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A summary of the astronomical beliefs of four tribes Gond, Banjara, Kolam and Korku from Nagpur region of Maharashtra has been presented. Primary conclusions are that the tribals are mainly focused on the winter sky with Big Dipper (Saptarshi), the Orion region including Orion, Taurus, Auriga, Gemini, Canis Major and Pleiades. They are also quite conscious of the Southern Cross (Crux) and the region around it. Many tribes are aware of Scorpius but are often unable to define its location in the sky. Gonds are aware of the Great Square of Pegasus and of Leo. We discuss these beliefs in the background of the region of the sky that occupies them and the similarity and differences in their beliefs of these regions. We then summarize the results in the general framework of human intellectual development and the environment in which they live. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports that China, India, and Japan are planning first-time lunar missions. Japan is likely to launch its Selene mission on 13 September, while China's Chang'e 1 is expected to be launched within a few weeks of Japan's mission. India is likely to follow in April with Chandrayaan-1. The missions, which will help explore the moon, have been appreciated by lunar scientists. Manabu Kato, an Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) planetary scientist, said that Selene's main goal is to examine the magma ocean hypothesis. Chang'e 1 will orbit the moon for 12 months at a height of 200 km. The aim of Chandrayaan-1 will hit the moon surface, snapping high-resolution images and measuring the sparse lunar atmosphere before crashing.