"Exploring the Universe through touch, sound, and thought" 
(Astronomy for people with visual impairments)"

An initiative aimed at people with or without visual impairments, co-organized by the following organizations: 
- Vafopouleio Cultural Center 
- Friends of the Vafopouleio Cultural Center 
- Friends of Astronomy Club, Thessaloniki
- Panhellenic Association of the Blind - Central Macedonia Union
- "ANORASIS" - Association of relatives, friends & specialists in disability issues
- The International Astronomical Union Office for Astronomy Outreach in Greece
- Cyland Foundation Inc.
 

The aim of the event is to promote understanding of astronomy and astrophysics through interactive presentations and applications that use hearing, touch, and thought, in order to understand our world. Specifically, the activities that will take place are the following:

Sizes and Distances in our Solar System

The participants will have the opportunity to touch replicas of celestial objects constructed by the Thessaloniki Amateur Astronomy Club. The planets of our solar system and some representative stars of the night sky will be presented. Participants will have the opportunity to compare the sizes of celestial objects and "realize" the distances in space. This is an interactive way to explore the planets of our solar system and distant stars.

Presentation: Antonis Itsios: amateur astronomer, former president of the Thessaloniki Amateur Astronomy Club.

The Sounds of Space

We are going to listen to the sounds produced after the "sonification" of electromagnetic radiation emitted by various sources in space, as well as other sonyfied parameters describing astronomical phenomena. Through sound, participants will have the opportunity to understand physical processes that take place in our near -Earth environment, as well as in distant space. By this way visually impaired persons can be introduced to concepts of Space Physics and Astrophysics.

Presentation: Fiori - Anastasia Metallinou, astrophysicist at the Thissio Visitor Center of the National Observatory of Athens and national outreach coordinator for the International Astronomical Union.
 

Visit and tour the exhibition "Natura Naturans: People, Nature, Landscape"

Friday, January 23, at 12:30
 

On Friday, January 23, seminar participants will have the opportunity to visit and tour the exhibition Natura Naturans: People, Nature, Landscape, presented at MOMus–Experimental Center for the Arts at the port of Thessaloniki.
Featured within the International Media Art Festival CYFEST 17, the exhibition examines the dialogue between human creativity and the living processes of the natural world. Bringing together twentieth-century works from the Costakis Collection and the Frants Family Collection with new projects by over twenty international media artists, Natura Naturans reveals how the avant-garde's experimental ethos continues to shape our understanding of movement, materiality, and the interconnectedness of all living systems.