MEDIA ADVISORY: MU’s ‘Cosmic Conversations’ to Focus on Astronomy of Indigenous Australians

Story Contact(s):
Jeff Sossamon, sossamonj@missouri.edu, 573-882-3346

By Sarah Clinton

WHAT: The MU Department of Physics and Astronomy will continue its monthly lecture series with a discussion on how indigenous Australian communities have used astronomical knowledge for millennia. Duane Hamacher, Australian Research Council Discovery Research Fellow at the University of New South Wales, will discuss “Under Aboriginal Skies: The Astronomy of Indigenous Australians.”

Australia is home to hundreds of Aboriginal and Islander communities with cultures rich in astronomical knowledge. These communities date back more than 50,000 years, making indigenous Australians some of the earliest astronomers in the world.

WHO: Duane Hamacher, Mizzou alumnus and astronomy researcher

WHERE: Room 114, Physics Building, MU Campus

WHEN: 7 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 5

NOTE: This event is free and open to the public. The observatory will be open if weather permits.