A walk towards the wonders of the Universe through the research and educational spaces of AIRA.
”A Different Kind of School” and ”Green Week” at the Astronomical Institute of the Romanian Academy
In March and April 2025, the Astronomical Institute of the Romanian Academy participated in the national educational programs “A Different Kind of School” and “Green Week”, organizing a series of scientific and cultural activities for students and the general public, held in the Institute’s main visitor areas: the Meridian Hall, the Equatorial Dome, the Planetarium Hall, the Planetarium Hall Foyer, the Main Pavilion Foyer, the Sun Dome, and the round garden near the Bosianu Villa.
The several hundred children and adults who visited had the opportunity to explore Romania’s astronomical heritage and learn, through interactive methods, about the Universe and the role of scientific research. For example, an educational 3D video about the physics of the Sun - viewed with the help of anaglyph glasses, facilitated the understanding of the processes taking place in the solar atmosphere and how the Sun influences Earth.
The refracting telescopes and fundamental pendulums in the Meridian Hall, the 6-meter-long astrograph telescope in the Equatorial Dome, and the vast collection of thousands of astrophotographic plates made at the Astronomical Observatory in Bucharest illustrated Romania’s significant contribution to international scientific research.
In the Sun Dome, visitors discovered the Romanian daily solar patrol activity, through which sunspots and other phenomena related to our neighboring star’s activity are systematically monitored. Additionally, in the Planetarium Hall, a presentation using Stellarium software guided children among stars, constellations, planets, and comets in a digital simulation of the night sky.
The event also included a journey through the history of Bosianu Villa, with our young visitors walking in the footsteps of visionary Romanian patriots, and perhaps even of Alexandru Ioan Cuza himself, who, in 1859, held secret discussions within this building about the creation of a modern state called Romania.
Published on: Apr 16, 2025
