Beyond the Stars: AUBG Astronomy Club

As the Spring 2024 semester is in full swing, a new AUBG club has emerged on campus. Under the starlit skies of the university campus, the newly founded Astronomy Club brings together a group of students who share their passion for the wonders of the universe.

Briselda Kumanaku, currently the club’s vice president, has been developing the idea for quite some time. 

“We saw that there was a gap on campus that we wanted to fill. We are all very passionate about astronomy, and we are trying to create a community where you can make friendships with people,” explained Briselda.

Upon sharing her vision for establishing the club with her friends, they enthusiastically rallied behind her.

“When Briselda came up with the idea, it was super exciting because, in our daily conversations, we’ve been talking about astronomy and space, so it was always an interest,” shared Ana Marija Dimoska, Head of Marketing. 

Together, the friend group formed what is now known as the board of the AUBG Astronomy Club.

“We have a club that is being represented by a few friends, together, with the same passion for astronomy,” added Natalia Ymeraj, Treasurer of the club.

With the idea now a reality, the founding club members discovered a supportive ally in the face of their current faculty adviser, Professor Todor Popov. 

“He was very passionate about the idea; he really supported us,” said Briselda.

According to them, he played a crucial role in arranging the speaker for their inaugural event - Professor Richard Kerner, a renowned name in the field of physics. On Feb. 28th he held a lecture about his book “Our Celestial Clockwork: From Ancient Origins to Modern Astronomy Of The Solar System” focusing on the evolution of astronomy. 

Besides inviting guest lecturers, the club is currently discussing numerous event ideas, such as stargazing nights and themed movie screenings.

“Being a club gives us more possibilities to host events and do exciting things that we wouldn’t necessarily be able to do as just a group of friends, even though, at the core, this is what we are,” the club president, Håvard Tonning, shared.

One particularly ambitious idea is tied to the old Blagoevgrad observatory. For over a decade, the observatory's building has been left unused. However, according to BTA, its transformation into a contemporary planetarium stands as a key objective within the new restoration plan for the park "Hunting Lodge" (“Ловен Дом”).  

The plan outlines new interactive halls, the construction of a new amphitheater, and the usage of all green spaces as places for conferences, educational events, space and high-tech research projects, and cultural events. For the Astronomy Club, the new planetarium could be the point of contact between the AUBG community and the rest of Blagoevgrad.

Håvard has already made some steps towards establishing a collaboration between the club and the future planetarium.  

“When the mayor was on campus, I spoke to him about the future plans for the observatory and if we could be involved in that process, even if it is just to learn how it works,” Håvard shared. He added that the mayor has said he would schedule a meeting between the club and the observatory’s representatives.

Being practical is a crucial goal for all founding members of the club. According to Briselda, the club would focus on more engaging events instead of delving into physics.

“We love astronomy - we love looking at the stars and learning more about them, but we don't love the theoretical part of it,” Briselda said, laughing. She added that this way, more people would be able to participate in the club’s events.

“The club offers a unique opportunity for AUBG students, as most of them come from big cities where you cannot see the stars,” shared Uliana Sinyakova, Head of HR at the club.

She explained that Blagoevgrad is the perfect place for stargazing, as it offers a combination of many warm, cloudless nights and hillsides that make stargazing easier and more enjoyable.

In the future, the club is looking forward to uniting not only the AUBG community but also the broader audience of Blagoevgrad. Håvard added that the club has already seen interest from non-students.

“When we had a stargazing night, a couple of the security guards and the cleaners walked up and wanted to take a look. It was great to see the joy on their faces when they saw the stars,” he said.

By providing students and locals with the unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the realm of space and stargazing, the Astronomy Club hopes to leave a lasting impact on AUBG’s community and its ties to the town.

Editors: Radina Shtereva and Dasha Dolgopolova