A Nobel Prize winner inaugurates the X Jornadas Astronómicas de Almería (10th Astronomical Conference of Almería)

The Jornadas Astronómicas de Almería have started their 10th edition in style. The launch was attended by the Deputy for Culture, Manuel Guzmán, the Councillor for Culture of Almería City Council, Diego Cruz, the Nobel Prize winner in Physics, Michel Mayor, the astrophysicist John Beckman and the organiser of the conference, Pedro San José.

Throughout the week, the Teatro Apolo will host a series of conferences by great leaders in the world of astrophysics. The Nobel Prize winner Michel Mayor, the astrophysicist from the University of Granada, Mónica Relaño, the geologist and astrobiologist, Jesús Martínez, the astrophysicist from the IAC, John Beckman and David Hilmers, NASA astronaut. In addition, this event includes an exhibition of images by the best astrophotographers from Almería until Sunday and a night of astronomical observation at the Orión de Retamar facilities on Saturday 11 June.

The deputy for Culture and Cinema, Manuel Guzmán, stressed the importance of bringing the best in the world of astrophysics to Almería: “I am very grateful that a Nobel Prize winner is with us because it gives a very important added value to a conference that has national relevance on its own merits. This event highlights the scientific and human potential, as well as the natural resources that the province has and which are becoming so famous throughout the world. Almería is growing in tourism thanks to events like this one, which positions us as the national capital of astronomy.

The Councillor for Culture, Diego Cruz, has positively valued having reached the tenth edition of the conference and considered that “we should feel more than proud of the high level of the conference, which has already had several Nobel Prize winners, several NASA astronauts and experts from all over the world over the last ten years and which continues to associate Almería with knowledge and research”. He also congratulated “the ten photographers from Almería for sharing their work in this magnificent exhibition of 22 photographs taken in our province”.

For his part, the organiser of the conference, Pedro San José, acknowledged the total involvement of the Provincial Council, the City Council and the University of Almería: “we are proud to have this predisposition which has made it possible to bring great international talent to Almería. I hope that all the people of Almeria can enjoy these conferences, which have already become consolidated in the province and are set to continue to grow”.

Finally, the astrophysicists Michel Mayor and John Beckman also thanked for the opportunity to present their knowledge and the latest advances in the world of astrophysics in Almeria.

Photographs showing the best of the Almerian sky

Almería shines in the sky and proof of this are the 22 images by Juan José Muñoz, José Luis Bedmar, Antonio Santiago Amador, Marga López Melgarejo, Raúl Oliver, Mabel Angulo, Alejandro Paz, José Francisco del Águila, José Antonio Vargas and José Hernández Ríos which have been exhibited at the Palacio Provincial de la Diputación, where anyone can catch a glimpse of the best of the Almería sky until 12 June.