ASTRONOMICAL MONUMENTS
visited by International Meteor Conference participants
in 1997-2008

Text: Andrei Dorian Gheorghe
Design: Florin Stancu


IMC 2008 participants in the “Maximilian Hell” Planetarium and Observatory, Slovakia
Photo: Rainer Arlt (Germany)


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Between 1997 and 2008 I had the chance to participate
(as a member of the SARM delegation)
at 12 consecutive editions of the International Meteor (Organization) Conference.
Some of our hosts organized visits to a few active (old or modern)
astronomical monuments,
so we could find more about the
PARALLEL WORLD OF ASTRONOMY.
Thus…


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Why should we not consider the astronomical observatory
of the Petnica universitary center (80 km from Belgrade)
as a Serbian parliament of young astronomers?


IMC 1997 participants at Petnica
Photo: Valentin Grigore


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Why should we not consider the Skalnate Pleso Observatory
in the Tatra Mountains
as a Slovak fortress of astronomy?


IMC 1998 participants climbing to Skalnate Pleso
Photo: Valentin Grigore


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Why should we not consider the observatory of the Associazione Romana Astrofili
(50 km from Rome)
as a modern bastion of the goddess Urania?


IMC 1999 participants at ARA observatory
Photo: Valentin Grigore


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Why should we not consider the monastery of Frombork,
where Copernicus lived and studied in the 15th century,
as a Polish temple of astronomical freedom?


Foucault Pendulum demonstration for IMC 2002 participants in Frombork
Photo: Casper ter Kuile (Holland)


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Why should we not consider Planetarium Varna
at the Black Sea
as a Bulgarian palace of astronomy?


IMC 2004 participants at Planetarium Varna
Photo: Casper ter Kuile (Holland)


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Why should we not consider the Zimmer Tower
in the town of Lier
as a Belgian astronomical tribunal of time?


IMC 2005 participants in Lier
Photo: Valentin Grigore


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Why should we not consider the Radio Telescope
in Westerbork
as a Dutch astronomical opera hall for listening to cosmic music?


IMC 2006 participants in Westerbork
Photo: Casper ter Kuile (Holland)


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Why should we not consider the prototype station
of LOFAR
as a Dutch field sowed with antennas for astronomical food?


IMC 2006 participants at LOFAR
Photo: Urijan Poerink (Holland)


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Why should we not consider the Pic du Midi Observatory
in Pyrenees
as a French dome of astronomy?


IMC 2007 participants at Pic du Midi
Photo: Valentin Grigore


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Why should we not consider the “Maximilian Hell” Planetarium and Observatory
in the Banska Bystrica district
as a Slovak theatre for roles of heavenly bodies?


IMC2008 participants at Planetarium Maximilian Hell
Photo: Casper ter Kuile (Holland)


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Note:
Most of the photographs were first published by the International Meteor Organization.

© 2009 SARM
(Romanian Society for Meteors and Astronomy)