Science needs women

Back in 1998, L'Oreal did a very strategic step. The company found a platform with a belief behind and decided to support it constantly in order to show "corporate goodness". It alied with UNESCO and develop the "For Women in Science" partenership.

The long term campaign aimes at promoting women in scientific research. One of the campaign programs is the L'Oreal and UNEWSCO Awards, which are consacrating excellence in science.

Here are the nominations for 2010.


The initiative to support women in science found another supporter in 2009 when the International Year of Astronomy settled the cornerstone project "She is an astronomer". The project encouraged women all over the world that are passionate about astronomy to stand out and prove to people that astronomy is for women as much as it is for men.

In Romania, Astroclubul Bucuresti organised an event in the capital city of Romania with conferences, solar observations and tokens of spring for the 8 of March - Mother's Day. Read more about the event that took place at Bucharest and in whole Romania on the International Year of Astronomy website.

Book your place in space...

...is the slogan of Virgin Galactic, the World’s first commercial space line providing private sector access to space.

SpaceShipTwo - the first manned commercial spaceshift - was revealed to the world on Monday, December 7. First tests will be done in early 2010, and in 2011 we will have the first travels.

So, if you're planning an astronomical holiday for 2011, book your ticket. And if they happen to have a 1+1 free promotion, consider me :)

With 2012 coming up, watch a movie about the true facts around asteroids that threaten Earth

2012 it's almost here and speculations regarding the end of the world reach high levels of intensity. Presented with otherwise common sense and annually repeated astronomical data and phenomena, people see them as an exception capable of destroying us, helped of course by the very concerned media.

Sometimes I wonder who came first? The whole craziness around ancient predictictions regarding 2012 that led to the screening of "2012" the movie? Or the movie and the whole panic is just a malefic, but genious PR campaing to increase box office? Talking about the movie, I went to see it and left with one strong impression: the special effects were so impresive that made you think this could be real. The actors play however reminded you that it was just a fictional movie.

Leaving behind all speculations, The Space Generation Advisory Congress (SGAC) released a movie about the true facts around asteroids that threaten Earth. The volunteer made documentary presents the opinions of international experts on issues surrounding defending Earth from asteroid and comet impacts. More about the team behind it on the SGAC website.

You can watch the movie here. It is made of four sections, each focusing on one important aspect regarding asteroid impact: definition and understanding, deflection methods, public awareness and asteroid exploitation.

First conceived at the 2008 Space Generation Congress, the documentary uses footage from interviews made in April at the 2009 Planetary Defense Conference in Grenada, Spain. At the same time, the film promotes the first “Youth of Defense Conference” which will be held in Romania, in 2011, prior to the second "Planetary Defence Conferece" to be held in Bucharest.

In 2011, Romania will not be at its first flirt with such topics as asteroids. Last year, we saw the first Romanians to discover asteroids in a fantastic project called EURONEAR, coordonated by Dr. Ovidiu Vaduvescu. The team gathered Romanian professional and amateur astronomers, setting an example of how prolific the colaboration between the two types of astronomers can be.

If you are an amateur astronomer living in Romania and passionated by such topics you can join the EURONEAR team and be sure not to miss the 2011 SGAC conferences! Keep in touch via email for more detalis.

And for all those who can read Romanian, an interesting article about the maya calendar with regards to astronomy as well.

Observatorul Astronomic concureaza astazi in marea finala!

Get your free weekly newsletter

For those of you out there eager to be up-to-date with events that happen in the sky or down to Earth in astronomy, check out the Year in Space weekly newsletter. And if your willing to invest some pennies in your updating, you can also try the desk calendar.

Clear skies!

Galilean night with a cup of hot tea and a journey to Jupiter

Galileen Nights, the last cornerstone project of the International Year of Astronomy is about to begin, but weather doesn't seem to be on our side. However, this has not discouraged amateur astronomers in Bucharest! They decided to warm astronomy passionates with hot tea, informal lectures about Galileo Galilei and a virtual journey to Jupiter.

The Astronomical Observatory „Amiral Vasile Urseanu” and Astroclubul Bucureşti, the first astronomy club in Bucharest, are waiting all those interested in astronomy to enjoy a cup of tea and a discussion about Galileo and his importance to astronomy. With the help of a special software, astronomers will then take paricipants to a virtual journey to Jupiter, one of the objects Galileo observed.

The warm meeting takes place Friday, 23rd October, at the Astronomical Observatory - Blv. Lascar Catargiu no 21 (between Piata Romana and Piata Victoriei). Participants are expected every hour, during 20:00 and 24:00 and they will have free entrance.

