Exhibition on Astronomy in Green Yard, Khartoum

We think that we have understood the nature, composition and structure of the universe but this is only tip of the iceberg. Astronomy is incomprehensible and so complex that the research and findings on astronomy are endless. “Astronomy has revealed the great truth that the whole universe is bound together by one all pervading influence” said William Leitch. As we get deeper and deeper into the study of astronomy, it dawns on us how insignificant we are in comparison. But to enjoy the stars and the moon, you need not study astronomy. Numerous pieces of fiction have been created, based on astronomy and they are quite interesting. Stories that are based on real facts are all the more interesting because there is still on going research in astronomy.

If you want to know what astronomy is, visit Dr. Anwar’s exhibition on Space and Astronomy. The Minister of State for Science and Telecommunication Dr.Tahani Abdalla Atiya inaugurated this exhibition on 28 November’12 at Green Yard, Khartoum. She took a lot of interest on the subject and congratulated Dr. Anwar Ahmed Osman for his efforts in putting up this exhibition. On asking Dr.Anwar about the benefit of such exhibition, he replied that this was the first time such displays of space and astronomy had been staged in Sudan. He wants the children of Sudan to be aware about Outer Space. While exhibiting the Solar system, Dr. Anwar shared with the visitors, the differences between outer planets namely Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and the inner planets Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars stating that the former are huge, with smaller density, more gaseous, cooler, spin very slowly and have more moons than the inner planets which on the contrary are small, with higher density, more solid, more heat, spin very fast and have less number of moons. Jupiter, if put in water will float while the Earth will sink. Pluto is similar to planet but has lost the status of an ideal planet.

The Hubble Space Telescope is the earth’s eye of the vast expanse of space. Hubble is a telescope that orbits Earth. Its position above the atmosphere, which distorts and blocks the light that reaches our planet, gives it a view of the universe that typically far surpasses that of ground-based telescopes. Hubble is one of NASA's most successful and long-lasting science missions. It has beamed hundreds of thousands of images back to Earth, shedding light on many of the great mysteries of astronomy. Its gaze has helped determine the age of the universe, the identity of quasars, and the existence of dark energy.

 The Nebulas are where the stars are born. The stars have a life span, they are born and they die. Stars form out of clouds of stardust and to dust they return at the end of their lives. It is said that bigger stars protect the smaller stars. The life span of a star is about 10 billion years. Stars die and become black holes.

The last transit of Venus across the sun was on June 6, 2012. The next one is in 2117. The Solar Wind occurs once in 7-11 years and has an impact on earth. It affects the earth’s telecommunication, satellite navigation system, changes animal behavior particularly of bats and birds. The Magnetic field outside the earth somehow diverts the Solar Wind from becoming a major hazard to our planet.

Sultan Bin Salman Al Saud of KSA was the first Arab to be in outer space. The second Arab in space was Syrian Muhammed Ahmed Faris. More and more Arabs should take interest in astronomy and here is Dr.Anwar Ahmed Osman to create that interest in you. The exhibition at the Green Yard will be on for a couple of months. Dr. Anwar’s dream is to have a Planetarium in Khartoum and we are sure it will come true, InshAllah.