By Derek Schlennstedt
Emerald Secondary College will host astronomer extraordinaire Javier Mejuto from South America and Duane Hamacher from Australia as part of Science Week on Friday 18 August.
Astronomers Dr Hamacher and Dr Mejuto specialise in historical indigenous astronomy, and will take part in a presentation around the importance of astronomy in linking how ancient indigenous societies interpreted the celestial landscape.
Brad Gibbs, science domain leader and Year 12 physics teacher at Emerald Secondary College, said the school had been working with the Mount Burnett Observatory, and had a popular astronomy club at the school.
“A lot of this is because of the Mount Burnett Observatory, and we’ve gotten a lot of support from them … they’ve really given the students opportunities they would normally never get.”
The astronomy club is also attracting all students to the sciences, and Brad said astronomy was one of the few sciences that attracted both boys and girls.
“One of the biggest pushes is to get girls interested in science.”
“In my physics class, we have two girls and 15 boys in physics, whereas with the astronomy club it’s a 50/50 split,” he said.
As part of Science Week, which runs from 12-20 August, the Emerald Astronomy Club has invited two world-renowned astronomers to a presentation and viewing night.
Each week, the astronomy club meets to view the night sky with a telescope provided to the school by Mount Burnett Observatory, and Mr Gibbs said it was this hands-on approach that the students enjoyed.
Dr Mejuto will present a talk on Mayan astronomy.
Dr Hamacher told the Mail that astronomy garners interest, and is becoming more popular due to its ability to mix theoretical with hands-on learning.
“If we are to look to our future, it’s important we look at our past and so this is why we look at Aboriginal and Mayan cultures to find out how they looked at and understood the stars,” Dr Hamacher said.
For more information about the talk and if you would like to attend, email info@mountburnettobservatory.org
