After a couple of years of absence, the Cosmos Zone will make itself available to you once again during the 8th Silesian Science Festival Katowice! It will feature many attractions: from Mars rovers and a mobile planetarium belonging to the Planetarium – The Silesian Science Park, where you will have the opportunity to see amazing astronomical shows, to the pneumatic planet Jupiter, where you will not only be able to enter, but also learn how the largest planet in our Solar System works and what missions have been sent to study it so far, all of this accompanied by sound and visual special effects.
In the workshop area we have prepared many workshops aimed mainly at children and youth. Participants will have the opportunity to build a rocket and launch it themselves, construct the James Webb Space Telescope from Lego or take on the task of preparing a Mars rover mission.
Master Twardowski Stage
Master Twardowski Stage will also be part of the Cosmos Zone. Its name refers to a figure from a legend, according to which Twardowski was a nobleman living in Kraków in the 16th century. In exchange for great knowledge, he sold his soul to the devil, but fortunately he ended up outsmarting the evil entity. According to the legend, Twardowski ended up on the Moon, where he remains to this day, observing the activities of people on Earth. This character, although fictional, may be seen as a symbol connecting the old fascination of people (including many Poles) with space and the desire to cross the boundaries of knowledge with the current achievements of Polish scientists in the field of space exploration.
Master Twardowski Stage fits into the context of contemporary challenges, especially the upcoming Artemis mission, which is meant to facilitate humanity’s return to the Moon in the coming years. Moreover, the Polish Space Agency, within the European Space Agency (ESA), arranges activities supporting space exploration, space business and scientific research. On the Festival's Master Twardowski Stage, participants will be able to learn more about NASA and ESA missions and programmes, Polish research of the Solar System and deep space, as well as the contribution of the Polish sector to the development of global space technologies.
The year 2024 marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of Jerzy Żuławski – a pioneer of Polish science fiction literature, author of The Lunar Trilogy. The writer imagined traveling to the Moon already at the beginning of the 20th century. His visions, although far from scientific realities, were greatly inspiring and stimulated the imagination of many generations of scientists, showcasing our need to understand the Universe and discover its secrets. Master Twardowski Stage is intended to prove that at the beginning of even the most ambitious scientific endeavours there are dreams and ideas that may seem crazy at first. That is why we will also talk about space education that supports the development of space passions in young people.
Thanks to the talks and lectures on the Master Twardowski Stage, you will be able to travel in your thoughts to the farthest reaches of the Solar System, gain knowledge about ongoing and future space missions, discuss extraterrestrial civilizations, and above all, feel the spirit of exploration – the same one that inspired Master Twardowski, Jerzy Żuławski and all astronauts.
The content coordinators of the Cosmos Zone are Milena Ratajczak, PhD, Deputy Director of the Astronomical Observatory of the University of Warsaw, and Jan Pomierny from the New Space Foundation.
The producer of the Cosmos Zone is Agnieszka Sikora, PhD.
The partner of the Cosmos Zone and the Master Twardowski Stage is Metropolis GZM.
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The 8th Silesian Science Festival KATOWICE will take place on 7–9 December and will be the culmination of the entire year of celebrations of awarding Katowice the title of European City of Science 2024.