Astrosoc Test Site: April 2011

UPLB AstroSoc's First Year of Existence
Thursday, April 21, 2011

As the summer days get warmer, one cannot help but rekindle what the first year of UPLB AstroSoc was.

First General Assembly - June 2010

The organization started with the simple goal of uniting individuals who share passion in Astronomy. It was initiated on January 11, 2010, but it was on June later that year that the organization was formally established. Twenty one eager young minds ventured into the mysteries of the cosmos unaware of the consequences they may face.

To be recognized by the University as a student organization required lots of things. One of which is to conduct a public event that would essentially benefit students of the university.

Telescope Viewing with Laysa, co-founder of UPLB AstroSoc
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The first ever event of UPLB AstroSoc was "Astra La Vista" and by rough translation, it means gazing of the stars. The partnership with Pyxis Astronomy and Philippine Astronomical Society(PAS) made this event successful. It was held on August 13, 2010, the peak of the Perseids Meteor Shower. Coincidentally, a planetary grouping of Mars, Venus and Saturn occurred. The event mainly consisted of Telescope Viewing and Lectures on Astronomical Updates and Constellations.

After the event, UPLB AstroSoc felt the need of recruiting more members and so the organization held its very first Orientation on November 24, 2011.

UPLB AstroSoc welcomes 15 new members from Batch Nebula

In a blink of an eye, UPLB AstroSoc doubled in numbers. Now this calls for more activities eh?

You bet! So UPLB AstroSoc, infantine as it is, persevered even more.

AstroSkwela 2011 at CDLB Elementary School
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Now an organization shouldn't be called an organization if it doesn't give back to the community right? With that in mind, the UPLB Astronomical Society came up with "AstroSkwela", an outreach project dedicated especially to elementary school students which aims to conjunct the basic astronomical knowledge they get from their science subjects with a new and fun perspective view of Astronomy. The organization believes that astronomy in young minds would lead to further interest not only on the said field but to Physics, Biology, Geology, Chemistry, and to other fields as well.

A sample question for the AstroPop Quiz Contest
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Learning Astronomy could be sometimes a pain in the head and if there's one thing I've learned, it's that you can associate astronomy to everyday things. For the last event for the School Year 2010-2011, the organization collaborated with Galathea Public Relations Firm (A group of Comm-Arts Students) for what ought to be an annual "AstroPop Quiz Contest". The Quiz Contest aims to associate everyday things with astronomical facts and events so as to promote astronomy to the general public. The contest that was held this year was in line with celebration of the National Astronomy Week (NAW).

Aside from these events, the organization disseminates astronomical knowledge through posters and small exhibits. A lot of exciting ideas are introduced everyday and it's pretty obvious that UPLB AstroSoc has a lot more in store for you so stay tuned!

posted by Oolalai @ 6:06 AM, ,

Summer Recruitment
Monday, April 18, 2011

The UPLB Astronomical Society is now accepting applicants for SUMMER 2011. Contact Felix(09278870473) for more information.

posted by Oolalai @ 4:58 PM, ,

The Authors

John Travolta

John lives in Toronto and is a freelance illustrator and a designer/animator for CHUM Television. He writes about , design, and visual culture under the pseudonym Robot Johnny

Claire Robbinson

Claire Robertson is an illustrator and toy from Melbourne, Australia. While her illustration clients have included The New York Public Library, Scholastic and Cambridge University Press, it’s her blog Loobylu.com that brings her the most joy and which has attracted the most attention with rave reviews in the Wall Street Journal, WIRED Magazine and The Guardian.