Iraqi BWB - Hello Red Planet



Hello Tiny Red Ball!


-Iraqi Beauty Without Borders, Hello Red planet event
By: Azhy Hasan


It was extremely cold weather, I can say that evening was coldest days of this winter for whole Iraq, and especially for Kurdistan region and Erbil, there was heavy snow falling one day ago over whole mountain region around Erbil and the temperature reached 5 C degrees, but the weather was extremely clear with steady winds.

This was the point of our successful event, the 1st event for Beyond International Year of Astronomy 2009…Beauty without Breders, Hello! Red Planet


A presentation before Observation
To make this event more public, we made a presentation according with Zagros Cultural Center in Erbil on January 27,2010 at 04:10 pm (local) about (BWB/Hello Red Planet) and another part was our campaign of (The Hoax of 2012). All participants invited to joining us with rest of the sidewalk people to observing Mars, Moon and some other selected objects, even with strong street and Moon lights, still there was a very good chance to looking at M45, M44, and the charming sparkling of Sirius through the telescope.


Sidewalk Mars Gazers!
Our major activity began at 07:30 PM (16:30 UT) nearby Ronaky Markets and nearby 40 M Street, first, it was exciting moment to setup the 8" Meade LX200 telescope on the sidewalk near the street, peoples inside passing cars were watching and sure they was asking, what is that and for?, after few minutes we found our self surrounded by too many of them, deferent ages, specially kids are enjoyed so much to observing Mars and Moon for the first time through a telescope.

"Why now? And why today?" this was a question from one of the participants, and sure there was an astronomical answer "This event will hold with 13 nations around the world called BWB/HRP, It is a chance to looking at Mars when the distance between us reaching only 100 million kilometers! Take a look at the telescope, you can see it there, no more like bright red dot, it is a small ball!" Azhy said.

At 09:45 PM (18:45 UT), the street becomes no more crowds because the temperatures continued to falling and reached nearby 0C degrees. Then we decide to pick up our staff and that was the end of that glory evening after we welcomed Mars and also said "Good bye Reddish! Come back again".

---------
Azhy Ch. Hasan
President
Amateur Astronomers Association of Kurdistan / Iraq.


NOTE: Azhy designed the "BWB - Hello Red Planet" poster! A very big thank to him :)


Some unforgettable Iraqi - BWB moments!

"I'm next"

"that's my friends up there is MARS :) "

"yes, yes, I see it! "

a little kid saying "Hello" to the Red Planet!

"see that Red object up there, that's MARS my friend!"

another observer

Azhy with the BWB - Hello Red Planet poster. He designed it :)

packing up. But not for long :)

MARS. Still bright even under strong street light!

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