NAW-PAC 2012

Here are some of the activites for the National Astronomy Week - Philippine Astronomy Congress for the year 2012 in line with ALP and RTU:

RTU:
Lecture: "The Birth and Death of the Milky Way" by Reinabelle P. Reyes, Ph.D. from Princeton University.
February 14, 2012

National Museum Planetarium:
Opening Ceremony. 19 Feb 2012
Film showing: "Doomsday 2012: End of Days"
Planetarium show: opening of "Starry Starry Nights"
Lectures:
"A Guide to knowing the truth about 2012 End of Days Scenario" Dr. Armando Lee
"Messier Observing Strategies" Peter Tubalinal
"Sky Observations with Celestron SkyScout" Christopher Lee

To be followed by public viewing at Rajah Solayman Park



Astrocamp/MOA:
24 Feb 2012. Free Public Viewing.


RTU:
Closing Ceremony. 25 Feb 2012.
Lectures:
"Dark Matter, Dark Energy and the Fate of the Universe" John Ray Cabrera
"White Light & H-alpha Solar Imaging" Dr. Jett Aguilar
"Tips and Secrets of Planetary Imaging" Christopher Go
"The State of Philippine Astronomy" Dr. Jesus Torres

alternate lecture: "When the Universe Attacks" Reuel Norman Marigza, Jr.

To be followed by Free Public Viewing
at RTU Quadrangle

Black Holes Bring Filipina An Award

"Astronomy and Astrophysics are rich and exciting fields that offer plenty of opportunities for young scientists to contribute. Master the basics, keep up with the latest discoveries, don't stop asking questions and finding the answers,"

-Reinabelle Reyes

Reinabelle Reyes, a 24-year-old astrophysicist, was given the "Chambliss Astronomy Achievement Student Award" at the annual meeting of the American Astronomical Society in January. She was given the award in line with her major role in the discovery of the largest number of "super massive" black holes in the center of galaxies, hidden by obscured quasars.

Reyes is a DOST scholar who graduated valedictorian from the Philippine Science High School in 2001, and 4 years later graduated in Ateneo de Manila, as summa cum laude with a Physics degree. She then took her masterals in Particle physics at the International Center for Theoretical Physics in Trieste, Italy. Reyes is now a candidate for Ph.D in astrophysics, at the Princeton University in New Jersey.

Her 1st task at Princeton was to "figure out" how rare these black holes were. This is quite a difficult task since blackholes are considered invisible. She, in fact, described the project as looking for a needle in a haystack.

She was assigned to a group headed by Nadia Zakamska, a long-term postdoctoral fellow at the Institute of Advanced Study, and under the supervision of "quasar hunter" professor Michael Strauss. The group found 900 black holes.