So...don't let the weather scare you! Join us for an astronomical tea party :)

Climate change from a space perspective

Today it's Blog Action Day 2009. As this year's topic is climate change, here it is a brief perspective from the space generation!

Between 8-11 October 2009, The Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC) held its annual Space Generation Congress (SGC) in Daejeon, Korea, gathering 80 young professionals and university students with space sector leaders and subject matter experts. The Congress was organized prior to the International Astronautical Congress and was focused on debates on key space topics such as: Industry, Agency, Climate, Exploration and Peace from the perspective of the incoming space generation!

Among the five projects developed by SGC delegates, one focused on the problem of Climate change from a space perspective. The SGC Climate session group examined how to raise awareness among the general public and decision makers about the relationship between climate change and space technology and how that technology can help in monitoring, mitigation and outreach efforts. SGAC members developed a series of recommendations, including addressing the leaders that will be present at Copenhagen.

Their project and recommendations will soon be available on SGAC website as well as here. Keep in touch!

Huge meteor caught on camera

A streaking meteor that that recently appeared 100 times brighter than a full moon was caught on video camera, scientists announced last week.

As the fireball plunged into Earth's atmosphere on the evening of Sept. 25, it was detected by cameras at the University of Western Ontario in Canada. Footage shows that the meteor, roughly the size of a tricycle, was moving at a speed of 13 miles per second (75,317 kph) as it traveled over southern Ontario.

Source: Space.com

Take a tour of the Paranal Observatory in the Atacama desert

Never had the opporunity to spend an observation night in a huge observatory? You can now live the experience, virtually for the moment, but who knows...

Watch the 3D video of the Very Large Telescope at the Paranal Observatory, high in the Atacama Desert in Chile. You can see the four 8m telescopes and the four 1.8m telescopes of the VLT working.



The video was made by astrophotographer and head Optics Engineer on the VLT, Stéphane Guisard. Read more

A apărut Revista Vega

Dacă nu vă număraţi printre abonaţii revistei Vega, puteţi descărca numărul din septembrie, disponibil acum pe site.

În acest număr, vă prezentăm:

- galeria de imagini cu fotografii astronomice făcute la Vlădeasa, locul unde s-a ţinut tabăra de astronomie anul acesta;
- o nouă rubrică a galeriei "Să ne amintim" ce cuprinde observaţiile lui Attila Kosa-Kiss;
- obişnuita rubrică despre constelaţii. În numărul acesta a venit rândul Vulturului (Aquila);
- un material despre participarea membrilor Astroclubului Bucureşti la un graze! ocultarea stelei Electra de către Lună;
- calendarul astronomic pe luna septembrie - mulţumiri "Observatorului Astronomic Amiral Vasile Urseanu".

Redacţia Vega: Mihaela, Oana şi Zoli

Dacă eşti interesat de revista Vega şi nu eşti abonat, te poţi abona aici

You will think again before taking it

An interactive and scarry website about the use of coke. Apart from the exceptional execution, a simple, yet effective idea to introduce you into the world of coke addicts.

Cum sa gasesti canale inovative

Un exemplu de canal media la care nu ne-am fi gandit, de pe blogul lui Manafu

Social Media Impact

An interesting statistics on social media. Thx, Ralu!

How large is the universe

A video everybody should see...Just amazing

Vega 130

Numarul 130 al revistei Vega cuprinde o galerie de imagini cu Soarele, nebuloase şi o cometă.

La secţiunea Galeria să ne amintim găseşti caietul de observaţii al unui membru al Astroclubului Bucureşti de la Eclipsa Totală de Lună din noaptea de 4 spre 5 mai 1985.

Poţi afla cine a introdus constelaţia Lacerta în catalogul stelar.

Descoperi particula primordială cu ajutorul LHC.

Citeşti despre pata apărută pe Jupiter, descoperită de un astronom amator.

În august, Epsilon Aurigae începe să varieze.

Calendarul astronomic te ghidează pe parcursul întregii luni.

Pentru abonare gratuită mergi aici.

From Barcelona with love

Am revenit în ţară după o săptămână în Barcelona, încă sub efectul anestezic al stilului de viaţă catalan. Nu o să mă aventurez în povestiri dulceag nostalgice căci rostul nu şi-l are. Barcelona se trăieşte, nu se citeşte.

Voi spicui însă câteva învăţături către cei care se gândesc să meargă într-acolo:

Bari Gotico sau Lipscaniul lor este înghesuit, murdar şi plin de turişti veseli, acostaţi de proxeneţi sau vânzători de iarbă la fiecare colţ de stradă. Cu toate acestea, are farmecul său şi merită experimentat. În plus, e la doi paşi de Rambla şi de Placa Catalunya, iar cazarea e ieftină.

