Star-symposium: An event that aims to take us to other planets under the dark sky at the Afianes winery.

Ikaria is a starting point in space history with Icarus making the first flight. The modern Icarus now “travels” light years away, expanding human horizons to places far beyond Earth, beyond even the Solar System.

Let’s travel together to distant worlds and search for life in exotic places. Astronomers Angelos Tsiaras and Anastasia Kokoris, pilots of this route, will guide us through the overwhelming sky of Ikaria, talking about planets and life in the universe.

Monday, August 29, 2022

Dionysus Theatre, Afianes Winery

At 21.00

Entrance 7 euros (free entrance for kids unders 12 years old)

 

Talk Title: Traveling to Other Planets

In recent years the discoveries of exoplanets (planets outside the Solar System) are increasing daily at a rapid rate. Now knowing that there are as many planets in our galaxy as there are stars, new questions arise about exoplanets and the possibility of them harboring life: – What do they look like? – How unique is Earth compared to other planets? – Is there life on other planets besides Earth? – What are the conditions required for life to thrive? These are some of the questions that the astronomers/speakers will answer in the unique setting of the Afianas winery. The presentation will be followed by observation of the night sky with a telescope.

Speakers:

Anastasia Kokori: She holds a degree in astronomy and planetology from Birkbeck University in London, a graduate of the Pedagogical Department of AUTH as well as a master’s degree in the field of science communication at DCU University in Ireland. She is currently responsible for astronomy communication activities to the general public and specifically in the field of exoplanets for the Ariel space mission at University College London. She has many years of experience working in observatories in Ireland and England such as the Royal Observatory Greenwich. Her research interests focus on the communication of astronomy to the general public as well as the field of exoplanets.

Angelos Tsiaras: Angelos holds a PhD in Astronomy from UCL (London, 2017) and a Physics degree from AUTH (Thessaloniki, 2014). Today he works as a researcher at the Arcetri observatory (Florence). The object of his research is extrasolar planets and more specifically, the analysis of their atmospheres with the Hubble, James Webb and Ariel space telescopes. One of the main goals of his work is to communicate science and make data analysis tools available to the general public, amateur astronomers and students.