JOINT CONFERENCE OF EUROPEAN AND ARMENIAN ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETIES TO BE HELD BETWEEN AUGUST 20 TO 25 IN YEREVAN

Noyan Tapan
Jul 24, 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 24, NOYAN TAPAN. The joint conference of the European
and Armenian astronomical societies will be held between August 20
to 25 in Yerevan. Areg Mikayelian, the Co-Chairman of the Armenian
astronomical society, declared at the July 21 press conference that
the conference of the European and national astronomic societies is
being held each year in any European country.

According to Hayk Haroutiunian, the Head of the observatory of
Byurakan, the level of the development degree of astrophysics in
the given country and the traditions it has in this sphere are
important standards for choosing a country for the organization of
the conference. In his opinion, the observatory of Byurakan has never
competed with the most powerful observatories of the world with its
technical capacity and opportunities, however, the problems, which
have been solved here, have changed the course of the astronomy of
the 20th century. For example, the fact "that has brought life to
space", according to which all the stars were not born at the same
time and that they are born at present as well, has been proved in
the observatory of Byurakan.

According to Hayk Haroutiunian, the volumes of the financing for
science have sharply decreased after the collapse of the Soviet
Union. However, the opportunities of this observatory are growing
wider at present and the strengthening of international cooperation,
as well as the introduction of the observatory of Byurakan as an
institution, which is not inferior to the most famous astronomical
centers, are very important in this process.

Areg Mikayelian stated that eight conferences will be held within
the frameworks of the conference of astronomical societies. Over
300 astronomers from Armenia and abroad have already been registered
in order to take part in the conference to be held at Yerevan State
University.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress