Conversations of the Golden Empires: Harnessing the Heavens

Explore the relationship between the heavens and Earth with world-renowned astronomer, Professor Fred Watson AM, in this fascinating discussion hosted by Professor Anthony Burke.

  • Date:
    Saturday 12 April 2025: 10.30am - 11.30am
  • Cost:
    $10 Member, $25 Non-Member, $22.50 Concession
  • Location:
    UG, Theatre
Members: The Archaeoastronomy of Ancient Peru
Members: The Archaeoastronomy of Ancient Peru. Image: Guthrie Kuckes
© Unsplash License

Recommended Ages: 16+ years

This fascinating discussion with Professor Fred Watson AM, hosted by ABC's Professor Anthony Burke, unearths the secrets of the Chankillo Archaeoastronomical Complex, home to the oldest solar observatory in the world.

With structures dating back over two millennia, this historical marvel served as a solar calendar for Peru's ancient societies, informing everything from navigation and farming practices to religious beliefs. Join Professor Watson as he illuminates how pre-Hispanic Peru harnessed their knowledge of the skies above as a form of power.

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Professor Fred Watson AM

Professor Fred Watson AM is the First Astronomer-at-Large, an outreach and advocacy role within the Commonwealth Government of Australia.
Professor Fred Watson AM is the First Astronomer-at-Large, an outreach and advocacy role within the Commonwealth Government of Australia. Image: Supplied
© Fred Watson

Professor Fred Watson AM is the First Astronomer-at-Large, an outreach and advocacy role within the Commonwealth Government of Australia. A graduate of the University of St Andrews and the University of Edinburgh, Fred worked at both of Britain’s Royal Observatories before joining the Australian Astronomical Observatory as Astronomer-in-Charge in 1995.

Recognised internationally for helping to pioneer the use of fibre optics in astronomy, Fred is best known today for his award-winning radio and TV broadcasts, books, music, dark-sky advocacy and other outreach ventures. He holds adjunct professorships in several Australian universities and was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2010. He has an asteroid named after him (5691 Fredwatson), but says that if it hits the Earth, it won't be his fault.

Professor Anthony Burke

Anthony Burke is a professor of Architecture at the University of Technology Sydney and host of Restoration Australia and Grand Designs Transformations on ABC
Anthony Burke is a professor of Architecture at the University of Technology Sydney and host of Restoration Australia and Grand Designs Transformations on ABC. Image: -
© UNSW Sydney

Anthony Burke is a professor of Architecture at the University of Technology Sydney and host of Restoration Australia, Grand Designs Transformations and Grand Designs on ABC, with 25 years’ experience lecturing, publishing, presenting and celebrating the value of good design and architecture around the world.

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