As part of this year’s international summer camp organized by the Rotary Club of Wipperfürth-Lindlar, we were pleased to welcome 18 young people aged 16 to 18 from various countries around the world to our observatory. After an eventful day in Cologne – which included a tour of Cologne Cathedral, a visit to WDR, and a stroll through the city – the visit to our observatory was the astronomical highlight of the day.
Peter Stinner gave the introductory presentation on astrophotography. Using selected images, he explained to the young people how astronomical images are created and what impressive results can be achieved, for example, with a total exposure time of twelve hours. Patrick Staden was in charge of the hands-on sky observation sessions at the telescopes. Despite the overcast sky, he managed to show the young people the Moon and even the Ring Nebula in Lyra. In addition, several photos of the Moon were taken, which the participants had specifically requested as personal mementos of their visit to the observatory.
Feedback from the organizer of the Rotary Club Wipperfürth-Lindlar’s international summer camp showed just how well the evening was received by the young people. He warmly thanked for the successful event and emphasized that, despite the challenging weather conditions, the observations had been incredibly impressive for the group, which had no prior experience with astronomy. Particularly heartening: Although the young people were already tired after their long day’s program, some of them went outside again later at their youth hostel to admire the night sky.
We thank the Rotary Club Wipperfürth-Lindlar for their visit and the positive feedback. The evening demonstrated once again that a fascination with the universe connects people across national boundaries.
Add comment