Overview

• Astrophysicist Or Graur analyzed 555 ancient Egyptian coffin images, identifying rare depictions of the Milky Way’s Great Rift on the body of the sky goddess Nut.
• The coffin of Nesitaudjatakhet and tombs of Ramesses IV, VI, IX, and Seti I feature undulating dark curves resembling the Great Rift, a dust band cutting through the Milky Way.
• Graur concludes that Nut is not synonymous with the Milky Way but serves as a cosmic canvas for celestial phenomena, including stars, the Sun, and the galaxy.
• The study suggests the ancient Egyptian name for the Milky Way may have been 'Winding Waterway,' aligning with similar interpretations by other cultures.
• Graur advocates for the full digitization and public access to museum artifact catalogs to support further interdisciplinary research into ancient art and astronomy.