April is Global Astronomy Month.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) on Monday, April 3, has issued a list of its activities in celebration of the Global Astronomy Month.
”We have arranged some exciting activities for you to enjoy as we celebrate the Global Astronomy Month. Come and join us,” said the state weather bureau.
The month-long observance, dubbed as the “world’s largest annual event to celebrate astronomy,” seeks to unite people who are passionate for space exploration.
One people, one sky
Four major activities were highlighted by PAGASA. First of these is the conduct of a free planetarium show every Wednesday of the month beginning April 12. Astronomy enthusiasts may visit PAGASA’s Planetarium at BIR Road in Quezon City to avail this free show. The public exhibition will be divided into morning and afternoon sessions and it will feature several space stories. Skywatchers may also benefit from the state weather bureau’s free telescoping and stargazing session. Like the free planetarium show, this will also be open to all interested Filipinos on April 12, April 19, and April 26. It, however, will be organized at night — from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m. “[This will be] open for walk-ins under favorable sky conditions. [It will be held at] PAGASA Astronomical Observatory, UP Diliman Campus [in] Quezon City,” said PAGASA. Apart from in-person activities, virtual ones will also be spearheaded. The state weather bureau announced that they will live stream the Partial Solar Eclipse which will grace the Philippine skies on April 20. The phenomenon will be visible in Manila with 23.7 percent obscuration at 12:55 p.m. Interested viewers may witness this live via PAGASA’s Facebook page. To cap off its activities for Global Astronomy Month, PAGASA will be conducting a virtual planetarium show on April 28, 2023 from 2 p.m. until 3 p.m.