Two-day Sputnik Cosmosfest aims to promote science learning

The two-day Sputnik Cosmosfest 2023 will begin in the capital today with the aim of encouraging school and college-level students towards science education.

The events include an astrophotography exhibition, a painting competition and exhibition, a space observation camp, a rocket model-making competition, astronomy camps, film shows and sky observations.

"Sputnik Cosmofest 2023 marks the 66th anniversary of Sputnik's flight into space," Moshurl Amin, director of the festival, said at a press briefing yesterday.

"The initiative has been taken with the aim of developing the creativity of students in science. There is no alternative to science and technology to take Bangladesh to the ranks of all other developed countries in the future," he added.

The festival is jointly organised by the Russian House in Dhaka, the Bangladesh Astronomical Association and Green Bud Nursery School.

The events will take place at the Bangladesh Astronomical Association's Elephant Road office from 10am to 7pm on 6 October, and at Green Bud Nursery School at Gopibagh's RK Mission Road from 8am to 2pm on 7 October, said the organisers.

Counsellor Director of the Russian House in Dhaka, Pavel A Dvoychenkov said, "Sputnik One was the first artificial Earth satellite launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Soviet Union. It was launched into an elliptical low Earth orbit by the Soviet Union on 4 October 1957 as part of the Soviet space programme."

Those interested in joining the festival can register at https://www.astronomybangla.com/sputnik/sputnikfest2023/, or via email at info@astronomybangla.com