Today is the Incan new year. Astronomy played a key role in Inca culture, and agriculture. Like most ancient agricultural cultures, they calculated important dates by the risings and settings of the Sun, Moon, and stars. The new year, for the Incas, started when the Pleiades star cluster rose, and signalled that the summer solstice was near. In the capital Cuzco, the temples were aligned toward the northeastern horizon, where the Sun an the Pleiades rose. In northern Europe, Samhain, is celebrated on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1; it is the beginning of the Celtic new year. Samhain meaning "Summer s End,". A time of year when the days grew short, and the earth became barren and cold. The Inca year ended around May 3rd, when the Pleiades disappeared from the evening sky, hidden by the Sun's glare, for 37 days.