Sweden's largest space festival was celebrated on September 22-23 with the theme “Space travel in time and space”. The Astronomy’s day and night is initiated, organised and overseen by the Swedish Astronomical Society.
The festival, which since 2012 brings together all of Sweden's space enthusiasts, took place this year for two days. During Friday, there were space activities in the country's schools, and on Saturday the public was invited to a variety of space events.
With the theme “Rymdresor i tid och rum” (“Space travel in time and space”), the progress that is currently being made in space and astronomy was celebrated. Another Swedish astronaut is on his way to space, the first steps taken towards landing on the moon again and telescopes that look all the way to the universe's infancy.
Opportunities for the general public were given to observe the night sky under the guidance of experienced astronomers, to join a trip to the stars in one of the country's planetaria or to attend space theatre and inspiring astronomy lectures. Special attention was also drawn towards the world's largest model of the solar system, the Sweden Solar System, where the Globe arena in Stockholm represents the Sun and sets the scale – with scaled planets and other solar system objects represented by artistic implementations located all over Sweden.
New for this year was that Astronomy's day and night not only took place on the weekend but also on a weekday, Friday 22 September. Space activities were then on the schedule for students of all ages at schools around the country.
During Saturday the public was invited to more than 30 organised activities and events across the country. Among our many organisers were the Slottskogen Observatory in Gothenburg, the Tycho Brahe Observatory in Malmö, AlbaNova and the Technical Museum in Stockholm, as well as a number of science centers and astronomy associations across the country.
First reports from the activities indicate great interest was generated and large presence at events. During Saturday weather gradually improved over Sweden allowing for many “aha” moments when young and old could see - for example - the planet Saturn through a telescope for the first time!