We briefly lived like astronauts in the largest space exhibition

Will we eventually live on another planet? When will we be able to do tourism in? space; what do they eat? Astronauts; How do they sleep? international space station; Space, that vast ocean of the unknown, has always been a fascinating domain that makes us stand in awe and contemplate our place in the world. Through a veil of mystery, it represents the unexplored territory of knowledge and development. One of the biggest questions of human curiosity is whether life exists beyond Earth, while space travel, robotic missions and planetary bases are opening up new vistas of exploration. The new report attempts to answer all of the above questions Life in space In the Olympic Center In Judy. Are you ready to go? Buckle up and browse through unique structures, historical objects and exhibits and enjoy a one-of-a-kind virtual reality experience!

In the gallery Life in space We met her Fiore-Anastasia Metalino, D. Astrophysics and Science Communications ConsultantWho accompanied us on this “spacewalk” while solving many of our endless questions about the universe, space and stars. “It is an exhibition that travels around the world and contains objects and exhibits that come from European commission space And from NASASo he wandered into the idea of ​​a cultural company Lavers “He was scheduled to come to Greece as well,” Ms. Metalino says.

With more than 4 million visitors around the world, the exhibition is held in cooperation with NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, the European Space Agency (ESA), the US Space and Rocket Center and its Space Camp, and the Italian Space Agency (ASI). More than 50 unique exhibits take us on a journey through the history of spaceflight. Scientific instruments, spacecraft, satellites, rockets on a large scale, devices, equipment and objects used by man in his travel and activity in space, in addition to the virtual reality experience for young and old, create an unforgettable experience.

But what a difficult field like hers Astronomy Which From astrophysics Can the average person understand it? “In recent years, many organizations, universities, research centers and the National Observatory of Athens, where I have had the pleasure of working and participating in outreach and dissemination activities in the field of astronomy, have contributed to the understanding of astronomy,” she comments. “Systematic efforts are being made and Greek institutions are visiting Observatory and observation via telescope. There are colleagues who communicate with students and have the ability to communicate, simplify and present complex topics in astronomy and astrophysics to the general public. Besides research institutions and universities, there are also amateurs Astronomy scientists -Clubs- all over Greece. In our country we have more than 30 associations of amateur astronomers who are passionate people space They are very good observers. They are photographers who know observational astronomy, and work with professionals Astronomy scientists And they also publish scientific papers together, so the general public comes into this perception of understanding astronomy and these people are basically communicating astronomy to the outside world as well. In addition there is Olympiad AstronomyStudents from Greek schools participate in these international competitions and in recent years they always come back with medals, whether bronze or silver. The next match will be the gold medal.”

Space technologies and their applications in daily life

Aside from space research, which is always fascinating, the astrophysicist emphasizes that space technologies have applications that extend even further. space research They affect our daily lives: “The materials that are made for astronaut suits or for spaceships are then used on Earth and make our lives easier. Satellites, for example, are the technology that is present in our daily lives. 60-70 years ago, we did not have a satellite.” “In space, but today this has become a necessity. We have pressure, we have phones, we have weather forecasts, we have satellites monitoring our Earth, our volcanoes and our seas. So we live every day with this technology and it makes sense to develop it because it works and makes our lives easier every day.”

Greece’s position in space exploration

Commenting on our country’s prospects and activity in the field of space exploration, Ms. Metalino emphasized that “there are research institutions, universities, and the Greek Space Center working in it.” Greeks Astronomy scientists And Engineers And TechniciansSo we have a role in space exploration. We are a member of it NASAHa European commission space. We participate in research projects, and cooperate with Europeans and Americans in international projects. So we have a very active participation. But additional support is needed, and this is what we will always say and ask for, but we are moving in a very good direction and we need to continue working on this path.”

Space remains an unexplored and fascinating area that offers endless opportunities for discovery and development. Space rovers and extraterrestrial explorations have created a wealth of images and stories and shaped cultural mythology. What is certain is that as technology develops, people will continue to look to the stars, searching for answers to questions that fascinate the mind and imagination…

Parallel procedures

Astrophotography exhibition

As part of the exhibition Life in space And he works next to him Astrophotography exhibition In which fifty participate Astrophotographers, amateur astronomers and eclipse chasers From all of Greece.
In their photographs they capture objects in the night sky, impressive astronomical phenomena, as well as terrestrial night views.

The orbits of stars, galaxies, nebulae, star clusters, comets, the planets of our solar system, the moon, and solar and lunar eclipses are brought together for the first time in a rich collection of astronomical images.

Astrophotographers photograph the night sky from the dark regions of our country and from farther reaches of the planet, where they travel and observe rare celestial phenomena, such as eclipses and auroras. Many of the images participating in the exhibition were honored and recognized internationally. During your tour of the exhibition you will see images of the Northern Lights in Iceland, a solar eclipse in the Faroe Islands and Australia, the Milky Way over the Atacama Desert in Chile, a replica of the Antikythera Mechanism depicted under the Polar Star, a full moon rising from historical monuments, in addition to many Greek landscapes. Under the starry sky.

The exhibition was held in cooperation with associations of amateur astronomers from all over Greece. The exhibition is organized by astrophysicist Fiori-Anastasia Metalino, scientific advisor for the Life in Space exhibition.

In the same space as the astrophotography exhibition, two collections of interesting images are also on display:

• A collection of photographs by Theophanis Matsopoulos, a photographer specializing in directing and producing planetarium films, in which he photographed the telescopes of the American Observatory (NSF/AURA – Noirlab) in the United States of America and Chile.
• Another collection of photos by Adrianos Golemis, manned space mission doctor and successful European Astronaut Selection 2022. In this collection he recorded snapshots from the life of European Space Agency (ESA) astronauts before the launch with Soyuz MS-13 and after their arrival at the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

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