[AstroNet] Public talk about Cultural Astronomy of Aboriginal Australians

[Thembela Mantungwa]

S.A. Astronomical Observatory in Cape Town will host a "Cultural Astronomy of Aboriginal Australians" public talk on Friday, February 3 at 17h00. The talk will be presented by Duane W. Hamacher of the Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. 

Bio: 
Duane W. Hamacher is currently managing the Macquarie University Planetarium and Observatory. Also, he is a member of the Aboriginal Astronomy Project, that is linked to the Research Centre of Astronomy, Astrophysics and Astrophotonics. Accordingly, he holds a joint position between the Department of Indigenous Studies (research) and the Department of Physics & Astronomy (Outreach). 

His research areas are in Australian Cultural Astronomy, Indigenous Knowledge, History of Science, Observational Astronomy, Meteorite Impacts, Science Education and Communication. His first degree is a Bachelor of Science in Physics from the University of Missouri. Followed by an M.S. in Astrophysics from the University of New South Wales. He has recently submitted a PhD in Indigenous Studies at Macquarie University. 


Abstract: 
The Cultural Astronomy of Aboriginal Australians 

Aboriginal Australians are among the oldest continuous cultures on earth, having arrived in Australia over 50,000 years ago. Threaded among the hundreds of different groups, each with a distinct language and culture with a deep knowledge of the night sky. This knowledge extends beyond simply naming stars or having stories about them. It includes a deep intellectual component that involved noting the complex motions of the sun, moon, and stars. The relationship between meteors, meteorites, and impact craters, the mechanics of eclipses, and the relative positions of stars in the sky and their connection to terrestrial events, such as the changing of seasons, the availability of food sources, and the passage of time. Evidence of this is recorded with community elders and in various artistic forms, such as stone arrangements and petroglyphs. In this talk, Duane will explore the role and development of scientific astronomy in Aboriginal cultures and discuss some of the amazing research being conducted by members of the Aboriginal Astronomy Project. 

Contact details : contact: duane.hamacher at mq.edu.au 


-- 
Regards 

Thembela Mantungwa 
S.A. Astronomical Observatory 
Tel: 021 460 9319 
Fax: 086 612 7502 
Email: tm at saao.ac.za 
Website: www.saao.ac.za / www.salt.ac.za 






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