Astronomical Observatory of Capodimonte opens this afternoon, the 48th National Congress of Italian Amateur Astronomers Union (IAU), an association that brings together astronomy enthusiasts in our country. Organised by the Amateur Astronomers Neapolitans (UAN), the conference will last four days, from today until Sunday 26 September.
The event crowns a whole year, 2010, which saw the city of Naples national hero in the field of astronomy. In May, it is required, always at the Observatory of Capodimonte, the LIV Congress of the Italian Astronomical Society, and from March to July, the City of Science hosted the Stars and particles traveling exhibition, organized by the National Institute of Nuclear Physics , National Institute for Astrophysics and the Italian Space Agency. These and other events, the program 'Astronomy Naples 2010', carried out, successfully, consolidated the partnership between astronomers, amateur astronomers, science communicators and the general public during the course of 2009, declared by the UN International Year of Astronomy.
"The idea of \u200b\u200bthe UAN and Naples for the National Congress of Amateur Astronomers was founded more than a year ago," says Lino Manfredi, vice president of the association of amateur astronomers from Naples.
"Preparing for the event was very challenging, partly because we were not content to simply organize the conference, but we wanted to open the doors to the territory," continues Manfredi. In fact, the more strictly technical sessions of the congress will be accompanied by a rich constellation of events for the public in exceptional panorama offered dalll'Osservatorio of Capodimonte, also houses the headquarters dell'UAN.
Among the events planned to tighten the link with the general public and show people the wonders of the sky, there are: visits to the Centre, with two guided observations of the night sky through the telescopes of the association (Thursday and Friday evenings , from 21 hours to 23 hours) and an observation of the Sun (Saturday morning from 9 am to 13), an eccentric classical music concert titled
Atlas Coelestis, music and stars, by Giovanni Renzo ( Friday night at 20), a photographic exhibition and multimedia art exhibition with a display of dozens of paintings inspired by astronomy, and finally an exhibition of stamps, accompanied by a special postal cancellation.
As regards the activities of the Congress, the program includes a series of thematic sessions, ranging from research topics in astronomy and astrophysics in more social issues such as the importance of disclosure and teaching of these subjects . At the conference attended by researchers including astronomers at the INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte, Naples, and Department of Physics, University of Naples, is directly involved with lectures focusing on topics of their research, and indirectly, as a tutor of amateur speakers.
The topics presented cover all cosmic scales, from our solar system, with the formation of stars and planets and the exploration of one of our nearest celestial neighbors, Mars, through the life and death of stars, the study of our Galaxy and other galaxies, again more distant. Cosmology, or the study of the Universe as a whole, will be a lecture by Prof. John Gribbin, Sussex University, UK. Prof. Gribbin is a famous popularizer of astronomy and will present his new book, In Search of the Multiverse
, Saturday, Sept. 25 at 19. The book addresses a number of fundamental questions about the birth and evolution of the cosmos, including the assumption of the Multiverse, that is the possibility that our universe is in fact only one among many parallel universes.
The communication of science, astronomy, and in this case, the general public is a central issue in relations between scientists and the rest of society in this process, astronomy plays a role of considerable importance. The teaching of astronomy, the value of science and the current prospects for dialogue between science and society will be the topics of the conference will be held Friday, September 24, along with other sessions focused on topics such as light pollution and the history of 'astronomy.
A particularly original session is scheduled for Saturday afternoon, you are entitled
un'astrofila - the other half of the amateur sky .
"This session has been strongly desired by Anna Maria Sacco, head of Dissemination and Education Association," said Concetta Bennici, UAN member and former teacher of mathematics and physics in high schools, and during the conference will talk about the results of its research on the complex role of women in astronomy, is understood as a profession and as a simple passion, of course, by amateurs.
image, the landscape Naples saw the beautiful setting of the Observatory of Capodimonte. (Photo UAN)
