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Tradate, Luned 21 Gennaio 2013 Grruuppppoo Assttrroonnoommiiccoo Trraaddaatteessee ATTIVITA’ 2013 ATTIVITA’ 2013 Via Mameli 13 G RUPPO 21049 TRADATE (Va) A STRONOMICO ITALIA http://www.gruppoastronomicotradatese.it T RADATESE Tel./FAX 0331-810117 C.F. 01673900120 Gennaio 2014 O G G E T T O : resoconto attività del GAT durante l'anno 2013 Nel 2013 (39° anno della nostra Associazione) siamo stati molto impegnati nella preparazione di ben due spedizioni nella Lapponia norvegese a caccia di aurore boreali e in due importanti Congressi. Senza per altro trascurare la solita intensissima attività pubblica e didattica. Ecco, comunque, l ‘usuale sintesi delle nostre attività NORMALI (ovvero istituzionali della nostra Associazione) e delle nostre attività SPECIALI (ossia decise anno per anno dal nostro CD). 1) ATTIVITA' NORMALI : si tratta di conferenze pubbliche e di lezioni scolastiche distribuite lungo TUTTO il corso dell'anno. In totale sono state 97 così distribuite: 1a)CONFERENZE PUBBLICHE A TRADATE, sono state 16, quasi sempre localizzate nell’ accogliente platea del CineTeatro P.GRASSI, di norma sempre molto affollato, con una presenza crescente anche di ragazzi delle scuole superiori. Questo grazie alla nostra abitudine di trattare in maniera rigorosamente scientifica ma nel contempo comprensibile a tutti, i temi di più stretta attualità (il cielo incontaminato delle Ande, i pianeti extrasolari, la materia oscura, il 100° anniversario della Deriva dei continenti, ecc, ecc). Da rimarcare che, pur NON godendo il GAT di alcun finanziamento da parte di Enti pubblici, e pur invitando spesso a Tradate ospiti di grande nome, le nostre serate rimangono, per statuto, sempre libere e gratuite per tutti. (vedi allegato 1a). 1b)LEZIONI PRESSO SCUOLE: sono state 50, con circa 130 ore di lezioni (un vero record !). Le richieste sono sempre più numerose (sia presso le scuole che presso la tradizionale sala conferenze della ex-Biblioteca di Via Mameli 13) e questo ci crea non poche difficoltà, perché spesso, oltre ai sabati, siamo costretti ad utilizzare anche giorni feriali (vedi allegato 1b) 1c)CONFERENZE PUBBLICHE FUORI TRADATE: sono state 31, dentro e fuori la Lombardia (allegato 1c) 2) ATTIVITA' SPECIALI : il 2013 è stato ancora una volta un anno di grande impegno con molteplici iniziative scientifiche e didattiche sia in Italia che all’ estero. 2.a) ASTROLANDIA 2013. Una importante manifestazione allestita dal Comune di Comerio dal 19 Aprile al 4 Maggio 2013, cui il GAT ha collaborato in maniera sostanziale fornendo oltre 1000 immagini planetarie di grande formato ed una serie di rocce meteoriche prestateci dal Museo di Prato ( vedi Allegato 2a) 2.b) IN LAPPONIA A CACCIA DI AURORE. Dal 6 al 14 Marzo e dal 9 al 15 ottobre 2013 abbiamo organizzato due complesse spedizioni in Norvegia per vedere e fotografare le aurore boreali stimolate dall’ attuale 24° ciclo di attività solare. Ne sono derivate migliaia di immagini e molte suggestive conferenze pubbliche (vedi allegato 2b). 2.c) CONCORSO SCOLASTICO SUI RAGGI COSMICI. in occasione del 100° anniversario della loro scoperta abbiamo lanciato sul tema un concorso per Medie (per premio uno strumento per osservare in sicurezza il Sole) e Licei (per premio un meteorite). Grande successo e grande partecipazione ( vedi allegato 2c). 