POST-SCRIPTUM:
SARM, ORM, GAM 2011
or
FROM GREAT TELESCOPES
BACK TO POPULAR TELESCOPES
-comments: Andrei Dorian Gheorghe-
*
Six months later, in April 2011,
as an entity with an astronomical soul,
SARM organized and coordinated Global Astronomy Month 2011 in Romania
still veiled by the magic of the pilgrimage to the fabulous astronomical realm
of the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory in La Palma
(the host of the world’s largest optical telescope,
Gran Telescopio Canarias),
and accompanied by Dr. Ovidiu Vaduvescu’s symbolical photo-salute
from the Isaac Newton Telescope
(the first large telescope installed over there in 1979,
after it had been shipped from the UK).
Thus, the president of SARM, Valentin Grigore, told about that expedition
at each astronomical activity organized during GAM 2011
in his town, Targoviste, Dambovita County, Wallachia (Muntenia) province.
He and his team began by force,
trying to harmonize astronomy with religion in a special presentation
and demonstrating the cosmic power of the telescope at a public action.
GAM 2011 -
SARM AT TARGOVISTE ORTHODOX SEMINARY
-photo-collage by Valentin Grigore-
REMARK
-by Andrei Dorian Gheorghe-
Believe it or not,
we all have to recognize
that the Creator of the Universe
is the best astronomer.
GAM 2011 -
STAR PARTY, TARGOVISTE
-photographic poem by Valentin Grigore and Adrian Apostol-
*
At the same time in Romania, SARM’s Eta Andromedae Astroclub
celebrated GAM 2011 by observing a superb phenomenon
in Turda, Cluj County, Transylvania province.
MOON-PLEIADES CONJUNCTION
-photo by Catalin Timosca-
*
SARM’s Gorj Astroclub (in association with “Young People for the Future” Society
and other zonal organizations in Oltenia province)
developed a splendid series of public activities
in Targu Jiu and Bumbesti.
GAM 2011 IN GORJ COUNTY
-photographic poem by Marcel Jinca-
*
SARM’s Bacau Branch, in Moldavia province,
celebrated GAM’s Lunar Week with spectacular results.
RIGHT CLOUD
-astro-photo-poem by Dan Mitrut-
A cloud
(I didn’t see anything else)
crossed the Moon
But it looked like
a giant sword thrown at the Moon,
it was a perfectly right cloud.
*
The Bucharestian sky lovers were interested
in observing by telescope the Moon, the Sun and Saturn.
CRESCENT MOON, 2011 APRIL 8TH
-astro-photo-poem by Maximilian Teodorescu-
In Romania
a few hundred people have telescopes,
a half of them look at the Moon,
a few of them take lunar pictures,
and one of them is truly a maniac:
me!
1195
-astro-photo-poem by Mihai Curtasu-
I caught another group of sunspots,
but the tube of my telescope became warm,
although I had tried to protect it before
by veiling it with tinfoil
transforming it into a…
Lunar Module!
SATURN
-astro-photo-poem by Radu Gherase-
I tried planetary astrophotography,
and since the image is enriched by two satellites,
it seems not so bad
for a f5 Newtonian, a 3x Barlow lens and a common webcam…
*
Other Romanians used their telescopes and binoculars to make observations
for the SARM project dedicated to the double stars
(Iota Leonis, Cor Caroli, Gamma Virginidis, Epsilon Bootis etc.),
and the most active observer was even
the president of the Galaxis Astroclub in Arad, Transylvania
(a Romanian province inhabited by many people of Hungarian origin)…
THE PORTRAIT OF MY EXEMPLARY FELLOW
ATTILA CSILLAG
(“csillag” means star in Hungarian)
IN OBSERVING DOUBLE STARS
-photo by Mircea Pteancu-
…
Observing double stars that are very close
is something similar to an extreme sport.
You feel exhausted becoming one
with your telescope,
which you must know very well
to push it to its limit!
-Mircea Pteancu-
*
Romanian variable star observers had the chance to observe
the first outburst of a recurrent nova from the constellation Pixis
in nearly 45 years…
T-PYXIDIS
-photo by Catalin Timosca-
…
Variable star
observations - other
telescopic prayers
-Andrei Dorian Gheorghe-
*
Not in the least, Romanian sky lovers participated
at the traditional telescopic tour of the Messier objects…
M13
-photo by Horatiu Fluieras-
M16
-photo by Marian Lucian Achim-
M81 AND M82
-photo by Maximilian Teodorescu-
…
Messier Marathon -
an extraordinary annual championship
of amateur astronomers
for the title of
Pheidippides
in deep sky objects
-Andrei Dorian Gheorghe-
*
Returning to SARM’s “Capital”, Targoviste,
other astronomical activities were connected to…
GAM 2011 -
LUNAR WEEK, TARGOVISTE
-photographic poem by Valentin Grigore-
GAM 2011 -
SUN DAY, TARGOVISTE
-photographic poem by Valentin Grigore-
GAM 2011 -
LYRID WATCH
-photographic poem by Valentin Grigore-
*
…
The Universe shines equally
for everybody,
but due to mental, physique or social reasons,
it is not perceived equally
by everybody.
If I can see and understand more
from the Universe,
it is my duty to help you,
my unhappy brother!
