Canada's night length changes throughout the year. This is important to keep in mind when thinking about the amount of time people have to watch the night sky. This year, the night lengths range from about 18 hours in January, to 5 hours in June, to 12 hours in December. This shows how much time the Inuit had to watch and notice things in the night sky.

Source(s)

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/sunrise.html

Many people watch the skies, but only some analyze and reason for the wonders above Earth's surface. Many ancient civilizations have myths and legends about what they see above them. The Inuit of Northern Canada are one of them. The inuit recognize a few of the things modern astronomers have, such as the movement of the sun, stars, Earth's moon, planets, and the phases of the moon. They show most of their knowledge in their mythology, which can explain the comparison between modern and ancient knowledge.

The Inuit saw planets, though they thought they were just dim stars. They saw Saturn, and they named it after their god of the sea, Sedna. The Inuit also have a myth about a man who turns into a star.

An old man was hunting seals on the ice. A crowd of children were playing on a ravine near the shore, and their noise frightened seal after seal just as the old man was about to harpoon it. Soon, the man had had enough.

"Ravine, close up over those who are spoiling my hunt." He commanded the ravine.

The ravine obeyed, and the children were trapped inside it, where they all died of hunger. The people of the village soon heard of the old man's crime. To escape punishment, the old man took flight and rose in the sky and became a star.

We know this "star" as Venus.

Source:

http://sacred-texts.com/nam/inu/eft/eft27.htm

The Inuit had a myth explaining the rising and setting of the moon and sun, and the phases of the moon.

In the myth, sun goddess Malina and moon god Anningan are the children of Jupiter. Malina threw mud in her brother's face, resulting in him chasing her across the sky. Malina wants to stay as far away as possible from Anningan; this is why the sun and moon rise and set at different times. Anningan forgets to eat, so he gets skinnier and skinnier until he must stop to eat. This is how the waxing and waning of the moon. When Anningan began to get skinny, the moon was waning. When he stopped, the moon became a New Moon.

Source:

http://www.windows2universe.org/mythology/anningan_moob.html

The Inuit saw at least 15 differnt constellations, though they were similar to what we see presently. For example, they believe that The Big Dipper is a Giant Caribou. Orion is a group of stairs, leading from Earth to the sky. These are other constellations the Inuit see in the night sky.

The Two Sunbeams

Aajuuk, an important constellation for timekeeping

The Two Placed Far Apart

Aakkuttujuuk, two stars signaling the return of sunlight to the Arctic

Dogs

Qimmiitt, five dogs harrassing Nanook, or Nanurjuk, the polar bear

Collarbones

Quturjuuk

Lamp Stand

Pituak, stand holding burning fuel that makes light

Caribou

The big dipper represents Tukturjuit, the Giant Caribou

Two In Front

Sivulliik, "The First Ones" An angry grandfather chasing an orphan boy

The One Behind

Kingulliq, the grandmother chasing the two in front

Breastbone

Sakkiattiak, The Pleiades, are seen as a breatbone

Runners

Ullaktut, Orion's belt, is seen as three lost hunters looking for Nanook, the polar bear

Blubber Container

Uqsuutaatiaq, a seal flipper sewn shut, holding lamp fuel

Never Moves

Nuuttuittuq, the north star, Polaris, the star that never moves

Nephews and Neices

Qangimmaariik, a group of children

The Milky Way

The divider, Aviguti

The Great Wolf

Lupus, the wolf, has been noticeable by many civilizations over time.

Source:

http://www.stellarium.org/wiki/index.php/Inuit_Sky_Culture