Members: The Archaeoastronomy of Ancient Peru

Recommended Ages: 16+ years

• 6pm: Refreshments in Members Lounge
• 6.30pm: Talk in Theatre

Join us for an intriguing, members-exclusive talk with world-renowned astronomer, Professor Fred Watson AM, who explores the fascinating world of archaeoastronomy, where the secrets of ancient history are combined with the mystifying movements of the cosmos.

The Incans held a deep obsession with the workings of the sky, both by day and by night, and their heavenly studies influenced everything from their navigation and farming practices to their religious beliefs. In this entertaining and fully-illustrated talk, Professor Watson visits a few of Peru’s most intriguing sites to illuminate this society's understanding of the the skies above.

Enjoy refreshments in the Members Lounge at 6pm, before heading up to the Theatre at 6.30pm for this enlightening talk.

Please note that access to the exhibition is not included in this event.

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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.