Greek medals at Astronomy Olympiad in Poland

Greek students won two bronze medals, and three honorary distinctions at the 5th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics held in Poland (August 25-September 3). The contest was held among 140 high-school students from 26 countries from all over the world. This year’s Olympiad was said to be one of the most competitive, since the academic level was higher and more contenders for less awards.
For Greece in particular, the success had a female scent, as Despina Pazouli from the town of Drama (North Greece) became the first Greek girl to receive a medal in the competition. Two of the five winners were at their senior high-school year and the Olympiad coincided with the announcement of their university entry examination. Both of them made it to the Department of Physics of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)

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International Astronomy Year 2009 in Greece

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)

The Athens National Observatory’s Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics has scheduled a number of events to mark the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (April 205) – initiated by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) and UNESCO – aimed at ensuring the broadest possible participation of the general public, while introducing more people to the secrets of outer space. Until April 5, internet users may visit the website www.astro.noa.gr and ask questions to the National Observatory astronomers, while a series of lectures, film screenings and telescope presentations are also scheduled.  Events will be held at the Astronomy Stations in Penteli and Krioneri as well as at the the Helmos Observatory in Kalavryta, southern Greece.

The Antikythera Mechanism Reveals its Secrets

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)      The Ionic Centre is hosting the first exhibition showcasing the renowned Antikythera Mechanism, a display which is jointly organised with the Antikythera Mechanism Research Project and the National Archaeological Museum. The exhibition which is placed under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture, is taking place from October 22 to December 14. The Mechanism of Antikythera – an ancient mechanical object which has begun to be “decoded” scientifically only in the past few years – has attracted world-wide interest and re-writes the history of science and culture, not only for Greece but for the entire world. The history of this extraordinary object begins in the mid 1st century BC, when a ship loaded with artefacts and precious objects, possible heading towards Rome, sinks near Antikythera. About two thousands years later, in the spring of 1900, two fishing boats with sponge divers discover one of the most important treasures of antiquity. Filled with signs and cog wheels, it was characterized early as belonging to the family of astronomy instruments – sometimes as an astrolabe, a planetarium, an instrument used for sailing or a combination of instruments. When the first results of the Mechanism Research Project, comprising of top Greek and foreign specialists, were announced in Athens in the end of 2006, they brought about international interest – an interest which continues today. At the Ionic Centre, visitors will have the opportunity to see the mechanism as scientists see it, using the latest technology, to experiment with the calculation models that were developed and to use the software developed for making the erased engravings on its surface appear.  GoCulture.gr: The Antikythera Mechanism reveals its secrets; Nature science journal (31.7.2008): Streaming video: Antikythera