The National Astronomy Week (NAW) is a week-long celebration every third week of February. It is now in its 19th year and it has been part of the tradition of every astronomical organization in the country.

UPLB AstroSoc organized a lot of events in line with the celebration of the NAW 2012. Some members of the organization even attended numerous lectures and symposia to essentially learn more about astronomy.

To start the celebration, UPLB AstroSoc showcased astronomical facts and photographs through an exhibit entitled "Decoding 2012: Leaping from Faith to Facts". The exhibit was situated at the Student Union Building Lobby at UPLB. The exhibit focused on the myths of the impending doomsday. Top astronomical events of 2012 were also included to clearly show that the world will not on December 21, 2012.



Some members also attended the Astronomy Convention Seminar held last February 18, 2012 at the NIDO Fortified Science Discovery Center. In this seminar, two out of three astrophysicists of the country were present to discuss astronomical facts and issues. Dr. Reinabelle Reyes discussed the "Birth and Death of the Milky Way" while Dr. Rogel Mari Sese, the head of the Astrophysics Research Laboratory in UPLB, discussed "Astronomy Education and Research in the Philippines".

Members of UPLB AstroSoc with Dr. Reinabelle Reyes

To further discuss the contents of the exhibit, UPLB AstroSoc invited Lordnico Mendoza, founder of the RTU Astronomy Society to be the guest speaker of a symposium held last February 23, 2012 at the IBSLH, UPLB. Mr. Mendoza discussed the scientific evidences to prove that the theories behind the impending doomsday are just myths.

Decoding 2012 Symposium

Members of UPLB AstroSoc with Mr. Lordnico Mendoza

To give back something to the community, UPLB AstroSoc conducts AstroSkwela (Astronomy in Schools) to random schools. AstroSkwela is a basic astronomy camp for kids. This is one of the traditional events done by the organization to increase astronomy awareness. Last February 24, 2012, UPLB AstroSoc conducted a basic astronomy camp at the Maquiling School, Inc., Los Banos, Laguna. Around 240 elementary students attended the event. The students listened to short lectures and engaged in hands-on activities. They also got the chance to view Mars, Jupiter, and the Moon through a telescope. Needless to say, their appreciation for the heavens deepened even more.

After the astronomy camp, members of UPLB AstroSoc again attended a symposium held at the NIDO Fortified Science Discovery Center last February 25, 2012. The said event was the closing ceremony of Philippine Astronomical Society's celebration of the National Astronomy Week. The event kicked off with a showcase of various meteorites.

After which, Engineer Dacanay from the Philippine Astronomical Society (PAS) discussed about the "Surprising Importance of Earthquake; Magnetic Field Reversal; and a Tale of a Toasted Planet". On the other hand, Dr. Esguerra discussed "Beyong 2012: Physics, Astrophysics, and The End of the World As We Know It". Truly, it was a very informative and educational night.

Members of UPLB AstroSoc at the closing ceremony of the Philippine Astronomical Society

To officially end UPLB AstroSoc's celebration of the NAW 2012, the organization conducted another astronomy camp for High School students of the same school (Maquiling School Inc., Los Banos, Laguna). Around 140 students participated in the short lectures and stargazing activities. They were able to view various planets and deep sky objects.

We hope that the participants of our celebration of the National Astronomy Week learned a lot from us. We wish to see you in our future activities!