Dan Peluso at AAS 247
Thanks for meeting me and/or following up on my presentations at the 247th American Astronomical Society (AAS) meeting and conference in Phoenix, AZ.
This page has the following:
(hyperlinks jump to each section)
Information and media on my original song, “Our Skies”, which was shared at the AAS special session, Bridging the Skies: Constellations Across Cultures Through Science, Art & Story.
Information and media about my abstract and presentation, Astronomy Modeling Instruction, Rubin Observatory Supernova Investigations, & Citizen Science, during the Outreach and Education Engagement: Rubin, Roman, and Beyond session.
Bridging the Skies: Constellations Across Cultures Through Science, Art & Story
About: This Special Session invited attendees on a cross-cultural journey to highlighting how constellations, star lore, and sky practices connect us globally. The session explored how the merging of ancient sky traditions and modern astronomical science can be communicated through art, music, humor, and narrative—creating powerful tools for education and engagement.
Session Time: Monday, January 5, 2026 | 10:00 AM MT - 11:30 AM MT | Building/Room: Phoenix Convention Center, 226 A
My Contribution:
In 2025, I was named a semi-finalist for the U.S. Fulbright Scholars program for my original idea to go to Australia (University of Melbourne) and co-write original pop songs with Indigenous communities about star stories and shared cosmic perspectives.
In preparation for possibly being awarded the Fulbright, I wrote and produced a new original song, called “Our Skies”, about what I had been learning about Indigenous astronomy from attending the University of Melbourne’s fortnightly Cultural & Indigenous Astronomy seminar series and reading cultural astronomer, Dr. Duane Hamacher’s book, The First Astronomers.
Dan Peluso presenting and performing “Our Skies” at the IAU 399 Indigenous Astronomy in Space Age conference at the University of Melbourne (July 2025).
Although I was not awarded the Fulbright award, I am proud of the song that I wrote, which was inspired by what I learned and my Fulbright proposal. I have been sharing my idea and the song recently, and I hope to secure Indigenous partners and funding to support fully realizing the idea to work with Indigenous communities and make original music together about our shared cosmic perspectives.
At this AAS special session, I shared my song, Our Skies. I invite you to listen again here. Please be encouraged to share with anyone else that may be interested in hearing it or collaborating with me. (Note: I often perform my original music under the pseudonym, Conner Eko).
Our Skies - Lyrics
Written by Daniel Peluso (a.k.a. Conner Eko)
The Songlines should be heard
In danger of forgotten
Their knowledge of the stars
Was science before the Westerns
And I hope we can see
Through their eyes
Oh it’s in our skies
The First Astronomers
Are guardians of the star lores
Reading heavens and the lands
Can our robots lend a hand
And I hope we can see
Through two eyes
Oh it’s in our skies
Oh it’s in our skies
Climate change, it’s not natural
Electric lights blind our eyes
Satellites for profit
Colonizing our skies
First Nations have wisdom
What is above is below
All humans are connected
We are part of the sky
We all live on planet Earth
Oh we need our skies
Oh we need our skies
Click the buttons below for a PDF of the AAS 247 published abstract for Celestial Harmonies and additional context and references.
Astronomy Modeling Instruction, Rubin Observatory Supernova Investigations, & Citizen Science
Date & Time: Tuesday, January 6, 2026 | 2:00 PM MT - 3:30 PM MT (my presentation is from 2:10 - 2:20)
Session Title: Outreach and Education Engagement: Rubin, Roman, and Beyond
Building/Room: Phoenix Convention Center, 221 B
About: I am excited to share current work (described below in the abstract) where my students and I have been observing and analyzing data of the newly discovered Type Ia supernova, SN 2025afcy. This work showcases the importance of citizen science observations in the era of big data surveys and how students can learn introductory astronomy by being engaged in authentic astrophysics research. Students have successfully scheduled observations, downloaded data, performed photometry, and have been working on constructing light curves.
Click the button below for a PDF of the AAS 247 published abstract for Astronomy Modeling . . . Rubin . . . Supernova . . .
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Dan Peluso’s Contact Information
If you are interested in collaborating or staying in touch please, please email me at:
dpeluso@seti.org
I look forward to hearing from you and thank you for visiting my website!
Sincerely,
Dan Peluso
