The city of Marrakech is living, until 29 November, to the rhythm of the sixteenth edition of its Astronomy Festival, placed this year under the theme "Light to enlighten us about the universe".
An annual meeting for enthusiasts of space and universe sciences, the Marrakech Astronomy Festival has just begun its sixteenth edition. Organised by the Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, under the Cadi Ayyad University (UCAM), in partnership with the French Institute and the Marrakech Amateur Astronomy Association (3AM), the event aims to make the mysteries of the universe accessible to the general public and to restore in young generations the desire to pursue scientific careers.
Through the quality of its speakers and the richness of its programme, the Festival, which is aimed at everyone, from the simply curious to the most seasoned amateur, has established itself over the years as one of the iconic scientific events of the Ocher City, in which everyone finds material to learn, to be initiated, to improve, but also to be moved and to dream.
A true celebration of the Earth and the sky, this event offers everyone, neophytes or amateurs, young and old, the opportunity to approach, for ten days and in a friendly atmosphere, the sciences of the universe as well as the mysteries of astronomy alongside renowned scientists and astrologers. An enticing programme has been concocted by the organisers, with conferences, workshops, exhibitions, open days, training cycles, guided tours, competitions, and observations in various parts of the city (faculties, high schools, and cultural centres) on the menu. In addition to the pride of place reserved for spectroscopy, a "Night of the Stars" is also scheduled at the Oukaïmeden University Observatory, with an introduction to reading the sky and observations with the naked eye and instruments with members of "3AM". This event is thus an opportunity to put this famous observatory in the spotlight and to talk about the "Moss" dome, specialised in the research of small bodies in the solar system, including asteroids and comets. The Observatory, perched at an altitude of 2,750 metres, is the first and only observation unit in Morocco. Realised thanks to a tripartite partnership between UCAM, the "3AM" Association, and the Uranoscope of the Île-de-France, this structure is very active in terms of supervising researchers and supporting the development of the astronomy theme within the University.
In addition to the Observatory, other ambitious projects concerning astronomy have emerged in the Ocher City thanks to the combined efforts of astrophysicists from Cadi Ayyad University and astronomers from "3AM". These include the magnificent Atlas Golf Marrakech (AGM) Cultural Centre, which has the country's first astronomy shop and the largest telescope in North Africa.
It should be noted that this edition, which has made Marrakech the capital of astronomy since 19 November, also celebrates the International Year of Light (IYL 2015), which was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly and which spans the entire year 2015, and also the millennium of the Arab physicist, philosopher, and mathematician Al-Hassan Ibn Al-Haytham, considered the father of modern optics.
