Aleksander Wolszczan at the Marine Science Center. Planetarium named after the great astrophysicist

Since Friday, the planetarium at the Marine Science Center has been named the Wolszczan Planetarium. This is how Aleksander Wolszczan, a world-famous and respected astrophysicist and discoverer of the first extrasolar planets, has been honored.

Aleksander Wolszczan unveiled a plaque with the name of the planetarium accompanied by the Vice-Marshal of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship Anna Bańkowska and the Director of the MCN Paweł Bartoszewski.

- Situations like this, if they happen at all, probably happen only once in a lifetime. I am touched and extremely honored that you decided to do this and name the planetarium after me - said the scientist during the ceremony.

He also did not hide his admiration for the Marine Science Centre:

- I would also like to congratulate you, and my hometown of Szczecin, the Center, which I have already had the opportunity to visit in part. It really is a beautiful place. There are many planetariums and science centers in our country, smaller or larger. And this one, although not terribly large, is really impressive.

Director of the Maritime Science Centre, Paweł Bartoszewski, presented Professor Wolszczan with a lapel pin – the MCN logo.

- This is our pride, we could say it is the local pride of Western Pomerania, but it is also a national pride that such a wonderful person makes Poland and our region famous all over the world - said Anna Bańkowska, recalling that the professor comes from Szczecinek.

A plaque with the scientist’s biography and photo was also unveiled next to the planetarium.

After the official part, Aleksander Wolszczan gave a lecture in the planetarium. It concerned exoplanets, the beginnings of planets and research on life in the universe.

- In it, I will try to connect our desire to determine whether or not life exists somewhere beyond Earth, with how we discover planets, what has been done in thirty-three years, where we are now and what we can expect - hopefully - in the near future - he explained in an interview with journalists.

The professor also referred to the famous space mission of Sławosz Uznański.

- It is not a symbol, because it is a useful mission, it is a real mission, it is not just sending someone so that it is visible that they were sent - he explained. - But each such situation is a step forward in space exploration. If the environment, the environment of the person who became an astronaut, was able to make him fly, then that already means something and is further motivation. Let's just keep it up. ©℗

Agata Jankowski