Olimpos to host science festival

ANTALYA – Doğan News Agency

Olimpos, one of the most popular holiday resorts in the southern province of Antalya, will host science enthusiasts during the Sky and Science Festival.

One of the important cities of ancient Lycia, Olimpos is known as one of the rare tourism spots that can protect its bay and beach as well as its natural beauty. The Sky and Science Festival will be held in Olimpos due to factors such as being far away enough from light pollution, ease of transportation and meeting basic needs.

The festival, to be held for the fourth year by the Astronomy platform Cosmic Anaphor, will take place from July 26 to 29.

During the festival, constellations and planets will be introduced at night under the Milky Way. Participants will be able to watch the planets, galaxies and nebulae with professional telescopes.

Astro photographers Metin Altundemir and Ahmet Kahraman will give trainings, and participants will learn to take space photographs (astrophotography). Additionally, the event offers presentations and interviews on astronomy, space, the universe and various scientific topics at almost every hour from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Erdal Taşgın will organize applied science workshops. Astronomy communities of universities will also organize a large number of scientific workshops.

During the festival, various competitions will be held, and winners will receive a telescope as a prize. Along with space observations at night, the Sun will be observed with special solar telescopes during the day.

[HH] Talks with astronomy experts

Festival speakers on the science of astronomy this year include Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University Observatory official Professor Osman Demircan, Istanbul University, Department of Astronomy and Space Sciences academic Professor Emin Özel, Professor Talat Saygaç and Dr. Massimiliano de Pasquale.
Dr. Tevfik Uyar will explain the distinction between real science and fake science with his presentations. Participants will be able to stay in their own tents in the camp area.
One of the organizers of the event, Zafer Emecan, the founder of the Cosmic Anaphore Astronomy Platform, said that astronomy is one of the basic sciences that amateurs are interested in and contribute to.
Stating that observation festivities are organized in Turkey to increase interest in amateur astronomy, Emecan said: “What distinguishes the Olimpos Sky and Science Festival from other astronomy events in our country is that it offers a rich range of presentations, interviews, observations and workshops. This year, 24 presentations will be held during the festival along with interviews with the participants.”

Emecan, an amateur astronomer, said that it is imperative to spread amateur astronomy to society in order to develop in the field of space sciences as a country.

“When talking about amateur astronomy, people disregard it, saying, ‘can astronomy be amateur?’ No, professional astronomy and amateur astronomy are a whole,” Emecan said. “For example, almost all comets are discovered by amateur astronomers. There are even amateur astronomers now observing supernovas and discovering new other planets. In fact, NASA gives the amateur astronomers the raw pictures of the Hubble Space Telescope, which are processed and colored by them.”

Detailed information about the Olimpos Sky and Science Festival 2019 will be available at ogbf.kozmikanafor.com.