National Planetarium Celebrates World Space Week

“Excited na ako!”

These were the words that came from one of the attendees, Margie Palacios, as her fellow Astronomy team went to National Planetarium in Manila, 7th of October 2016.

If you were to stand in front of National Planetarium, you’d hear this exact same line coming in from different points. Along with her is a faculty member, Mr. Jerome Felicidario, and her fellow classmates, C'jackquel Danauto, James Basit, and Mika Denise Samson.

Huge, grand edifice showed off their priced exhibits as a welcoming remark for the incoming guests. That’s miniature models of space-satellites, to retrieved tektites, embossed illustrations of our planets and deep-space nebulas, and facts and illustrations of our sky’s constellations we’re shown as well. As part of the planetarium’s celebration, lectures we’re conducted.

Mr. Paul Arce, along with his fellow colleague Jomar Razo, discussed the sorts of danger that is usually found in space. Furthermore, Mr. Miguel Artificio discussed the main ethics of astrophotography.

It was attended by students from College of Manila, Rizal Technological University, and individuals coming in taking part of the activity. However, due to the gloomy weather, the said to be astrophotography training was cancelled. The event wrapped up by 5:00pm in the afternoon.

-Mika Denise C. Samson

WSW I of II

On celebration of the annual World Space Week, BS Astronomy students together with RTU-Astronomy Society host exhibits and lectures tackling astronomy and space. Held at the Astronomy Center, October 6.

Event started off with a public solar observation to allow students and staff alike to get a glimpse of our very own star, the Sun. It didn’t start off that well due to the weather condition.  After waiting for an hour or so, the clouds parted for the Sun allowing us to view it in all its blazing glory.  

Next was a lecture led by a graduate of BS Astronomy and is now a part-time professor in RTU, Mr. Jerome Felicidario. He talked about about junk, specifically Space Junk and its consequences. If you have watched the movie, Wall-E, notice how Earth is surrounded by a graveyard of satellites? Those are called space junk and we have thousands of de-commissioned satellites orbiting our planet at this moment. 

Moreover, Astronomy students prepared exhibits—ranging from a scaled model of the solar system as well as a model of the International Space Station. There are exhibits as well that makes use of simple physics and maybe a little light-bending; this includes dancing lights, thermodynamic floating cups and glowing cups.

Also, the Manila Planetarium situated a mobile planetarium at Astronomy room two, students was able to see the beauty of the night sky without actually going out. 

-Compañero, Hans Carlo J.

You can see the WSW 2016 pictures on the Official RTU-AstroSoc page on Facebook.