The Pleiades Experience
Photo Credit: Robert Gendler, 2012
To astronomers, the Pleiades (the 45th entry in the Messier Catalog of Nebulae and Star Clusters) are known as a gravitationally-bound open cluster of more than a thousand stars younger, hotter, and intrinsically brighter than the Sun.
The cluster is located in the Taurus constellation at a distance of approximately 430 light years from Earth. The cluster is popularly known as the “seven sisters” (7 adelfes, in Greek).
The stars in the Pleiades were born out of the same molecular cloud and travel together through space. Despite the fact that only a few (seven to nine) of the Pleiades stars are visible to the naked eye, their fuzzy and grouped appearance make it the most conspicuous star cluster in the sky. The Pleiades are visible from every continent on Earth inhabited by human beings.
Fulbright US Global Scholar Program
This is a project by Dr. Isabel Hawkins under sponsorship by the Fulbright Scholar Program. Fulbright is run by the United States Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and its goal is to improve intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people of the United States and other countries through the exchange of people, knowledge, and skills.
Goals
Document, preserve, and responsibly disseminate local knowledge about the Pleiades from three cultures.
Identify points of reference and comparison between the three knowledge systems.
Contribute to strengthening the cultural identity of indigenous and other youth, building their capacity and motivation for cultural stewardship through international collaboration.
Facilitate knowledge and educational exchange to foster cross-cultural understanding.
