Mobile Planetarium takes the audience from the Book Fair to the 'dark side of light'
The experience, promoted by the State University of Pará, showcases the beauty of the sky without the interference of artificial lights and pollution, evoking childhood memories.
Childhood memories, spent in the municipality of Óbidos (northeast Pará), came to the surface for housewife Alessandra Albuquerque during the 360° sky observation session "Dark Side of Light," promoted by the Mobile Dome of the Pará Planetarium "Sebastião Sodré da Gama," coordinated by the Center for Sciences and Planetarium of Pará (CCPA), linked to the State University of Pará (Uepa), during the programming of the 28th Pan-Amazonian Book Fair and Multivoices, an event held in Belém.
“As a child, I remember playing in front of the house in the countryside and counting the stars with my friends. Nowadays, we can no longer have that experience, whether because of the various lights in the city and pollution, which makes us see a different sky. It was really cool to relive that,” says Alessandra, who brought her son, Heitor Navarro, 12 years old, to the program.
Awakening interest in scientific knowledge and reflections on the environment in a playful and immersive way are the main objectives of the activities of the Mobile Dome of the Planetarium, which will operate until next Friday (22), at Hangar - Center for Conventions and Fairs of the Amazon.
Luminous conduction - An audience of over a thousand participants has already attended more than 35 sessions of the Mobile Planetarium just over the weekend. The director of CCPA, Roberto Silva, explained that each session lasts 20 minutes, with an average of 25 people. “We bring a 360º projection, an immersive action called ‘The dark side of light,’ which provokes a reflection on luminous conduction. We, who are in the city, have little visibility of the night sky, and this session demonstrates all the beauty it represents, which we do not have access to in our daily lives due to various interferences,” informed the director.
Psychology student Vitoria Dias, 26 years old, approved of the experience. “It was the first time I participated in an immersion like this, and it was amazing, totally different from what I imagined. We learned about the importance of light and how much we are losing of it. I am already planning to take my daughter to the Planetarium headquarters because I am sure she will be enchanted. I highly recommend the experience,” she emphasized.
The sessions are free and aimed at all ages, with accessible language and emphasis on popularizing science and astronomy, which awaken interest in environmental and technological issues that directly relate to the objectives of COP30 (world conference on climate change).
Booth - Uepa also has a booth in the main hall, offering various information about undergraduate, graduate, and extension projects, in addition to the Uepa Publisher (Eduepa), with book launches.
“One of the highlights of the booth, which is in high demand, is the vocational test. The student can come and access the test via QR Code and get information about the courses, our campuses, and both face-to-face and distance education. Our students are also here at the booth, sharing experiences from the University, which is very rich, especially for students looking to enter Uepa,” said João Sérgio Oliveira, responsible for the Distance Education Directorate of Uepa.
Service: The 28th Pan-Amazonian Book Fair and Multivoices, held by the Government of Pará, through the State Secretariat of Culture (Secult), takes place from August 16 to 22, from 9 am to 10 pm, with entry until 9 pm, at Hangar - Center for Conventions and Fairs of the Amazon, in Belém. This edition honors Mestre Damasceno, a singer and composer born in Salvaterra, in the Marajó Archipelago, and the writer and poet Wanda Monteiro, who was born in the municipality of Alenquer, in western Pará.
