Planets In Your Hand – A Journey in our Solar System
Interactive exhibition on our solar system ‘Planets In Your Hand’
The science communication team ‘Planets In Your Hand’ of NKUA invites all visitors to touch the planetary surfaces and travel virtually in our Solar System. Familiarize yourself with the characteristics of the planets, as well as the atmospheric and geological conditions that prevail on them, such as the temperature and the wind. Learn about the latest space exploration missions through an interactive and enjoyable way from experts in the field of Astrophysics.
Meet our planetary neighborhood by playing. Answer questions about the planets of our solar system and discuss with the ‘Planets In Your Hand’ team members about their characteristics and scientific exploration. See the night sky through a telescope, observe the lunar surface’s characteristics and meet the constellations we see during the summer in Greece.
The program ‘Planets In Your Hand’ consists of a portable exhibition of models of planetary surfaces in wooden rectangular frames. The exhibition presents the surface of the 8 planets of the Solar System, highlighting their basic characteristics: temperature, lighting, wind and solid landscape on terrestrial planets. The exhibition was designed and constructed with the aim of disseminating knowledge around the field of planetary exploration, giving the opportunity even to visually impaired people to visit the exhibition and touch the surfaces in a unique interactive experience. The exhibition is aimed at families with children, young people, adults and organized classes from schools and educational institutions. It is accessible to people with disabilities and visual impairments, who may not have had the opportunity to become acquainted with the planets of our Solar System and planetary science in general.
What will the participants of the event gain:
- Interact with Planets In Your Hand team members in a fun and interactive way. Ability to discuss and resolve visitors’ questions.
- Acquiring knowledge about the Solar System and Space Exploration and stimulating curiosity about topics related to the Solar System, the planets and their exploration.
- Awareness of interdisciplinary between disciplines involved in planetary exploration.
- Increasing interest in Astronomy and the positive sciences.
- Possibility of direct contact with Astronomy and Astrophysics, something that has been lost from the curriculum of schools of all levels of education.
For more information about ‘Planets In Your Hand’ program: http://www.planetsinyourhand.phys.uoa.gr
Description of host institute:
The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), usually referred to simply as the University of Athens (UoA), is a public University in Athens, Greece. It has been in continuous operation since its establishment in 1837 and is the oldest higher education institution of the modern Greek state and the first contemporary University in both the Balkan Peninsula and the Eastern Mediterranean. Today it is one of the largest Universities by enrollment in Europe, with over 69,000 registered students. The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens is an integral part of the modern Greek academic and intellectual tradition.
Dr. Kosmas Gazeas is an Astrophysicist and teaches Observational Astrophysics at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA). He holds a degree in Physics from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) and a master's degree and a doctorate in Observational Astrophysics from NKUA. His postdoctoral research was carried out at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) in the USA and then he worked at the European Space Agency (ESA) in the Netherlands.
Alongside his research activity, his passion for space exploration led him to take part in the ESA Astronaut Selection Process. He managed to reach the final stage of selection, after being selected as one of the best candidates worldwide.
In 2023 the International Astronomical Union named the asteroid "30278 Gazeas" (2000 HN56) in his honor, recognizing internationally the research and educational activity in the field of Astrophysics and the study of the Solar System.
His rich research work is reflected by the large number of scientific publications in a variety of astronomical applications, while his love and interest for the dissemination of astronomy to the general public led him to engage in science communication. He is the originator and founder of the internationally recognized and award-winning "Planets In Your Hand" program.
Maria Panagopoulou has graduated from the Department of Physics of National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) where she specialized in Astrophysics.
She holds a Master’s Degree in “Didactics and Public Understanding of Science and Digital Technology” from the Primary Education Department of NKUA and since January 2022 she is a member of the Research and Development Department of Ellinogermaniki Agogi. She has been an active member of the Planets In Your Hand science communication team since 2019.
Her research interests focus mainly on astronomy education, the introduction of History and Nature of Science as well as historical scientific instruments in education and non-formal learning. She has extensive experience in organizing and conducting educational events for the general public, designing educational activities and conducting teacher trainings.
Dimitris Athanasopoulos is a PhD student in the Department of Physics at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) in collaboration with the Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur (OCA) in France. Concurrently, he works as a support astronomer at the 1.2-meter telescope of the Kryoneri Observatory in Corinth. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Physics and a Master's degree in Astrophysics from the same department.
During his undergraduate studies, he worked on a six-month scholarship at the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) of the European Space Agency (ESA) in Germany and participated in the Alpbach Summer School 2018 in Austria, where his team was awarded two prizes by the committee for designing a space mission aimed at investigating the connection between asteroids and comets.
His research interests are primarily focused on Planetary Science, such as the study of small bodies in the Solar System, while he is also involved in science communication. He was one of the founding members of the "Planets In Your Hand" team and contributed to the construction of the exhibits. In 2021, he was awarded first place in the European Planetary Science communication contest "PlanetaryScience4All" organized by the Europlanet Science Congress.
Elisavet Vlachou is an active teacher in Primary Education. She graduated from the Department of Primary Education at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) and later specialised in "Special Education for Gifted Students" at the same university.
She completed her postgraduate studies in "Special Education" at the University of Nicosia, focusing particularly on experiential teaching, inclusive education, multisensory methods, and STEM activities (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). She actively contributes to the development and implementation of educational practices that promote equal participation for all students in the educational process, enhancing their psychosocial skills.
Since 2019, she has been a member of the "Planets In Your Hand" program team, where she contributes to science communication for children, helping them understand scientific concepts through interactive and creative activities.
Additionally, since 2022, she has been participating in a Greek Sign Language learning program, with the ultimate goal of spreading knowledge to deaf or hard-of-hearing children within the framework of an inclusive school, and fostering communication skills among all students and individuals in today's society.
