still afflicts me a sort of post-conference euphoria. Distilled experiences this past weekend, which drug repairer, its effect will still for a while until you everyday end up diluting their influence in the annals of my memory. Yes, always redeemable by little one tries. It has been three days of intense, both personally and in the astronomical, although if I stop to think, the two are the same thing. This was my first CEA and, therefore, doubly expected: for wanting to live from inside and be active as a speaker.
This XIX National Congress on Astronomy, organized by the Astronomical Association of Madrid (AAM) and the Association of Amateur Astronomers at the University Complutense of Madrid (ASAAF), was held at the Faculty of Medicine Complutense University in Madrid on 17-19 September. In total 280 participants we went to Madrid, from 26 astronomical groups. Here you have the magnificent official poster that evokes an ancient scroll with illustrations by Galileo lit and also a spelling style of Padua.
On Friday, after reconnect with my colleagues Francisco Rica, Rafael Benavides and Juan Luis Gonzalez, in the same hotel accommodation and a relaxed meal, we went to the Complutense to pick up credentials and attend the opening ceremony. The hall of the Faculty of Medicine became a hotbed of greetings, hugs and handshakes. In particular, this is one of the moments that I like during these meetings: the reunion with colleagues throughout the English geography and the opportunity to put a face to so many of those who only have a virtual image. So, after a long relationship purely electronic, so I know the Angel Manuel Lopez, coordinator of the Double Stars (GED) of the AAM and Ignacio (Nachete) Novalbos , both doubles player with a huge boost and they are developing important things in our work area.
then gave way to the inauguration CEA official. During the welcome, the organizers also participated, speaking Emilio J. Alfaro, president of the SEA , who again insisted on Pro-Am collaboration, recalling the objectives of Congress year Córdoba past. By the way, as there was between talk and talk, seem to have in mind to organize a second edition of the Pro-Am next year in Seville. The inaugural lecture was given by guest Carlos Frenk, director of the Institute for Computational Cosmology, Durham University, where he is Professor. Gave a lecture entitled Our Improbable Universe , doing a masterful review of the history of cosmology up to the energy and dark matter, as current research front.
Inauguration.
The event closed with the show Multiverses , a lecture on astronomy images combining multimedia and live music by Antonio Arias (Lizard Nick) and his band, along with Jose Antonio Caballero (Astrobiology Center researcher) in the role of speaker. A concept novel to explain astronomy and, yes, liking or not, leave anyone indifferent.
multiverse.
A sitting with the artists.
In closing this first day we went to dinner brotherhood engaged in a downtown restaurant in Madrid. Along the way I socialize at length with Juan Antonio Enríquez astronomer canary, how do you know, sounded the alarm in the world of spectacular explosion of the comet 17 / P Holmes in 2007. Indeed, an affable and friendly as they come. It was a pleasure.
In the pre-dinner cocktail also talked with David Martinez Delgado, IAC astrophysicist and head of the Committee on Pro-Am of the SEA. David kept some connection with last year, it was the nexus of amateur astronomers with everything related to the Pro-Am of Cordoba. Also, I had the pleasure of greeting Jose Maria Oliver, one of the amateur astronomers, as well as a writer and scientist, most emblematic of our country. Oliver was co-founded 50 years ago, the Astronomical Association of Sabadell. Like to say that the number of Astronomy this month, contains a long interview where John Lopesinos gives an overview of his career.
brotherhood dinner.
Behind me, the bottom left Angel Manuel López.
Saturday was the hard day of presentations with an extensive and varied program. As a novelty, organizers structured the program so that in three different rooms, simultaneously, were taught so many papers. Thus, participants could choose according to their tastes and affinities among a wide range of topics. He even issued an Session Pro-Am in collaboration SEA. It gave more than 30 papers classified into the following categories: Education and Outreach, Session Pro-Am, Miscellaneous, Associations, Dark Sky, Photometry and observatories.
Arrival Congress early on Saturday.
Clearly the interest and community awareness astronomy to the problem of light pollution and the subsequent defense of the dark sky. In this sense, the CEA 2010 echoed this issue by presenting four projects seek to address this problem. Highlight, by proximity and without contempt for the other two, the project presented by my fellow Syrma, Fernando Cabrerizo, called Virtual Community Dark Sky . The project will collect measures of the quality of the sky through the device Sky Quality Meter (measures sqm) made by the observers as they wish and will be available and centralized in a web portal created for this purpose which may be consulted when conducting research on light pollution.
Fernando Cabrerizo presenting their project.
unequivocally say that for the first time in a state legislature, were double stars triply represented. This corroborates what we have already been announced, I and my colleagues in various ways: there is a growing interest in double stars in our country. Francisco Rica, at a time very early riser, gave an excellent lecture entitled Discovery of 141 visual binaries by amateur astronomers . At the professional level we are accustomed, Rica unveiled masterfully all the intricacies and procedures of work on the discovery of the large number of common proper motion binary discovered by Rafael Benavides. I discussed this work here.