2.d) CONGRESSI E OSSERVAZIONI PUBBLICHE. Oltre alle solite numerose serate osservative, abbiamo partecipato con lavori originali all’ 11° Congresso di scienze planetarie (Bormio, 4-8 Febbraio 2013) e al 46° Congresso UAI (Tradate - FOAM13). Abbiamo anche fornito importanti contributi al Festival della scienza di Cislago (9 Giugno) ed alla manifestazione Star Hunter di Lugano (tutto Settembre 2013 (vedi allegato 2d). 2.e) FENOMENI ASTRONOMICI. E’ stato un anno ricchissimo che ci ha visti continuamente al lavoro sul campo. Tra gli eventi principali: tre comete (Panstarrs in Marzo, ISON in Novembre, Lovejoy in Dicembre), una spettacolare stella Nova (la Nova Delfini di metà Agosto), la scoperta di un impatto sulla Luna e molti fenomeni solari (vedi allegato 2e). 2.f) PUBBLICAZIONI. Praticamente non c’è stato un mese 2013 senza qualche nostro articolo su riviste del settore (un altro centinaio di nostri articoli su vari giornali NON vengono presi in considerazione in quanto normalmente scritti a solo scopo divulgativo e/o informativo e quindi privi della necessaria autorevolezza intrinseca). Inoltre, anche nel 2013 è uscito un importante libro scritto da un nostro socio (vedi allegato 2f). La Segreteria del G.A.T. 1a)-Conferenze del GAT a Tradate durante il 2013. 1) Lunedì 21 Gennaio 2013, h 21, Cine Teatro P.GRASSI Serata a cura del dott. Giuseppe PALUMBO sul tema ALIENS OF THE DEEP (extraterrestri sul fondo degli oceani), Una straordinario viaggio alla scoperta delle sorgenti di acqua bollente (‘fumatori neri’) che sgorgano a 3000 m di profondità lungo le dorsali oceaniche, permettendo la vita di incredibili creature (vermi tubolari giganti) che si possono considerare le prime forme di vita extraterrestre finora scoperte. Mai prima erano state ottenute riprese filmate di simile bellezza e suggestione. IMPERDIBILE ! 2) Lunedì 4 Febbraio 2013, h 21, Cine Teatro P.GRASSI Conferenza del dott. Giuseppe BONACINA sul tema PER IL SOLE UN FUTURO SENZA MACCHIE ? L’attuale evidente rallentamento dell’ attività solare (lungo periodo di minimo tra il ciclo 23 e 24, basso massimo del ciclo 24) potrebbe essere la premessa di un nuovo Minimo di Maunder (1645-1715), quando per 70 anni il Sole perse l’attività e la Terra precipitò in una piccola era glaciale 3) Lunedì 18 Febbraio 2013, h 21, CineTeatro P.GRASSI Conferenza del dott. Cesare GUAITA sul tema UNA NOTTE A LAS CAMPANAS. Il sogno di qualunque astrofilo al mondo appassionato di stelle e di natura è sempre stato quello di poter passare una notte intera tra le cupole di uno dei massimi osservatori al mondo. Questa esperienza indimenticabile è stata vissuta dal relatore presso il leggendario osservatorio americano di Las Campanas, in pieno deserto di Atacama, sulle Ande cilene. 4) Lunedì 4 Marzo 2013, h 21, Cine-Teatro P.GRASSI Conferenza del dott. Cesare GUAITA sul tema I PIANETI IMPOSSIBILI DI KEPLER. Al termine dei tre anni di missione primaria, il satellite KEPLER ha scoperto pianeti semplici e multipli in transito davanti ad almeno 3000 tra le 250.000 stelle della costellazione del Cigno tenute sotto costante osservazione fotometrica. Tra questi pianeti, molti hanno proprietà del tutto inaspettate 5) Lunedì 18 Marzo 2013, h 21, Cine-Teatro P.GRASSI Conferenza di Rodolfo CALANCA (EAN Comunity) sul tema PIANETI EXTRASOLARI E VITA NEL COSMO. Se è vero, come è vero, che esistono miliardi di pianeti solo nella nostra Galassia, moltissimi dei quali probabilmente abitati, come mai non riceviamo segnali della loro presenza? Durante la serata sarà possibile seguire in diretta il transito di un pianeta extrasolare (QATAR 1b): un evento eccezionale MAI prima d’ora proposto durante una serata pubblica. IMPERDIBILE ! 