Chronological analysis reveals Sadr's circumpolar status from Ethiopian latitudes, suggesting implications for local astronomical traditions.
Sadr (γ Cygni, HIP 100453), the central star of the Northern Cross asterism, was circumpolar from latitude 12°N during approximately 15,685–12,310 BCE, with peak declination +85.06° around 14,010 BCE. This 3,375-year window broadly coincides with the early African Humid Period and the establishment of the Afar paleolake system, providing conditions for sustained astronomical observation from Ethiopian highland sites. The paper presents the epoch-corrected calculation, corrects earlier figures published in Sennfelt (2025), and discusses the cosmological significance of a permanently circumpolar cruciform asterism for the Afar astronomical tradition.
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Diogo Azevedo Oliveira Sennfelt (2026) studied this question.
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