Francisco Rica in a moment of intervention.
and from Barcelona, \u200b\u200bXavier Miret Tofol Tobal and told us all the details about the project that are now developing: Garraf Survey: Detection and classification of common proper motion systems . This is a team based on visual survey plates scanned using the Virtual Observatory professionals to find new common proper motion pairs not yet cataloged. Without doubt, an important work that is reaping excellent results (about 300 new systems so far). Finally, and again thanks to the CEA could meet personally with both speakers.
Tofol Xavier Miret Tobal and preparing your presentation.
From left to right: Rich, Miret, Tobal, Benavides and Masa.
Finally, at six pm at the Hall of Professor Botella, Rafael Benavides, Juan Luis Gonzalez and myself presented the SEDA-WDS Project in a conference call Research double stars visual: the project SEDA-WDS . And there we were all three dressed in white shirt on the chest showing a huge logo of the project (these are the great ideas of Juan Luis). Modesty I can say that the speech caused the effect we expected from a large audience well: attract and recruit new observers for the project. Anecdotally point out that Juan Luis, was so engrossed in his magnificent and didactic exposure (which is why the shows created is his profession), who inadvertently consumed much of the time we had allotted. When my turn came to speak about the project itself, the moderator was showing the poster of "are 5 minutes "; sign on the other hand I did not see (or rather did not want to see) until I finished my speech. In the end, everyone wins: the interested audience and advertising overtime gave the project. Already petit committee were quite concerned that came to us to show your interest, request more information or to communicate his desire to work. In my particular case I talked for a while with Rafael Ferrando, our renowned national asteroid discoverer, who volunteered to participate soon in the project from its observatory Segorbe in Castellón. Moreover, these days we have received comments from astronomers attracted by the subject. You can download the PowerPoint presentation on the official site project.
The SEDA-point WDS to take action.
Several times in our presentation.
On Sunday morning the last conferences were held. I liked that of Ángel Gómez Roldán, Chief Editor of Astronomy magazine, who closed the intervention cycle. He offered a nostalgic talk about the 25 year life of the magazine, reviewing throughout his career, accumulating in its pages the recent history of astronomy during this quarter century. Story that everyone there is undoubtedly a part.
From left to right: Adolfo Darriba, Angel Gomez, Edgar Mass, Miguel Rodriguez and Jose Luis Salto.
A Novalbos Nacho instance, I was curious to see them, I took her to Madrid very precious treasure for me: the two micrometer-hairs that I built years ago when I operated the visual measurement of double stars. I showed him and several others who came in one of the breaks late on Sunday. Here you have the test.
Nacho Novalbos inspects the threads of the micrometer position.
the closing ceremony for the organization provided in the Aula Magna of the Faculty of Physical representation of the play (as a staged reading, very colorful and original) The Life of Galileo of Bertolt Brecht, in charge of the theater group MKS. The book addresses the issue of conflict of Galileo to the Inquisition. In my view represent a delight.
MKS full group representation.
Throughout the three days of the conference organizers offered other parallel activities: astrophotography contest (congratulations to my teammate Fernando Cabrerizo by the award given to a photograph showing the transit of the ISS by the solar disk) exposure of telescopes and accessories by leading English distribution companies, stand Sirius Computer Book, exposure of a giant model of Mars in detail, scientific poster exhibition (the other way to participate in the conference) and training workshops. Highlight the astronomical drawing workshop taught illustrator for the Soul of the Night , Ana Leonor Hernandez, who knew how to masterfully in just one hour the artistic vein of attendees: all the perfect reflection of the Fornax galaxy in their roles. I introduced myself to Eleanor Saturday afternoon during one of the breaks. Some time ago I still work through your blog and was particularly interested in greeting. A woman who passed, giving glory to talk to her.
Fernando Photo Cabrerizo awarded at the Congress. Tánsito of the ISS by the Sun: awesome, no words.
sample output from the workshop and saw the Fornax galaxy Carlos Anaya.
Ana Leonor Hernandez during astronomical drawing workshop.
"With my new telescope?
model of Mars: I'm bigger than Mount Olympus.
scientific poster exhibition.
To end this long review, I want to comment on the organization itself. It is true that there were failures, all minor, mainly for coordination and technical. But I would take up the cudgels on behalf of the organizing team: all worked at one hundred percent and gave everything. It is noteworthy effort to provide a varied and full congress activities. Added to this group of young people who virtually lived for three days without leaving the Faculty, my applause and recognition. Had a great time, kids.
can find other great reviews on the conference in observation notebook (Rafael Benavides), Astrometry and History of Astronomy (José Gómez Castaño) and VariaStar (Miguel Rodriguez Marco).
can find other great reviews on the conference in observation notebook (Rafael Benavides), Astrometry and History of Astronomy (José Gómez Castaño) and VariaStar (Miguel Rodriguez Marco).
Well, it seems that the next will be in Gandía CEA in December 2012, as voted at the meeting of Associations. We will be there. Here.