The Palencia Astronomical Association is set to celebrate the 32nd edition of the Astronomy Days from 15 to 18 October, an event supported by the Palencia City Council. This gathering will bring together prominent researchers to share the latest advancements in astronomy, space observation, and cosmology.
During a press conference, José Antonio Sáez, president of the association, and Carlos Diezhandino, a member, were joined by the city's mayor, Miriam Andrés, and the councillor for Cultural Identity, Tourism and Festivals, Francisco Fernández, to announce the event.
The conferences will take place at the Lecrác Cultural Centre on 15, 16, and 17 October at 20:00. The series will kick off on Thursday, 15 October, with an inauguration led by Mayor Andrés, followed by a talk from Dr Isabel Caballero de Frutos, a scientist at the Institute of Marine Sciences of Andalusia (ICMAN-CSIC). Her presentation, titled 'Exploring coastal oceans from space', will demonstrate how optical remote sensing via the multispectral Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-3 satellites allows for precise characterisation and detailed analysis of coastal areas.
On Friday, 16 October, Dr Olga Mena Requejo from the Institute of Corpuscular Physics (IFIC UV-CSIC) will deliver a lecture entitled 'Invisibles in the cosmos and invisibles in science', focusing on the 'invisible' aspects of our universe, such as dark matter and dark energy, and how to study their traces to make them better understood.
The event will conclude on Saturday, 17 October, with a presentation by Dr Miguel Ángel Sánchez Portal from the Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique IRAM, who will discuss the characteristics, operation, and discoveries made by the IRAM 30M millimetre-wave radio telescope located in Sierra Nevada.
Additionally, the programme includes an exhibition titled 'Our eclipse in images', which will be on display at Lecrác from 15 to 30 October, alongside a showcase of telescopes available for public viewing from 15 to 18 October.
On Sunday, 18 October, starting at 20:30, weather permitting, a public observation of the Moon and Saturn will take place in the Plaza Mayor of Palencia, aimed at bringing this fascinating field closer to all interested citizens.
Mayor Andrés expressed her gratitude to the Palencia Astronomical Association for their efforts in promoting scientific research through these high-quality events featuring leading speakers. She noted that these days would help leverage the 'external impact' generated by the total solar eclipse in Palencia and emphasised the importance of continuing to develop this work alongside the city’s intangible heritage of dark skies. The city council's involvement in organising the eclipse, supporting these days, and future initiatives with research and science high school programmes underscores their commitment to this cause.
