Free Astronomy Magazine March-April 2020

Editor in chief Michele Ferrara Scientific advisor Prof. Enrico Maria Corsini Publisher Astro Publishing di Pirlo L. Via Bonomelli, 106 25049 Iseo - BS - ITALY email info@astropublishing.com Internet Service Provider Aruba S.p.A. Via San Clemente, 53 24036 Ponte San Pietro - BG - ITALY Copyright All material in this magazine is, unless otherwise stated, property of Astro Publishing di Pirlo L. or included with permission of its author. Reproduction or retransmission of the materials, in whole or in part, in any manner, with- out the prior written consent of the copyright holder, is a violation of copy- right law. A single copy of the materi- als available through this course may be made, solely for personal, noncom- mercial use. Users may not distribute such copies to others, whether or not in electronic form, whether or not for a charge or other consideration, with- out prior written consent of the copy- right holder of the materials. The publisher makes available itself with having rights for possible not charac- terized iconographic sources. Advertising - Administration Astro Publishing di Pirlo L. Via Bonomelli, 106 25049 Iseo - BS - ITALY email admin@astropublishing.com ASTROFILO l’ March-April 2020 BI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE OF SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL INFORMATION FREELY AVAILABLE THROUGH THE INTERNET English edition of the magazine S U M M A R Y 6 Amateur astronomy began for me on Yahoo! in 2003. After finding the Syracuse Astronomical Society in Central New York (CNY), a first visit in- cluded a slide projector presentation, an expensive sign that the presenter, Dr. Stu Forster, had given this same talk many times before. The public viewing included my first Messiers, found by members who had positions... Cover image by Oshin Zakarian Amateur astronomy and outreach – a local perspective by Damian G. Allis 18 The digital knowledge society in which we live, the so-called “Society 5.0,” requires reliable, real-time information to move through all of the multiple communication channels we enjoy. The scientific fields are, sometimes by their very nature, the ones which lag behind in many respects in terms of this rapid communication, mainly due to three factors: confusion from... 20 years of astronomy communication by José Carlos Millán López 26 The Agrupación Astronómica de la Safor (AAS), based in Gandía in the au- tonomous Valencian Community, was founded in 1994 with two main goals: to bring together all astronomy and space science enthusiasts from Gandía and the Safor region, and to promote the diffusion of this beautiful science in any social and cultural area in an active and selfless way. The activities... The experiences of the Safor by Marcelino Álvarez 34 The society of the 21 st century changes at a dizzying rate in many ways, including its needs, concerns and fears. The customs of individuals, their habits, their training and their relationships with peers do not resemble those of twenty or thirty years ago. Science is continually evolving, and if you want to be aware of the changes, you have to update yourself continuously... The popularization of astronomy in Jerez by Manuel Jiménez del Barco Ruiz Herrera 42 It was around 1984 when amateur astronomy in Spain underwent an un- precedented boom. The reason was Halley’s Comet, to which the media gave exhaustive coverage. At that time, the Internet was still an embryo and, if you wanted to deepen your knowledge of the comet, you had to resort to libraries, specialized press, and amateur astronomy associations (especially... New times for amateur astronomy by Aniceto Porcel, Jesús Carmona y Miguel Sánchez 50 Amateur astronomers have always existed, and the former, perhaps, were not even human. Contemplation of the night sky in the pre-industrial era was usual. This is demonstrated by the countless myths and legends that the most disparate peoples created by admiring the night sky. Over the past two cen- turies, this link between human beings and Nature’s wider spectacle has... The evolution of astronomy magazines by Michele Ferrara