The 11th Astronomy Festival extends to two weekends in October

For seven days, science and tourism will be combined to bring the secrets of the sky closer to all audiences.

Among the activities scheduled are the special night experience “The Sky of Autumn”, the family daytime experience “Discovering the Stars”, the concert Music under the Stars with Olga Zoet.

This year’s edition is dedicated to M. Assumpció Català i Poch, one of the most prominent figures in the astronomical field in Catalonia and a pioneer in the history of Spanish science.

The Parc Astronòmic del Montsec (PAM) today presented the 11th edition of the Astronomy Festival, an event that invites young and old to get closer to science and discover the universe and which is becoming one of the most anticipated events on the calendar, with the aim of promoting “Star Tourism” among all audiences.

As the main novelty this year, the festival is being extended for its 11th edition and will be divided into two weekends: the first will take place from 10 to 13 October and the second from 17 to 19 October. This new distribution has been designed to allow more people to enjoy an intergenerational program that combines science, culture and tourism.

The presentation ceremony took place at the Institut d’Estudis Ilerdencs in Lleida and was attended by the managing director of the Parc Astronòmic del Monstsec, Salvador J. Ribas, the president of the Consell Comarcal de la Noguera, Miquel Plensa i Martínez, the vice-president of the IEI, Estefania Rufach, and representatives of the coordinator of the Plaforma Vértices.

This year’s edition is dedicated to M. Assumpció Català i Poch, one of the most prominent figures in the astronomical field in Catalonia and a pioneer in the history of Spanish science. From the Astronomical we want to pay tribute to this astronomer, the first woman to occupy a teaching position at a Spanish university, with the aim of recognizing her professional career and her legacy. Beyond having been a brilliant scientist, Dr. Català paved the way for women in a traditionally masculine world. This dedication is part of the desire to highlight the history of science and inspire new generations, especially girls and young people, to take an interest in astronomy and research.

The presentation of the event has had the collaboration of the Institut d’Estudis Ilerdencs and the City Council of Àger, and involves another step in the commitment to scientific dissemination. During the event, the managing director of the Astronomical Festival wanted to highlight that this new edition of the festival, “we have designed it with a great dose of creativity. The absence of long weekends in the autumn has given us the opportunity to divide the program into two weekends, which allows the local public to return to the Astronomical Festival and enjoy a very different offer from the usual. This year, we are also particularly happy to dedicate the festival to a pioneering figure in astronomy, Dra. M. Assumpció Català, in the year of the centenary of her birth. Her legacy will be present directly with the talk we are organizing in Lleida and, indirectly, as a source of inspiration for the artists of the Plataforma Vértices, who have created three special activities based on their observations of the Sun“.

Featured activities
Throughout the festival, the park will open its domes to show a unique perspective of the night sky of Montsec. With a program for all ages, daytime and nighttime activities will be offered, such as workshops, experiments, concerts and guided tours. In addition, there will be many activities to discover the Sun, as Assumpció Català was an expert in observing and obtaining images of this celestial body.

Special nighttime experience “The Sky of Autumn” (October 10, 17 and 18): Visit that includes a two-hour live planetarium session at the Ull del Montsec and an observation at the Parc de Telescopis.

Special nighttime experience “SunSec + Cel de Tardor” (October 10 and 11): This guided tour offers a special planetarium session that includes the projection of “SunSec”, a work by the artist Pedro Torres (Plataforma Vértices). The live and live session at the Ull del Montsec is then complemented by an observation at the Parc de Telescopis. Total duration of two hours.

Special experience “Star Cyanotypes” (October 11): Recommended for families, it includes a planetarium session followed by the “Star Cyanotypes” workshop. This is an initiative of the Vértices Platform and lasts a total of three hours.

Family daytime experience “Discovering the Stars” (October 11 and 12): The visit, especially recommended for families with children up to 12 years old, lasts two hours. This proposal includes a session in the planetarium and a workshop on building a planisphere.

Music under the Stars with Olga Zoet (October 11): The “Music under the Stars” session offers a concert of original songs entitled “Viatge (Interestellar)” inside the Ull del Montsec planetarium. This musical experience is complemented by an observation session in the Parc de Telescopis, and lasts a total of two hours.

Introduction to night photography at the Montsec Astronomical Park (October 18): An introductory night photography workshop, led by the Badalona Photographic Association, includes a special live session at the Ull del Montsec planetarium. This activity lasts a total of five hours, consisting of one hour of planetarium time and four hours of practical workshop time.

In addition, several parallel and free activities have been organized outside the facilities of the Parc Astronòmic in order to bring science and culture closer to everyone. The following proposals stand out:

Geological walk in Àger (October 12): In the Plaça Major d’Àger, there will be the geological walk “The Moon and Mars touching the streets of Àger“. By Jordi Panisello i Martí, this activity, sponsored by the Orígens Geopark, will allow you to discover the geology of the town and its link with other stars in the solar system. It is a free activity and with limited places.

Conference at the Institut d’Estudis Ilerdencs on Assumpció Català (October 13): In the Aula Magna of the Institut d’Estudis Ilerdencs in Lleida, the conference “M. Assumpció Català, pioneering astronomer, passionate about science” will be held. By Dr. Mercè Romero, from the University of Barcelona. This informative, free, one-hour talk will serve to discover the figure of Dr. M. Assumpció Català i Poch, a pioneering astronomer, on the occasion of the centenary of her birth.