Gemini and PIO in Brazil

Mariângela de Oliveira-Abans

Laboratório Nacional de AstrofísicaMinistério da Ciência e Tecnologia

Brazilian NGO

Gemini PIO Meeting, Hilo, Jul./Aug., 2003

Brazilian NGO

2

Main Issues

• Status in March 2002

• Activities in 2002

• Activities in 2003

• Good intentions

Brazilian NGO

3

Status in March 2002

• Teaching of Astronomy (ToA)

» Nation-wide projects

» LNA efforts

• Talks at schools,

universities, workshops

• 1700 visitors to the OPD

• science fairs, exhibits,

students, teachers

• Media contacts

» Each university and

institute

» LNA’s activities

• Press releases

• Gemini PRs

• Media consulting

• School textbooks

reviews

Brazilian NGO

4

Activities in 2002• Teaching of Astronomy

» Talks at schools, universities, workshops, congresses, etc.

» Student helping in school works and science fairs

» Organization of the Winter School of Itajubá for teachers

» Students and teachers at the OPD

» First steps towards a BR/CL teacher exchange program

• Media contacts

» Sci&Tech Ministry PIO Network

» 7 PR (G, planet alignment, Pluto’s occultation)

» New Director’s empowerment (Dr. Albert Bruch)

» Visit of Sci&Tech Minister

» Requested reviews of electronic news and texts (G)

» Info. on general astronomical phenomena

» Gemini news, positions and fellowships (we are NGO)

Brazilian NGO

5

Activities in 2002

• Other Activities

» Review of electronic news and texts for amateur and IAU Com. 46 Brazilian representative’s publications

» Public visitation at the OPD

» Senior students and final projects on Observatories

» Exhibit at the FRICI (Regional Industrial, Commercial and Touristy Fair of Itajubá)

» Exhibit at the 54th. SBPC and 10th. Expociência

» Exhibit at the I Display of Sci&Tech of Brazópolis

» Max Faúndez-Abans is now the Brazilian Gemini Project Manager

» LNA has increased the participation in G Newsletter

» We have engaged a nation-wide claim against a law project to turn astrologist into a profession!!!!

Brazilian NGO

6

Activities in 2003

• Media» 3 PR

» 2 students with scholarships in PIO and ToA (MEGALIT)

» New PIO and ToA web pages

» TV and web news interviews on eta Carinae during blackout

• Gemini affairs» Training of LNA’s staff

astronomers both in Gemini-N and Gemini-S instruments

» Full support to Brazilian astronomers requesting G telescope time (Phases I and II)

» Contribution to G Newsletter

» Part of every institutional presentation

Brazilian NGO

7

Activities in 2003

• Other activities» Review of MCT´s web

pages on Gemini and SOAR

» New PIO and ToA web pages

» New institutional indicators of PIO activities

» MCT´s exhibit at 11th Expociência/55th Annual Meeting of SBPC (Jul.)

» II Sci&Tech Exhibition of Brazópolis (Oct.)

» FRICI exhibition (Sept.)

» Ann. Meet. Soc.Astr.Bras. (Aug.)

» Talks in schools: 520 children from March to June

» I am Brazilian liaison at PAEO

SOAR

Brazilian NGO

8

Good Intentions

• Brazilian Gemini Press Releases (3 up to July’03)

• Increase of Gemini’s PIO and ToA influence on LNA’s

activities

• Proposal: Gemini PIO 2005 Meeting in Brazil in April

The End

www.lna.brmabans@lna.br

Brazilian NGO

10

Brazilian NGO

11