On Fridays this April, UW-Milwaukee's Manfred Olson Planetarium will continue its celebration of various cultures’ connections to the celestial with “Arabian Nights.”
UWM mechanical engineering students Mohamed Maache from Algeria and Mona Said from Lebanon will join planetarium director Jean Creighton to share scientific and cultural contributions from their respective cultures, including famous inventors, musicians, dishes and more.
The show will highlight Arab stargazing traditions surrounding stars like Aldeberan, or "follower" — named for the way it appears to chase the Pleiades across the night sky — and Algol the "demon star."
"Among children, Mona and Muhammad tell me, it's a bit of a: 'the ghoul star will come and get you,'" Creighton says.
Additionally, Maache will tell the inspiring story of the Algerian-American inventor Dr. Belgacem Haba, share a bit about Algerian tea culture and discuss Khaled Hadj Ibrahim — known as "the king" of Algerian raï music.
"Every time I get the chance to talk about Algeria and my region, I don't hesitate," Maache says.
Said will share Lebanese culinary favorites and reflections on the song "El Beirut" by the Lebanese singer Fairuz. With a refrain the translates to, "From my heart I send my greetings back to Beirut," she says the song has particular significance for Lebanese people living abroad.
"A lot of her songs are very nostalgic," Said says. "We listen to them in the morning, in the evening, when we're trying to wind down or even just when we want to connect back to our roots."
You can check out this link for tickets and more information about this eclectic night of astronomy and Arabic culture.
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