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Diaporama
Salon 2008 - Part I
& Part II
(Pictures
taken by Mustapha Mouatsi, Rayyane Mimouni,
Ammi Ali, and the AJST)
More
on the previous Fairs at:
The Salon & Its Opening
(Many pictures are clickable)
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The Seventh National Fair in Popular Astronomy was true to its calling, a popular event through and through indeed. Large participation, a record number of visitors, great lecturers from all over the World. In addition two premieres: the TWAN astrophotography exposition from Iran and other countries of the World, and the Antikythera one from Greece.
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 It took place as usual at the Malek Haddad "Palais de la Culture", close to center city. |
 As usual, the young Sirius shock team was mobilized to do part of the advertisement. It was commando action working at night, at the border line of legality. They literally covered centre city with posters.
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Here Younès (Left) and Mustapha
in the middle of the action. |
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 Hanging up banderols and spacecraft models. Here the Spoutnik model standing up proudly.
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 Setting up the Sirius aisle.
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Getting the main auditorium ready. |
The opening visit by the City Mayor (Dr.Chibane, with eyeglasses) and at his right Prof.R.Boussouf, the head of the Wilaya Executive branch (PAPW).
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Here with the Bahreini Astronomy Society welcomed by Prof. Shawki Dallal, its President and also Vice President of the Arab Union of Astronomy and Space Sciences. |
Prof.X.Moussas from Athena University presenting to the Mayor the Antikythera exhibition. |
Here with Ms. Mona Anbar from the Kuwaiti Science Club. |
Stopping at the Association Sirius des Astronomes Amateurs (ASAA) from Béjaia. |
 Out of space creatures?
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No, just the Mayor and his vice president having outer space visions at the AAJAA stand from Algiers. |
The AAJAA stand was indeed a well visited one |
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Getting some explanations
on the Scientific
Concours Cirta-Science II which will
be held again this year across the various
High Schools of the Wilaya. The three
laureats will be offered a trip to
sight the July 22, 2009 total solar eclipse.
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T he Salon official opening ceremony at the
end of the tour. |
Each one giving a small speech, including the heads of the foreign delegations.
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The Participants
Jeunes
Science Tunis et Djerba in Force
First and foremost, kudos to the Tunisians
who participated in force this year with a
large and active delegation.
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Headed by Dr..Jaidane from Tunis University,
the Association Jeunes-Science comprised young
amateurs from the various parts of Tunisia,
notably Tunis, Djerba, Nabeul, Bizerte, Kairaouan...
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More on the SAF participation
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Philippe Morel, the SAF president, setting
up the PST coupled to a CCD camera for solar
viewing.. |
Mona Anbar explaining the astronomy activities
of the Kuwaiti Science Club.
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Likewise with the amateur activities in
Bahrein with Prof.S. Dallal |
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The
Antikythera Display
from Athena
University
A handsome set of panels on the Antikythera
device discovered in the early XXth century.
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The
Antikythera Display
Her the Mayor with Prof X.Moussas from
Athena University who has worked extensively
on the Antikythera mechanism.
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Various
cosmic visions were offered to the visitors
as shot by some of the best known astro photographers
worldwide. TWAN is a cornestone program of
IYA2009 and we were proud indeed that it was
displayed as a primeur in Constantine, a first
such exhibition in the African continent.
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Here the AMNIR Astronomy Club from Beni
Isguen in the Mzab valley. |
The AAJAA
represented by his President R.Lassoued from
the Algiers governorate put up a great high
tech display made of 3-D planetary scenes. |
Hocine
Fahiss from the El-Bouzdjani Astronomy Club
at Médéa is a faithful participant
to the Popular Astronomy Salons ever since
its inception in 2002. |
The
Smarties Club of the Hamiz Scientific Middle
School at Algiers headed by Mustapha Derradji,
the former Sirius president (Sitting amidst
his students). |
The
Sirius Club from Béjaia. Their elaborated
display emphasized the astronomical heritage
of the region, in particular during the Hammadites
rule. |
Bilal from Sirius - Constantine
posing in front of the Sirius -Béjaia
stand. |
The CRAAG as usual was present
to the Salon with a large delegation. We see
Nassim here talking with his colleagues from
ASAL. |
The CRAAG, unlike the other
years, has a neat display of large panels
animated by |
The Agence Spatiale Algérienne ( ASAL)
too was present with two scientists from the
CTS at Arzew, Dr Abrouche and Dr.Boudjemai
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Here their stand set at a strategic
intersection. |
The ENNA was there too. Here the head of the delegation
talking to the Mayor of Constantine and
his adjoint.
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We were happy to welcome
the Suha astronomy Club from Sétif
a usual participant to our Salons since their
inception. Here showing to the visitors their
skymap software. |
The Najm A-Thakeb Astronomy Association from
Mostaghanem from Western Algeria displaying
their handiwork. |
Bringing the hearts and minds together is
one great bonus of the Popular Astronomy Fairs.
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The Qutb Astronomy Club from Ghardaia. |
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The Birouni Astronomy Association from
Sedrata from the Tebessa Wilaya displaying
their work.
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The Angham El-Hayat Astronomy Association
from Guerara in the Mzab Valley receiving
some young visitors. |
The Ibn Haitham Astronomy Club from Ain-Fakroun,
Oum El-Bouaghi, with Zinou his dynamical president
at right. In the middle Hocinr Fihis from Albouzjani association from Medea.