6) Lunedì 8 Aprile 2013, h 21, Cine-Teatro P.GRASSI Conferenza del dott. Corrado LAMBERTI sul tema IL LATO OSCURO DELL’ UNIVERSO Il relatore, autore di un recente fortunato volume sull’argomento, farà una disamina delle ultime scoperte e discussioni sul misterioso problema della materia oscura che terrebbe compatte le galassie e gli ammassi e dell’energia oscura che farebbe accelerare, al posto che rallentare, l’espansione cosmica. 7) Lunedì 22 Aprile 2013, h 21, Cine-Teatro P.GRASSI Conferenza del dott. Cesare GUAITA (Presidente del GAT) sul tema I MANCATI SATELLITI DELLA VIA LATTEA. Secondo le osservazioni più recenti le due Nubi di Magellano, visibili in maniera spettacolare nel cielo australe, NON sarebbero galassie satelliti della Via Lattea. Più in generale, la nostra galassia avrebbe molte meno satelliti di quanto dovrebbe, per ragioni profondamente legate alla sua nascita ed alla sua evoluzione. 8) Lunedì 6 Maggio 2013, h 21, Cine-Teatro P.GRASSI Conferenza della dott.ssa Simona DONZELLI (ESA-Planck-UNiv. di Milano) sul tema L’ UNIVERSO PRIMORDIALE DI PLANCK., A metà marzo 2013, i responsabili del satellite europeo Planck (tra cui la relatrice) hanno comunicato i primi splendidi risultati del satellite sulla radiazione di fondo cosmico, eco del Big Bang. 9) Lunedì 20 Maggio 2013, h 21, Cine-Teatro P.GRASSI Conferenza del dott. Cesare GUAITA (Presidente del GAT) sul tema I METEORITI E LA VITA: ULTIME SCOPERTE Siamo forse vicini a capire l’origine della vita. Infatti, lo studio di meteoriti carboniosi e ferrosi ha evidenziato in essi tutti i mattoni fondamentali per la vita. 10) Lunedì 3 Giugno 2013, h 21, Cine-Teatro P.GRASSI Conferenza a più voci, organizzata da di Paolo BARDELLI e Danilo RONCATO (assieme a Gianpiero Realmuto e Cesare Guaita) sul tema SEI NOTTI CON AURORA Il resoconto di una recente, avventurosa spedizione (Marzo 2013) nella Lapponia norvegese al disperato inseguimento di aurore boreali, tra tempeste di neve e temperature glaciali. 11) Lunedì 17 Giugno 2013, h 21, Cine-Teatro P.GRASSI Conferenza del dott. Cesare GUAITA sul tema CURIOSITY: PRIME DISCUSSE ANALISI DEL SUOLO MARZIANO. A quasi un anno dalla discesa su Marte del 5 Agosto 2012, il laboratorio SAM a bordo della sofisticata navicella marziana, ha cercato più volte molecole organiche. E forse le ha trovate… 12) Lunedì 7 Ottobre 2013, h 21, Cine Teatro P.GRASSI Conferenza del dott. Cesare GUAITA ALMA: PRIMI RISULTATI. Le 66 antenne del più grande telescopio millimetrico mai costruito, inaugurato in Marzo 2013 nel deserto di Atacama, stanno già fornendo i primi spettacolari risultati scientifici. 13) Lunedì 21 Ottobre 2013, h 21, Cine Teatro P.GRASSI Conferenza dell‘ Ing. Dario KUBLER sul tema IL LASER, STRUMENTO INDISPENSABILE ANCHE IN ASTRONOMIA. Oltre che nella vita quotidiana, nell’industria, in medicina, il laser ha ormai enormi applicazioni spaziali. Si va da certi strumenti a bordo della navicella marziana Curiosity, al controllo della turbolenza sulle ottiche dei grandi telescopi, alle misure di distanza tra satelliti e tra la Terra e la Luna.
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