In a strong competition of 1400 students and more than 200 teachers from Serbia, winners of the first national competition in astrophotography organized by the National Committee for Astronomy Education at the International Astronomy Union were announced, in partnership with the research and development center United Cloud.
On this occasion, all participants gathered in the Astronomical Observatory in Belgrade, whose gallery is hosting the exhibition “Shoot the Night Sky” which will last until the end of April. The first prize went to the team of third-grade students from the Požarevac Grammar School, Boban Janković, Bogdan Milaković, and Nikola Milaković with the support of their teacher Mirjana Živojinović, that skillfully managed to catch constellations above the roofs of Požarevac. All winning authors and works can be viewed here.
“We received a total of 184 works from primary and secondary schools in Serbia. We evaluated them based on four criteria, namely, technical processing, astronomical motif, composition, and artistic impression. I must admit this was a very difficult task since all the photos were exceptional. We are proud of all participants since their engagement is evidence that we managed to introduce astronomy and scientific research to the youth which was our goal in the first place,” said Dr. Marina Pavlović, a scientist from the Institute of Mathematics of SANU, member of the jury and one of the main organizers of the competition.
She pointed out the significance of joining Universities and the private sector that may contribute to the development of science and its goals.
“As an R&D center dealing with the development of our own digital products, innovations, and research are close to us. This is a passion we share with the scientific community and this is why we embrace the opportunity to cooperate with young experts. Thank you for the opportunity to contribute and enjoy the results of the project Shoot the Night Sky today,” said Ana Ćorković, Communications Director of the Research and Development Center United Cloud.
