Astronomy Day (07/05)

Astronomy Day is celebrated twice a year — in spring and autumn — by all amateurs and professionals of one of the oldest scientific disciplines.

Spring Astronomy Day is usually celebrated on Saturday — between mid-April and mid-May, near or before the 1st quarter of the Moon. Autumn Astronomy Day is celebrated from mid-September to mid-October. The week from Monday to Sunday, which includes Astronomy Day, is called Astronomy Week.

Astronomy Day was launched in 1973 in California. Northern California Astronomical Association President Doug Berger decided that it was not worth encouraging people to travel long distances to attend the open days of famous observatories, but instead to install accessible telescopes in crowded — places on the streets, in shopping centers, and parks.

Thus, all real astronomy lovers were united, and the motto of the new astronomical movement was the words: «Bringing Astronomy to the People.

Astronomy (from the Greek ἀστρο «star» and νόμος «law») — is one of the oldest sciences, this is the science of the Universe, which studies the location, movement, structure, origin and development of celestial bodies and systems. In particular, astronomy studies the Sun and other stars, planets of the solar system and their satellites, exoplanets, asteroids, comets, meteoroids, interplanetary matter, interstellar matter, nebulae, galaxies and their clusters, black holes and much more. Astronomy allows us to see the history of the Universe with our own eyes.

Astronomy Day is organized and sponsored by 14 organizations, among which the most influential are the Astronomical League, the Pacific Astronomical Society, the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, the International Union of Planetariums, and the American Astronomical Society.



At Astronomy Week and especially on Astronomy Day itself, thousands of astronomy clubs, science museums, observatories, planetariums in many countries are holding many interesting events aimed at raising public awareness of astronomy and our beautiful universe. These include public lectures by famous cosmonauts, teleconferences, joint projects, and mass screenings of the starry sky. Schools offer special classes on basic astronomy, and space food can be tasted at exhibitions.

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