-Andrei Dorian Gheorghe-
In the last week of GAM 2011, Valentin Grigore and his team
made astronomical presentations in Dambovita County
for people with disabilities
(in a specialised center in Targoviste)…
for people living in rural environment
(the village of Dragomiresti)…
and organized a visit to the Pitesti Planetarium in Arges County
(one of the first digital planetariums in East Europe)…
…
A planetarium
brings an artificial sky
into a building,
usually for people who live
in big and polluted towns.
Dangerous planetarium,
it makes me want
to run during the nighttime
to the first unpolluted place
to admire the real sky!
-Andrei Dorian Gheorghe-
OBSERVATIONAL EVENING IN PRIBOIU-TARGOVISTE
DURING GAM 2011
-photo by Valentin Grigore-
*
But the highlights of GAM 2011 events in Targoviste
were organized on:
-April 11th, a concerto by Muntenia Philharmonic Orchestra at the Youth House,
for which SARM projected cosmic images
(made by its members or by great observatories)
and ensured, during breaks and after the show,
sky observations with telescopes for spectators.
GAM 2011 –
COSMIC CONCERTO IN TARGOVISTE
-photographic poem by Valentin Grigore, Ciprian Grigorescu and Adrian Apostol-
-April 16th, a celebration of the European phase of GAM’s StarPeace program
through a TV broadcast and a conference with two elite representatives
of two world organizations:
Paul Roggemans
(Belgium, the main creator of the International Meteor Organization)
and Johannes Stubler
(Austria, international ambassador of Astronomers Without Borders).
ADRIANA NICOLAE AND PAUL ROGGEMANS (WITH VALENTIN GRIGORE)
AT DRACULA’S TOWER CHINDIA AND TARGOVISTE ROYAL COURT
-photos: Valentin Grigore-
JOHANNES STUBLER AND ULRIKE STUBLER (WITH VALENTIN GRIGORE)
AND THEIR FAMOUS AWB MICROBUS AT DRACULA’S TOWER CHINDIA
-photos: Valentin Grigore-
PAUL ROGGEMANS AND JOHANNES STUBLER
SHARE THEIR EXTRAORDINARY EXPERIENCE
THROUGH WORDS AND IMAGES AT VALENTIN GRIGORE’S BROADCAST
“NOI SI CERUL - US AND THE SKY”,
COLUMNA TV, TARGOVISTE, GAM 2011, APRIL 16TH
PAUL ROGGEMANS AND JOHANNES STUBLER,
SPECIAL GUESTS OF VALENTIN GRIGORE AND SARM
DURING STAR PEACE CONFERENCE, DAMBOVITA HISTORY MUSEUM,
TARGOVISTE, GAM 2011, APRIL 16TH
-photos by Valentin Grigore and Adrian Apostol-
A SPECIAL AWARD
AND AN AMAZING ASTRO-STAMP
STAR PEACE COREOGRAPHY
-photographic haiku by Valentin Grigore-
ON THE VOIEVODES HILL
(the headquarters of SARM’s Perseid legendary event 1993-1999)
AT A ROMANIAN ETHNOGRAPHY EXHIBITION
-photo by Gabriela Topa-
FRIENDS FOREVER
-photo by Ulrike Stubler (Austria)-
But Romania was only an enthusiastic sample of GAM 2011,
a world festival for which tens of countries organized hundreds of events,
using thousands of telescopes…
AN AUSTRIAN AWB AMBASSADOR (JOHANNES STUBLER)
NEXT TO A TELESCOPE OF SARM IN ROMANIA
GOODBYE MR. AWB AMBASSADOR!
-photo: Valentin Grigore-
*
But every beginning has an end…
CELESTIAL CLOSING CEREMONY OF GAM 2011 IN NORTH (ROMANIA):
OPTICAL ATMOSPHERIC PHENOMENA
-photographic poem by Catalin Timosca-
…
Arcs, halos, sun dogs
(parhelia) and others -
make-up of the Sun
-Andrei Dorian Gheorghe-
…
CELESTIAL CLOSING CEREMONY OF GAM 2011 IN SOUTH (NEW ZEALAND):
FOUR PLANETS
-photo by Danut Ionescu (New Zealand,
former counsellor of SARM, born in Romania-
…
However, after all,
indifferent to hemispheres and telescopic performances,
firstly the sky
must be admired
by the naked eye.
-Andrei Dorian Gheorghe-
*
CONCLUSION
Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos
and other large concentrations of telescopes,
destined to advanced research and providing cosmic images and experience
for public events…
Global Astronomy Month,
the world’s largest celebration of astronomy,
providing interest for great observatories…
And everywhere, indifferent to dimension,
telescopes as major intermediaries
between people and the beauty of the Universe…
SARM, ORM, GAM 2011
-photos by Valentin Grigore;
astropoem by Andrei Dorian Gheorghe-
People love
because the lights of the stars
express love
People build telescopes and observatories
to be closer
to the stars
People sing
because they love
the sacred music of the stars
*
I dedicate my coordination contribution to this project
to the memory of my parents
Steliana Gheorghe and Costica Gheorghe.
-Andrei Dorian Gheorghe-
I dedicate my photographic contribution to this project
to the memory of one of the models of my life,
my grandfather Isaia Torcica,
who died during GAM 2011.
-Valentin Grigore-
*
Special thanks to the main hero of this project, Ovidiu Vaduvescu,
and his wife Gabriela Vaduvescu,
who wonderfully managed the SARM expedition to La Palma
through their firm
Astro Travels
http://www.astro-travels.com/
*
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