, Provinces Group – Saeed Firouzeh: Not so long ago, the scieific activities of astronomy in Bushehr province showed signs of iernational had found the presence of more than 10 thousand knowledge the learner And the teacher, focusing on the Mehr observatory belonging to Bushehr province education, led to the formation of a global stude astronomy network named Bushehr province, so that all studes ierested in astronomy around the world, the reputation of this ancie port as a leading city in the field Know amateur astronomy.
But for some time now, with the closure of the valuable Mehr observatory, these activities have lost color and its facilities are deteriorating.
Seyyed Mehdi a pillar He is the founder and director of Sina’s global stude astronomy network, among the studes who grew up in this scieific ceer, and today he is a teacher of courses between iernational He is working and for this purpose we had a conversation with him.
The birth of a star
Founder and Director of the Global Stude Astronomy Network in this load He says: Mehr observatory in the village Gurk Sadat (Tangistan Couy) was established in 2004, and since 2009, the activities of this institution have been upgraded to the level of research and developme.
He added: In this period of time, the studes were no longer mere visitors and had become part of the participas in the observatory’s activities. take shape
The Director of the Global Network of Stude Astronomy added: Despite this research ceer, the attendance of studes in astronomical educational and research activities grew many times, but what made this observatory special is the cultural-scieific activities, in these activities, Studes used the science and knowledge they learned in the observatory in cultural eves and daily life.
He coinued: The biggest example of these eves was the Kashgaran Astronomy and Nature Festival, where studes camped for a whole day and night in the garden around the observatory, trained in groups, made tools, and learned the skills of staying at night and staying in nature.
He coinued: The bright poi of this festival was that the educational leaders of this eve were the studes themselves who had previously participated in the activities of the observatory and were trained for this work.
a pillar He said: Astronomy and nature festival of explorers coinued and extended to a series of cultural eves such as Nowruz, Yalda, Tirgan and Mehrgan. The repetition of these eves made Bushehr to be known at the national level and in 2014 it was recognized as the observatory and research ceer of Shahid Khoshbakht, the astronomy pole of the coury and the stude astronomy pole in the Ministry of Education. In 2015, this collection was recognized as the best science promoting institution in Iran.
He coinued: In such conditions, more than 10 thousand knowledge annually the learner And the teacher directly participated in the scieific and educational activities of the observatory, and in the call to participate in eves such as Yalda Night, etc., our space and facilities were not enough to respond to hundreds of volueers.
Start activities between iernational
a pillar He said: Since 1397 and over the years, the activities of this observatory have changed iernational took over, the first program between iernational We invited Anusha Ansari and gave an online lecture for teachers and studes of Bushehri. It should be meioned that Mrs. Ansari, as the first female Iranian astronaut, was a scieific role model for these studes and her photo was moued on the wall of the observatory like a legend.
He added: After this communication, Mrs. Ansari referred us to several institutions iernational including “Association of Astronomers without Borders” and “Union of Ier iernational “Astrology” iroduced and connected and these connections with the iroduction of me as the director of Bin I’m sorry The observatory coinued.
The Director of the Global Stude Astronomy Network coinued: The next step was our connection with NASE or the “World Astronomy Network of Schools”, which for the first time in the Middle East and at the invitation of Mehr Observatory, a training course with teachingRosa Maria Rose” from Spain was held at Persian Gulf University with the presence of teachers from all over the coury.
He coinued: Due to the impressive success of the team organizing this eve and acquiring the necessary knowledge, NASE asked us as lecturers between iernational It was used in several training courses abroad and projects were defined for us so that, in addition to teachers, studes are also involved in activities between iernational let’s use
A network that covered the whole world from Bushehr
He noted: With the ery of studes io activities between iernational and with the cooperation of the union between iernational Astronomy gave rise to an eve called Astronomy Day in Schools, or ADIS.
a pillar He said: This eve took a new form with the holding of Iran’s ancie celebrations online and coinues uil now, but Iranians are no longer the only hosts. For example, in one year, Japan hosts Nowruz and Romania hosts Yalda.
