Gerrei Astrofest is back, 60 events to discover the cosmos

From May 17th to June 8th, the Gerrei will once again transform into a stage privileged for those who wish to get closer to the world of astronomy with the third edition of the Gerrei Astrofest, the astronomy festival organized and funded by the Institute National Institute of Astrophysics (Inaf), in collaboration with the Gal Sole Grano Terra (Gal Sgt) and the Union of Municipalities of Gerrei. This year the event becomes, in all respects, a widespread festival that will involve, during four weekends starting next Saturday, eight municipalities: San Basilio (May 17 and June 8), St. Andrew Frius (May 18), Silius (May 24), Villasalto (May 25), San Nicolò Gerrei (May 31 May), Escalaplano (June 1), Armungia (June 6), Ballao (June 7), June). Building on the success of past editions, which saw an increasing participation of the public of all ages, the The program includes approximately 60 initiatives including public conferences, educational workshops, exhibitions, creative installations, games table, stargazing evenings and astrotrekking. Fundamental to the quality and success of the event are also scientific partnerships with research institutions and bodies such as the Italian Space Agency (ASI), the National Institute of Nuclear Physics (Infn) and the University of Cagliari which will bring high-profile content on various physics, astrophysics and aerospace of great topicality. Designed and built in 2022 on an experimental basis from the astrophysicist of the INAF of Cagliari Silvia Casu, the Gerrei Astrofest has grown steadily: "We are working on this event for many years now to connect the Sardinia Radio Telescope to a territory, the Gerrei, rich in unspoiled nature and sites peculiar, as well as a great capacity for hospitality that deserves to grow - explains Casu -. We have only added a piece, the radio telescope, certainly important, but making part of a larger ecosystem that preceded it, which accompanies and will exist even after". The central role can only be covered, precisely, from the large INAF radio telescope built in San Basilio, in the Pranusanguni plain. The festival will start right here, in whose urban center the inauguration is scheduled for Saturday 17th May starting at 5pm with institutional greetings from the first citizen and president of the Union of Municipalities of Gerrei Albino Porru, by Antonino Arba and Silvia Doneddu, respectively president and director of Gal Sgt, director of Inaf by Cagliari Federica Govoni, the operations manager of the Sardinia Radio Telescope Sergio Poppi and of the responsible scientific director of the festival Silvia Casu.