"The weekend was filled with clear skies, heartwarming excitement, and unique opportunities to experience the science of astronomy up close, exploring the fascinating universe," say researchers from the Institute of Theoretical Physics and Astronomy at the VU Faculty of Physics, who spent the weekend visiting observatories in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
On Friday, the Tõravere Observatory (University of Tartu), hosted the presentation of the AstrónomAs exhibition. The exhibition’s curator, Professor Josefina Faen-Faen Ling Ling (University of Santiago de Compostela), emphasized its goal: to highlight the vital role of women in the history of science. "This is a dynamic and continuously evolving exhibition featuring women astronomers from across the globe," she stated at the event.
At Tartu universitety's Tõravere Observatory. By Viljo Allik.
Dr. Edita Stonkutė, a researcher at the Faculty of Physics, introduced Lithuanian women astronomers whose stories are featured in the exhibition, including Elžbieta Oginskytė-Puziniene, Zinaida Genovaitė Žilevičiūte-Sviderskiene, Stanislava Bartašiūte, Romualda Lazauskaite, Gražina Tautvaišiene, Erika Pakštiene, Edita Stonkutė, and Renata Minkevičiūte.
After the event, participants from the Baltics and Spain explored the Old Observatory of Tartu, learning about its rich history. On Saturday, the delegation visited the Schmidt system telescope at the Baldone Observatory of the University of Latvia, where they attended a presentation on asteroid research.
Schmidt system telescope at the Baldone Observatory
"The sky was incredibly clear," said the astronomers. During their journey to Lithuania, the researchers observed a partial solar eclipse, and later that evening, the Vilnius University Molėtai Astronomical Observatory hosted a night sky observation session.
At VU Molėtai Astronomical Observatory
On Sunday, the VU Observatory at Molėtai hosted the opening of the exhibition A Billion Eyes for a Billion Stars and a lecture by Dr. Vidas Dobrovolskas, The Gaia Revolution. The event marked a farewell to the European Space Agency’s Gaia space observatory. "Gaia was able to measure the position and motion of stars with an unprecedented level of precision—as if an Earth-bound observer could spot a lost euro coin from an astronaut walking on the Moon," said the astrophysicist.
Vidas Dobrovolskas' lecture
All events were open to the public and organized by ACE Baltic, an association of Spanish scientists working in the Baltic States. The exhibitions took place under the patronage of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Spain in Lithuania.
Participants and scientists had the opportunity to meet distinguished professors Ene Ergma and Jaan Einasto in Estonia, Ilgmārs Eglītis in Latvia, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain Maria Nieves Blanco Diaz, and other colleagues in Lithuania. They also visited the Lithuanian Museum of Ethnocosmology.
On Monday, scientists from Spain and other countries explored Vilnius University's Old Astronomical Observatory and the Observatory of Ideas.
Delegation at VU Observatory of Ideas