Bernese astronomers impart knowledge in Morocco
Published: Friday, Nov 1st 2024, 17:10
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From November 7 to 17, astronomers from the University of Bern and the University of Cadi Ayyad in Marrakech will be touring Morocco in two light aircraft. As part of a science education project, the team will visit schools in cities that are difficult to access with telescopes and an inflatable planetarium.
The project, entitled "The Little Prince's Stars", aims to spark interest in astronomy and facilitate the exchange between science and society, as announced by the University of Bern on Friday. The project is supported by a team consisting mainly of women and thus also emphasizes the importance of scientific careers for young girls.
The project follows the route of the "Aéropostale", a transatlantic mail and passenger airline that connected Toulouse with Rabat. In the 1920s, every flight was a risky adventure, the outcome of which could be fatal. Until now, the SpaceBus Maroc association has used a converted bus to teach astronomy. The aircraft will make it possible to reach less accessible regions where the association would like to expand its activities.
Various workshops inspired by astrophysical research at the University of Bern and the University of Cadi Ayyad in Marrakesh serve as a common thread for the exchange between scientists and schoolchildren from cities in the south and east of Morocco.
The Center for Space and Habitability at the University of Bern has been collaborating for several years with the Semlalia Faculty of Science and the Oukaimeden Observatory at Cadi Ayyad University. Their joint scientific work focuses on the search for new rocky exoplanets around cool stars such as TRAPPIST-1. Both universities are also involved in several observational programs with the James Webb Space Telescope.
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