartfire. Those born under the sign of the Lady are kind and tolerant.

[edit] The Lord

The Lord's Season is First Seed and he oversees all of Tamriel during the planting. Those born under the sign of the Lord are stronger and healthier than those born under other signs.

[edit] The Lover

The Lover is one of the Thief's Charges and her season is Sun's Dawn. Those born under the sign of the Lover are graceful and passionate.

[edit] The Mage

The Mage (Sometimes known as the Mechanist) is a Guardian Constellation whose Season is Rain's Hand when magicka was first used by men. His Charges are the Apprentice, the Golem, and the Ritual. Those born under the Mage have more magicka and talent for all kinds of spellcasting, but are often arrogant and absent-minded. This constellation contains the Planet Julianos, which is also called the Eye of the Sage.

[edit] The Ritual

The Ritual is one of the Mage's Charges and its Season is Morning Star. Those born under this sign have a variety of abilities depending on the aspects of the moons and the Divines.

[edit] The Serpent

The Serpent wanders about in the sky and has no Season, though its motions are predictable to a degree, alone of the constellations it is said to be formed of Unstars, rather than stars and planets. No characteristics are common to all who are born under the sign of the Serpent. Those born under this sign are the most blessed and the most cursed.

[edit] The Shadow

The Shadow's Season is Second Seed. The Shadow grants those born under her sign the ability to hide in shadows.

[edit] The Steed

The Steed is one of the Warrior's Charges, and her Season is Mid Year. Those born under the sign of the Steed are impatient and always hurrying from one place to another.

[edit] The Thief

The Thief is the last Guardian Constellation, and her Season is the darkest month of Evening Star. Her Charges are the Lover, the Shadow, and the Tower. Those born under the sign of the Thief are not typically thieves, though they take risks more often and only rarely come to harm. They will run out of luck eventually, however, and rarely live as long as those born under other signs. This constellation contains the Planet Arkay , which is also called the Eye of the Thief.

[edit] The Tower

The Tower is one of the Thief's Charges and its Season is Frostfall. Those born under the sign of the Tower have a knack for finding gold and can open locks of all kinds.

[edit] The Warrior

The Warrior is the first Guardian Constellation and he protects his charges during their Seasons. The Warrior's own season is Last Seed when his Strength is needed for the harvest. His Charges are the Lady, the Steed, and the Lord. Those born under the sign of the Warrior are skilled with weapons of all kinds, but prone to short tempers. This constellation contains the Planet Akatosh, which is also called the Eye of the Warrior.

[edit] Starmaps and the Orrery

Many cultures follow the passage of the stars.

[edit] The Dwemer

Undoubtedly the most advanced knowledge of the heavens comes via the relics of the Dwemer.

Of particular importance is the Orrery found in the Arcane University at the Imperial City in Cyrodiil which shows all the various planets and can even draw upon the power of Nirn's twin moons.

A second place of importance is upon the isle of Stros M'Kai where a Dwemer observatory lies.

[edit] The Yokuda

The Pre-Redguard Yokudan culture in particular was noted for its astrologers, who would make crude starmaps in their camps.

[edit] The Elder Scrolls

Finally the elder scrolls themselves would seem to depict some sort of starmap, with various glyphs of unknown purpose adorning both the foreground and background.

Upon careful examination of the particular Elder Scroll depicted here, one can see an outline of The Thief constellation; revealing that this Elder Scroll's readings reveal something possibly pertaining to the Thieves' Guilds, or some other such event where unlawful acquisition is significantly involved.