Astronomy On-Line Latvia Homepage

Astronomy On-Line projekts ir pasaules liel�kais astronomiskais pas�kums WWW t�kl�, kas apvieno t�ksto�iem skol�nu un studentu vis� Eirop�. Apg�stot r�tdienas tehnologijas pla��s iesp�jas, vi�iem ir iep�ja veikt re�lu zin�tnisku p�t�jumu un praktiz�ties starptautiskaj� sadarb�b�. Pieteik�an�s beigu temi�� ir 1996. gada 18. novembris.

Here come some astronomical activities (in Latvia) where young people are involved in:

In the image: Since 1862 an Astronomical tower has been located atop the central University building.

Astronomical tower in Riga serves as a public observatory. Demonstrations of celestial bodies are performed once a week, using 22 cm amateur-made Newtonian reflector. Visitors of the tower are school and university students, children with parents, guests of Riga and other people. Several eclipses of the Moon and the Sun, including the last one, were observed there. During the Hyakutake comet visibility period astronomical tower was visited by more than 1300 people.

In the image: The Astronomy club members actively participate in astronomical olimpics for pupils and are seriousely interested to discover the misteries of the Universe.

Astronomy club for students of high-school. Club meetings are held twice a month. Astronomy news is always the hot topic at the club meetings. They are received from Internet and popular science magazines Sky & Telescope and Astronomy. Different practical activities, for example, constructing the scale model of the Solar system are also developed. Club members can use astronomical library.

In the image: In 1995, a summer star party Epsilon Aquilae took place in the Ventspils International Radioastronomy Centre.

Summer observing camp. Each year in August youth summer observing camp Aquila takes place. During three days and nights camp participants (students of schools and universities, teachers, astronomy amateurs) observe meteors and other celestial bodies using different portable telescopes. Camps are held in the country-side, where the sky is dark. Last two camps were held at the sites where Latvian professional observatories are placed.

In the image: During Zeta Aquilae star party, August 1996, amateur astronomers observed comet Hale-Bopp. This Pseudo-Maksutov telescope with the Dobson mount was a suitable tool for the comet observations.

Latvian Astronomical Society unites amateur and professional astronomers, astronomy teachers and other people interested in astronomy. About 1/4 of all Society members are less than 25 years old. They have very wide spectrum of interests: meteor astronomy, cosmology, astrophotography, astronautics and space exploration, astronomical software, observation of comets and deep sky objects and many more.

In the image: Students observed comet Hyakutake in March 1996. This event attracted a wide public interest.

Astronomy studies. Latvia is one of few countries in the world, where astronomy is taught as separate high-school subject. Interest of students to this subject is permanently growing. In several universities general astronomy course is given. Students of the faculty of Physics and Mathematics of University of Latvia can receive bachelor and master degree in astronomy. During the studies students use wide astronomical resources of Internet.

Visit Astronomy in Latvia page

Contact:

Latvian Astronomical Society
Raina Blvd. 19
a/k 332
Riga, LV-1098
Latvia

Phone: +371-722-3149
e-mail: Ilgonis Vilks [email protected]

More info about Astronomy On-Line from ESO