23 May 2009 - Meanwhile, in Romania …

I may be away from Romania, but I still have work responsibilities (telecommuting means that you can be away when you work, but also that you have to work when you are away). One of my functions is that of Ambassador (that is, National Coordinator) for the StarPeace project. StarPeace is an initiative affiliated to the International Year of Astronomy whereby astronomers from neighboring countries hold public star parties in the same time, celebrating the beauty of the sky. For the western side of Romania, my idea was to associate a StarPeace event with the Triplex Confinium meeting (an initiative of the Danube-Cris-Mures-Tisa Euro-Region, whereby people meet at the triple border point between Romania, Serbia and Hungary). I first contacted the Timis County Council suggesting that astronomers from the three countries, from clubs in the counties neighboring the border, would meet, too, and organize astronomical meetings and star parties. The County authorities were happy indeed, so I then contacted my old friends and collaborators from the Antares Astronomy Club in Timisoara, - namely Andrei Juravle - and two astronomy clubs in Hungary and Serbia (the latter through our Hungarian friend, Tibor Asztalos) They all agreed to participate and involve the public.
So here I am, away yet there in spirit, for an event I grandfathered yet whose practical organization is in the hands of some trustworthy astronomers. I am curious to see the echoes of the event but, if it is as good as the poster made by the Antares club, then I can only be delighted.