Emu
Dark cloud constellations
The "Emu in the sky", a 'constellation' defined by dark clouds rather than the stars. A western interpretation would recognise the Crux or Southern Cross, on the left Scorpius. The head of the emu is the Coalsack. Members of the Inca civilization identified various dark areas in the Milky Way as animals, and associated their appearance with the seasonal rains. These areas are commonly referred to by modern researchers as dark cloud constellations or dark nebulae. Australian Aboriginal astronomy also used dark nebulae in some constellations, the most famous being the "emu in the sky" whose head is formed by the coalsack.