Director of Sina Global Stude Astronomy Network coinued: So far, more than 20 differe couries of the world participated in this project and organized this eve in the name of Iran. This eve and between iernational The activity of Iranian studes led to the greatest achieveme of the observatory.
He added: We managed to launch the network E We were named Sinai. Sina, or the global stude astronomy network, which was launched by Iranian studes and was iroduced in an article by Cambridge University, England, covered all studes ierested in astronomy in the world, the ceer and founder of this network named Mehr Bushehr observatory was registered.
Corona, the first enemy of Bushehr astronomy
He emphasized: After this big eve and with the spread of Corona, the activities of the observatory and the research ceer underwe many changes and challenges. On the one hand, online eves increase activities between iernational It happened to us, because the financial problems and issuance of visas, etc. had no meaning in online activities, and it was a good solution for the presence of iernational The observatory happened, but face-to-face and physical training in the observatory was closed and the lack of use of the equipme caused this expensive tool to wear out.
He added: With the multi-year stagnation of Corona, most of the observation tools in the observatory have been depreciated and the high costs of repairing these equipmes caused them to fail, and some indiscretions also caused the inactivity of the educational ceer in the stude research ceer.
a pillar He coinued: This stagnation, along with the observatory’s dome problems, which caused its efficiency to disappear, as well as other educational tools of this complex, caused the observatory to be closed. It is worth meioning that the telescope of the Mehr Observatory is one of the best stude telescopes in the coury, and today it is very expensive to finance the purchase of a new example, and it can be renovated again at a lower cost. But now the roof of the dome is closed and the members of that active and dynamic group are scattered.
He stated: This situation occurred when our team participated in the European Science Festival in 1400 without any financial support, and the following year in the General Assembly of the Union of iernational Astronomy had a brillia presence in South Korea with 15 articles and 2 speakers (Bende and Mr. Baghbani). But the team was only supported by the IAU, which covered the travel expenses, and inside the coury, the situation not only did not improve, but unfortunately got worse.
The founder and director of the Global Stude Astronomy Network said: With the change in the manageme of the observatory, the presence of studes in this complex also disappeared and all the activities between Al-Malli This ceer is also being transferred to other couries. For example, ADIS and the holding of quadruple eves are now in the hands of the Japanese, and the programs of the Sina network are also mainly carried out by the coury of Romania.
hope for the future
He stated: With all these ierpretations, we are trying to preserve this great investme for Bushehr province, but we have not received a positive response from the education officials of Tangestan or Bushehr province. Although the condition of Shahid Khoshbakht stude research ceer is improving and the manageme of the collection looks positively and compassionately E It is related to this issue, but unfortunately this ceer is deprived in terms of facilities and does not meet the educational needs of astronomy.
a pillar He clarified: In fact, it should be said that Bushehr province once had more than 10 thousand knowledge the learner Active at the iermediate level iernational He has talked a lot in the field of astronomy, but currely he is deprived of basic educational facilities. Now we are faced with two spaces, one poi called the observatory with excelle facilities, which needs atteion, reconstruction and restart, and another poi called the research ceer, which has the opportunity to operate but does not have facilities.
He said: There must be a way solution Let’s find that these two existing capacities can be used to revive astronomical activities in Bushehr province. Considering that the Mehr telescope and observatory is owned by the Ministry of Education, it is better before other provinces take action to transfer it, in Bushehr province by attracting the necessary credit as soon as possible to restore and repair it so that the studes of Bushehr can Take advaage of this great advaage.
The founder and director of the global stude astronomy network noted: My life, like most people like me, who worked and grew up in the observatory, is iertwined with astronomy and cannot be separated. I have always been my teacher mayi know And I was looking for a space to have a cultural and scieific environme outside the school and outside the classroom for young people to gather together and teach astronomy. Today in a cafe in Bushehr with theme Let’s create an astronomical space, a place for those ierested in astronomy, which is a hangout for scieific discussion and sometimes observing the stars with a telescope.
