The Iraqi BWB

One Great chance for one BWB event in Erbil And the 1st BWB activity in Baghdad

-by Azhy Hasan

We was hopeless to participating on BWB, but yesterday the weather completely turned from cloudy and rainy to perfect (after rain) clearest sky.

.This was out of our plans which we declared before to make our activity on
Minaret and Shanadar Park in the middle of Erbil city...Suddenly I decided to do something!

The time was running after the sunset, there was no time to take our
Meade LX200 8 inch, I was too far away from our association's office, so there is always (Plan B!).

In my home, there was the 2inch Celestron C65 with maximum magnitude of X60, which was proudly gifted to AAAK 2 years ago by our beloved friend and most famous astro-photographer Wally Pacholka.This was the only good equipment I have on that time to inviting our people to watching the crescent of Venus.

Just in front of my home there is a large super market called Ronaky General Markets...Most of the peoples there are know me and my hobby!...After one minute to put the little telescope over the tripod tenth of side walkers gathered and surrounded me. All of them were too admired by this activity, some of them even where shy to joining or even asking me …..What is this? And what is for

Sure, the entire participant asked about Venus and its physical facts....And: Why Venus takes that crescent like shape?
Some of them asked me:" Is that really non lunar crescent?"

Any way, there was nearby 70 persons with deferent ages and nationalities (Kurds and Arabs) police man, university teachers, high school teachers, market casheirs,employees,bakers,free workers, journalists,but unfortunately the time was late and very cold for kids to be outside there homes, except two kids with them family.

Media coverage was good to our activities, sooner there was a interview with Gali Kurdistan Space Channel in Erbil , it was focused on IYA2009,100HA,ISAN3 and specially for Beauty Without Borders…They are now waiting for us to providing them with photos of the day of activity to inserting it with the interview and broadcasted later.

The BWB of Erbil city started on 06:33 to 08:00 pm local (18:33 -20:00 UT) on the sidewalk of Ronaky Street.
Sure I was alone, because there was no enough time to calling AAAK members to joining or helping me!














Finally From Baghdad...
An astronomical festival about Venus and BWB!

Although the security situations in Baghdad is looks like better than before from terror and terrorists attacks, but still is risky to gathering peoples in one location, specially at night.
So, the best and safest way for joining on BWB is by presenting and presentation about this wonderful event.
Mr.Jawad Kadhim Farhan,president of Iraqi League for Science amateurs and Talents in Baghdad, the ISAN3 National Organizer of Baghdad made a very good cooperation with College of Science/University of Baghdad to make this seccesful goal on Feb.26.2009.

There were 4 activities there:

1 - An astro photos exhibition for Venus and astronomical objects.

2 - Three seminars about :

• The University and the best ways to Cooperation between University of Baghdad and NO's of 100HA and ISAN3,presented by Dr.Nihad Ali Karam, the president of Dept. of Physics-College of Science/University of Baghdad.

• The Focusing on IYA2009, 100HA and ISAN3, Presented by Mr.Jawad Kadhim Farhan, president of Iraqi League for Science Amateurs and Talents in Baghdad.


• The Secrets of Planet Venus, presented by Mr.Draid Abdul Salam Mohamed in the Dept. Of Physics.

There was very good media coverage for that event, especially by the Baghdadya Satellite Channel, and there was a report about that activity and presented for twice on Feb.26.2009.

Also the Baghdad and Erbil team of BWB, are ready to continuing the program if the
weather getting better tomorrow when the Showtime started...The BWB conjunction
between the Lunar and Venus crescent.


Ahzy and Venus!