O zi într-un bus turistic te familiarizează cu întreg oraşul, după care merită să iei oraşul la picior şi să-l descoperi în afara rutelor turistice.

Metroul doar pare complicat. O cartelă de 3 zile acces nelimitat la 15,20 euro este cea mai bună alegere dacă ai de umblat.

Plajele cele mai frumoase sunt spre est - Bogateli

Un club interesant este Roxy - intersecţia Balmes cu Consejo de Ciento. Iar dacă vi se oferă pe plajă bilete de intrare în cluburi, nu e ţeapă.

Un loc bun de mâncat cu restaurante specifice este Placa Reyal, undeva pe Rambla, pe langa zona Mac şi KFC. Pentru zi de zi, cel mai ieftin este Carrefour-ul de pe Rambla.

Gaudi e năucitor.

Montjuic e on top of the world şi peste lume domină Sagrada Familia.

Muzeul de Ştiinţe e cel mai tare parc de distracţii.

Farggi nu e deloc spaniol, dar au cafea, îngheţată şi sandvişuri divine.

Taxiul e 26 de euro de la aeroport la Bari Gotico.

Scările sunt alunecoase, dar serviciul de ambulanţă e rapid :)

Simbolurile pentru România s-au mai schimbat: Dracula, Dragostea din tei şi Cleopatra Stratan.

Mi-am amintit că PR-ul trebuie să ţină cont de pieţele globalizate în cel mai negândit loc, la metrou. Pasagerul de lângă mine mânca pufuleţi şi citea un ziar spaniol care relata declaraţia lui Popescu care nega implicarea în Securitate...

Fascinant oraş.

Dilema primului post

Familiar sentiment. Ce scrii intr-un prim post...mergi pe tehnica romanului traditionalist si incepi sa te prezinti sau preferi modernismul si incepi din mijlocul actiunii? Parca ultima varianta e mai placuta, caci viata exista prea bine si inainte de post. Dar si putina eticheta digitala parca nu ar strica. Sa ma prezint, asadar.

Oana Sandu, 24

E posibil sa ne fi intalnit pe la:

x Teamwork, ONG-ul studentilor din Universitatea din Bucuresti. Am facut curat primavara prin Gradina Botanica, ne-am delectat cu teatrul de alee sau cautarile de comori cu cei mici. Sau poate am fost colegi de banca la Amfiteatrul Deschis.

x Aegee Bucuresti, Asociatia Studentilor Europeni. Om fi mers impreuna intr-un summer university sau l-am organizat pe cel din Bucuresti-Cluj.

x Prime, Asociatia Studentilor la Comunicare si Relatii Publice. De fapt, sansele aici sunt destul de slabe caci nu am fost prea activa, recunosc

x Facultatea de Litere, Sectia Comunicare si Relatii Publice. O Facultate, una printre putinele, care pe mine una chiar m-a pregatit pentru RP.

x Evolore. Poate te-am recrutat la un training. Imi pare rau pentru asta, dar sper totusi ca pana la urma ti-a fost de folos. Poate ai fost unul dintre cursantii mei sau poate ne-am vazut la Busteni la trainingurile de finantare europeana.

x Smart Marketing Advertising, unde ne plictiseam teribil dand telefoane.

x Clubul Rotary Bucuresti Continental cand visam sa navigam printre stele

x Ministerul Afacerilor Externe, unde organizam competitiile dintre ambasade. Mai stii cine a castigat finala la baschet? :)

x Volei la Scoala Americana. Se mai tine? :)

x Conferinta care anunta primii romani descoperitori de asteroizi sau la maratonul astronomic. Ea este astronom poate? Ziua Astronomiei? Cursul de astronomie? Nu se poate sa nu fi trecut prin Cismigiu si sa nu fi vazut la un moment dat un grup de tineri cu telescoapele

Daca nu ne-am intalnit pana acum, atunci ne putem cunoaste daca te intersectezi la un moment dat cu:

x Astroclubul Bucuresti de la Observatorul Astronomic Amiral Vasile Urseanu

x The Practice, part of Leo Burnett Group Romania

x Revista de astronomie Vega. Lunar mai descriu cate o constelatie

x poluarea luminoasa :D

x actiunile Anului International al Astronomiei. Pregatim pentru octombrie Noptile Galileiene

x parcurile bucurestene, pe bicla

x masterul de Sondaje, marketing si publicitate de la Sociologie, desi dau cam rar

Iar daca nu si nu, mai exista o posibilitate in viitorul apropiat la:

x UNAWE Romania, asociatia care va trainui profesorii sa dezvolte proiecte de astronomie in scoli

x Space Generation Advisory Council, promovand explorarea pasnica a spatiului

Hai, ca sansele nu sunt chiar atat de mici :)