ASTRO-PILGRIMAGES IN BUCHAREST

Text and photos Andrei Dorian Gheorghe
Design Florin Alexandru Stancu

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In 2018 April 27-30 I made a few pilgrimages to more places
very important for Romanian history and astronomy.

This time I chose to use astro-tipuritura
(the shortest Romanian form of poetry)
as literary pigment.



2018 April 27:

-The Moon over the Domnita Balasa Church
(founded in the 18th century by the daughter
of a martyr of Christianity, Constantin Brancoveanu,
“voievod” and “domnitor” of the Romanian Land).









-The dusk over the United Nations Square,
with the views of the crosses of Saint Spyridon’s Old Church
(founded around 1700 and unique through
its Arabic characters, written for the Christians from Little Asia),
and the spire of the Saints Peter and Paul Church
(founded in the 17th century by Matei Basatab,
the greatest creator of churches in Walachia).

























-Games of light and water under a violet sky
at the Palace of Parliament.



















-Venus over the church of the Mitropoly Hill
(where the Romanians decided
the Union of Wallachia with Moldova in 1859
and the Declaration of Independence in 1877),
and the Moon over Saint Spyridon’s New Church
(the largest in the city, made in the 19th century).









If you dream life like a fine view,
Sky diamonds can make it come true.







2018 April 28:



An expedition to the Carol I Park
(named after the first king of Romania,
who brought independence and modernization),
including the sunset near the astronomical state observatory
(founded in 1908 by Nicolae Coculescu and Spiru Haret)…







…and, under the dusk,
views of the Heroes’ Monument
(conceived after World War I and the Great Romanian Union),
the spire of the Silver Knife Church
(made in the Neo-Romanian style in the 1900s),
the Palace of Parliament,
the change of the military guard
and the appearance of the Moon.











































































I also tried to catch, near the monument.
-the Winter Triangle on the left;
-Sirius, down on the extreme left;
-Venus in the monument and Capella up on the right,
but they impressed too little the camera
because of the still dominant light,
so that I awaited a few minutes for more darkness
and I had to be content only with Venus.







The Evening Star, an element
Perfect for any monument.



2018 April 29:

Good morning with Saturn and Mars
Shining stronger than any stars.



After a happy prologue in which I caught
Mars (on the left) and Saturn (on the right),
I returned to the Carol I Park
to catch the Sun over:
-Dracula’s Castle;
-the Heroes’ Monument;
-the Zodiac Fountain
(made in the 1930s by Octav Doncescu and Milita Patrascu).























Then I caught the Sun over:
-the Church of Shepherd Bucur
(the legendary founder of Bucharest in the 14th century);
-the Radu Voda Monastery (made in the 16th century) and its tower;
-the Dobroteasa Church (founded in the 18th century);
-the Tabacari Church (founded in the 17th century).



























I ended that day with views of the Full Moon
over the Bucharest (Vacaresti) Delta.



Fusion of lights is what I felt
Seeing the Moon in Venus’ Belt.



2018 April 30:

On that morning
I caught the sunset near the Basarab Passage
(named after the dynasty who led Wallachia for over four centuries)
and a superb phenomenon near the former water tower
of the first big factory in Bucharest (made in the 19th century).













The Sun near a small sundog,
A teacher who defeats the fog.



Then I concentrated myself to catch the three heavenly bodies
which are reproduced on the Romanian coat of arms:

-the Sun over
the House of Spiru Haret
(the astronomer-minister who modernized the education in Romania
in the 1900s)
and the Municipal Observatory
(in which special inscriptions commemorate Victor Anestin,
the founder of the first Romanian astronomical magazine
and of the first Romanian astronomical society,
and Admiral Vasile Urseanu,
the president of the first Romanian astronomical society).















-Venus over the astronomical observatory
of the National Children's Palace);



-the Moon over the Youth Park.









Finally, the sky gave a generous conjunction between the Moon and Jupiter,
which ended Global Astronomy Month 2018
during the Centenary Year of the Great Romanian Union.







Moon and Jupiter, fine closeness...
As an astral union (I guess!).



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