Evidence of the world聮s earliest known astronomical site will be the topic of a live astronomy show at the Fiske Planetarium next week.
J. McKim Malville, an astronomy professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder, will present, "First Light and Old Stones: Astronomy Among the Megaliths of Southern Egypt," Nov. 9 at 7:30 p.m.
Professor Malville was part of an international expedition that in the spring of 1998 discovered what is believed to be the oldest construction of stones aligned with the stars. Known as Nabta, the site is located west of the Nile River in southern Egypt and dates back about 7,000 years, making it more than 1,000 years older than Stonehenge in England.
"This talk will describe how these discoveries were made and summarize the current status of our understanding of this remarkable site," Malville said.
Malville also will discuss possible influences of Nabta on the high culture in the Nile Valley and its interest in astronomy.
"In the planetarium we will travel back 7,000 years in time to the Late Neolithic period and demonstrate how the changes in the sky allow us to date the megaliths of Nabta," said Malville.
Professor Malville聮s research involves solar physics and astronomy of ancient and modern cultures of India, Egypt and the American Southwest.
Tickets for the show go on sale at 7 p.m. the night of the show and are $4 for adults and $3 for children and seniors. For more information contact the Fiske Planetarium at (303) 492-5001.