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The ENNA is also a traditional
participant to our Salons. They go to great
length to provide the public with technical
information on the state of the art in the
air navigation techniques. |
It might be seen as
a bit out of place in an astronomy Salon,
yet it fulfill a useful public function in
informing. On the other hand it might be seen
as "ultralow altitude" astronomy!
Here an engineer from ENNA with Ammi Ali. |
Some EDA (Ecole Doctorale d'Astrophysique)
students at their stand. |
They provided astrophysics background information
to inquiring visitors of all ages: stellar
evolution, Black Holes and the like...
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The Activities
The welcoming desk of Sirius was always neat and friendly.
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The Sirius boutique was also attractive with helpful Sirius members |
The display of realisations by Sirius members was always a strong point of focus for the visitors, especially the youngsters. |
Zinou explaining
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Fateh breaking down a telescope to its basic components.
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Hocine Fahiss from Médéa
at his best: explaining basic astronomy to
the public. |
The CRAAG was well represented this year with the head of the public relations office.
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Handling the kids and their curiosity:
Asma. |
Khaled explaining model building of ancient observatories. They were actually built by Aicha Houki, our Sirius general secretary. |
Mustapha obliging with a young visitor who insisted in looking through a telescope despite day time conditions. |
Imène, at work with Fatima (A left) and Taqi. Asma at right.
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The AAJAA stand |
Mustapha with some students of the new scientific Middle School from Hamiz, Algiers |
The display of realisations by Sirius members was always a strong point of focus for the visitors, especially the youngsters. |
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 The
TWAN exposition. (Picture courtesy B.Tafreshi-TWAN).
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The Antikythera exposition at right |
A sighting night was organized during the Fair at the 10 km Scout Camp at the outskirts of Constantine. Redhouane in the middle of the picture brought his 300 mm Dobsonian for that night. |
 Here Hicham peering through, while Aisha is standing by.
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 Here the Tunisian team going after the PST at the Malek Haddad plaza. Manel Boudjelouah in the background
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The PST coupled to the Philips CCD camera enables us to get nice pictures of some solar protuberances with the expert advice of Philippe Morel . Here a raw picture of part of the solar disk. |
 ... and here a slightly processed and colored one. |
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 Although weather conditions where less than ideals, some pictures were taken from the Malek Haddad Plaza of the rapprochement of the crescent Moon and Venus
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The Constantine corniche at night going towards the coast (Pict-AJST). |
Shoe throwing?
But no Bush at sight.
Just virtually aiming at stars with the MySky device graciously offered to Sirius by Mike Simmons from Astronomers Without Borders during the previous Fair in 2007.
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The Gadget Age: Seeing without seeing. |
The Tunisian corner was always quite animated. |
On duty at the Tunisian desk with smile. |
Groups of scouts from far away places visiting the Fair |
Do I look like this bunch of nails?
Farès |
A trip to town and a flight over the city in the cableway (téléphérique). Click on the picture for another shot |
Spacecraft models on display |
The Lectures & the Round Table
R.Ferlet, the exoplanet
specialist from l'Institut Astrophysique de
Paris and former SAF president, lecturing.
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Dr.Mezaoui Abderahmane from
Bab-Ezzouar University. He lectured on radioastronomy
and the quasars.
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Dr.S.Boudjemai from the CTS/ASAL talking on
small satellites The other lecturer from Arzew
was Dr.S.Abrouche. |
Prof.S.Dallal from Bahrein University lecturing
on the "Fate of the Universe". |
Moslem Nakhli from the AJST of Kairouan during the Q& A session. |
Babak.Tafreshi lecturing on Astronomy in Iran, the Messier marathon, and TWAN.
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Djounai Baba-Aissa from the CRAAG on direct imaging of exoplanets. |
A happy and attentive audience |
The Round Table on
the Intl.Year of Astronomy 2009
Sirius organized, in coordination with the National Committee of the International Year of Astronomy 2009 in Algeria, a round table on how to go about the celebrations. The presence of many of the effective astronomy associations all over Algeria allowed to do some planning and sort out some potential organizational problems. |
The AJS, the SAF and other partners participated in the discussions along with the national associations. |
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The SAF participation
& the Gabrielle and Camille Flammarion Medal Granting
The SAF (La Société Astronomique de France) as usual, marked strongly the Salon with its participation both quantitatively and qualitatively. Five high powered participants were there manipulating, lecturing, entertaining.... They certainly added a note of distinction to the Salon. |
Their stand was most of the time filled with eager visitors... |
Here Patrick FUENTES, head of the SAF History Commission explaining to some journalists from the APS the working of the astrolabe |
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Taking turn to the PST |
The recipiendaire of the Gabrielle and Camille Flammarion prize for 2008 was the President of Sirius
for his effort in popularizing astronomy. Here
Prof.Roger Ferlet, past SAF
President awarding the
medal in presence of Philippe
Morel its
actual President.
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Acceptance speech by the Sirius President
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Tthe Gabrielle and Camille Flammarion medal. Click on the picture to see the verso. |
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Ahmed Djarri handing out the particiaption certificate to Dr..Jaidane from Tunis University |
Mona Anbar from the Kuwaiti Astronomical Society |
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