On the 2nd, 3rd and 4th of September, Reguengos de Monsaraz and the Alqueva Lake Observatory will host a star party with the participation of researchers and amateur astronomers and all those who want to share their experiences of observation and astronomical photography. Free entry but requires registration.

Program

Friday, 2nd of September

16:00 – Welcome (Alqueva Lake Observatory)
16:10 – Presentations
19:00 – Dinner
21:00 – Astronomical observations (OLA platforms)

Saturday, September 3

9:00 am – 12:00 pm – Visit to Monsaraz, Xerez cromlech, Casa do Barro, CARMIM (Bus available. Meeting point at the OLA car park)
14:00 – Opening at the Cineteatro de Reguengos de Monsaraz
2:30 pm – Presentations
15:30 – Break
16:00 – Presentations
17:30 – Trip to the Alqueva Lake Observatory (Bus available)
18:00 – Set up of tents. Mounting telescopes. Stalls with local production and handicrafts. Musical animation.
19:00 – Bifana dinner
20:30-6:00 – Astronomical observations

Sunday, 4th of September

7:00 – 9:00 – Bird watching tour at the Alqueva Lake Observatory
10:00 am – 1:00 pm – Visit to Mourão and Luz Museum (Bus available. Meeting point at the OLA car park)

Accommodation. There are several possibilities to stay overnight near the observatory. See some of our recommendations here. It is also possible to camp on the OLA field.

Vehicles with a telescope can enter the park towards the observation platforms until 19:00. They can only leave the premises at dawn.

Entrance to the event: 0€.

To register to MonsarAstro, please complete this form.

More information, contact us at monsarastro @ olagoalqueva.pt or telephone 962293065.

Speakers

Pedro Ré

holds a PhD in Animal Ecology from the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon. He is currently Full Professor at the Department of Animal Biology at the same Faculty. He has been interested in astronomy for about 40 years and from an early age began to photograph the sky. He is the president of the Portuguese Association of Amateur Astronomers.

Catarina Leote

graduated in Oceanography from the University of Algarve, and obtained her PhD in Marine Biogeochemistry in 2015 from the University of Utrecht, the Netherlands. She is currently part of the science communication group at the Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences.

Rui Agostinho

is Assistant Professor at the Physics Department (DF) of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon (FCUL). He received his PhD in Astrophysics/Physics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA. He was responsible for maintaining the Portuguese Legal Hour at the OAL and the Service for distributing the Legal Hour to the country via the internet, in a secure way to Portuguese institutions and firms.

Teresa Barata

she is a researcher at the IA / Faculty of Science and Technology of the University of Coimbra. She received her PhD in Engineering Sciences from Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade Técnica de Lisboa in 2001. Her current research interests focus on image analysis, solar activity, space meteorology and their impacts on economic sectors. She is currently Deputy Director of the Geophysical and Astronomical Observatory of the University of Coimbra (OGAUC) and also National Coordinator of the International Space Weather Initiative (ISWI) for Portugal.

Sérgio Sousa

he is a researcher at IA and completed his PhD at the University of Porto in 2008/2009. Current research interests focus on planetary systems. In particular in the characterization of stars with detected planets. He plans to work on the detection and characterization of new planetary systems. He is the coordinator of the characterization of the stars to be observed for the CHEOPS mission and is also a member of the ESPRESSO scientific team. Since 2018 he has been the national representative for the ESO Scientific and Technical Committee (STC) and is also a member of the ELT sub-committee.