Collaster
EYE ON THE SKY
The Wandering Stars
At The Sky Trail Collaster stop, we keep an eye on the sky to discover the ‘Wandering Stars’ as seen from this vantage point at 60 degrees north.
From this vantage point at 60 degrees north, the universe feels close enough to touch. On a clear, dark night at Collaster, you can see Jupiter, Saturn, Venus, and Mars with the unaided eye.
A Norse View from Sky Trail Collaster
Our Norse ancestors were keenly aware of these “wandering” bodies. While most stars appeared fixed, they noted others followed a different path.
As recorded in Snorri’s Edda (c. 1220), they observed some were “fixed in the sky,” while others “moved in a wandering course beneath the sky”. To the Vikings, these weren’t just rocks in space—they were heavenly bodies with their own distinct journeys.
A Modern Lens
Today, we don’t need a longship to navigate the heavens. Powerful telescopes and digital tools allow us to explore the cosmos in the palm of our hand.
We recommend using Stellarium, a free planetarium software, to enhance your journey along the Sky Trail.
Whether you are using the app or the online version, it provides a 360-degree view of the planets above you in real-time.
You can even toggle on the Old Norse constellation names to see the “Woman’s Cart” or “The Asar Battlefield” just as they were imagined centuries ago
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