The Nuragic Well of Santa Cristina in Paulilatino, will be the protagonist tonight of an astronomical event that has not occurred for about 18 and a half years, seeing the Moon reflected in the bottom of the well. A rare event linked to the Major Lunistice, the moment in which the Moon is highest in the celestial vault. On this night of January 12, when the Moon will transit to the South and will be at an altitude of about 78°, its light will pass through the circular opening that overlooks the well, thus going to be reflected in the water.
It was the Sardinian researchers Carlo Maxia and Lello Fadda with the astronomer Edoardo Proverbio, who discovered this particular astronomical orientation in 1973. An orientation that does not seem to be casual, but wanted, linked to ancient rites that see the Moon and water as protagonists. The monument, built by the Nuragic people around the 11th century BC, has been studied in recent times by the archaeoastronomer Arnold Lebeuf, full professor of history of religions at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow.
According to Lebeuf, the Nuragic well, in addition to having been built to show this event, would be able to predict the arrival of eclipses. On the occasion of this exceptional event, the cultural associations Iscandula and Agorà' Nuragica, in collaboration with Archeotour, Fondazione Banco di Sardegna and the Municipality of Paulilatino, have organized at 5:00 pm at the Nuragic Well of Santa Cristina, a conference on the astronomical significance of the Well of Santa Cristina, with the participation of Prof. Arnold Lebeuf, the scholar Paolo Littarru and the archaeoastronomer Mauro Peppino Zedda. From 10:00 pm until 1:00 am, visits will be held to observe the moonlight at the bottom of the well.
