World begins 100 Hours of Astronomy marathon
Published: 02 April, 2009, 17:00
Astronomers and sky lovers the world over are gearing up for a 100-hour-long marathon aimed at celebrating the night sky and boundless space. The event kicks off at sunset on Thursday.
With more than 1,500 events in 130 countries, the mass stargazing could potentially draw more than a million people, busting all records for participation in astronomy. The 100 Hours of Astronomy is a cornerstone event of the International Year of Astronomy.
In 1609, Galileo Galilei used a primitive telescope to discover spots on the Sun, craters and peaks on the surface of the Moon and four satellites orbiting Jupiter. 400 years on the world remembers the great astrologist and encourages his followers.
The Russian contribution to the festivities will include open doors in a number of astronomic institutions in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Yekaterinburg and Irkutsk, as well as excursions to the special astrophysical observatory in Caucasian Karachayevo-Cherkessian Republic, where Russia’s biggest telescope, which is six meters in diameter, is located.
All one should hope for now is clear skies at night!
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