Star-Gazing Night-IAU 100

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Apr 14

2019

by Raoul Lannoy

Hi,

This saturday april 13 2019, I went to the Brussels Academy Palace where we celebrated 100 years if the IAU !

I found lots of friends from Belgium, France, made some new from Germany, Spain, Australia, Holland.. There were some speeches given by Ewine van Dishoeck, IAU president, Stella Kafka from AAVSO, John Grunsfeld who talked about his STS 125 flight, Babak Tafreshi (TWAN) also gave a speech ! I asked questions such as wether the IAU had a list of countries banning telescopes (Egypt for instances confiscates your telescope when you arrive at the airport) and what to do about this. It was fun, cold outside (but we were inside) and informative.

After the event, 6 of us went to the center of Brussels to have pasta (we talked a lot in french and english) and after 21:00, we went to the Agora place and joined MIRA to show the heavens (mainly, the Moon) on the street to hundreds of streetwalkers ! I was even interviewed by a local flemish station. I explained that we were going to the public (not the other way around) even if the light pollution is extreem. I brought a tripod and a small telescope. This time, I went to Brussels and back home with the train (never been so early leaving and late coming back)... IAU conferences, Sidewalk astronomy and Global Stargazing night, all the same day! 

IAU 100