¾¨Ó㴫ý

¾¨Ó㴫ý will present "Voyages of the Mind" Thursday-Saturday, Oct. 25-27 and Nov. 1-3, at 7:30 p.m. in the College's Planetarium in the Hoyt Science Resources Center.

"Voyages" will present differing views of the heavens as perceived by the Chinese, Egyptian, and Native American cultures and the geometrical arrangements they used to predict astronomical events. The program will review their stories seen in constellations and in the Milky Way, and will look at each culture's astronomical knowledge of the sun and their use of this knowledge.

The Egyptian belief in the sun god, Ra, lord of all gods (whose association with death may have influenced the design of the pyramids); Chinese predictions of solar eclipses, the establishment of their calendar, and the construction of solstice gnomons (points on a sundial); and Native American use of mounds and structures for astronomical predictions, such as those in Chaco Canyon, will be covered.

The show will feature many of the well-known constellations seen in different seasons, including Orion, Canis Major, Taurus, Cygnus, Scorpius, and Ursa Major. These constellations were represented by these cultures as images of pharaoh, dragon, and even hippopotamus.

Following the program, there will be a brief survey of the current night sky in the planetarium and from the observation deck on the roof of the Science Center (weather permitting).

The program is free and open to the public, but reservations are required due to limited seating. Because of the nature of the presentation, no one will be admitted once the show has begun.

Contact ¾¨Ó㴫ý's Physics Department at (724) 946-7200 or e-mail phys@westminster.edu for reservations or additional information.