The Cosmology of Cooperation at the SAASST Planetarium
From early observations of the night sky to today’s cutting-edge space research, the evening will explore how our understanding of the cosmos has evolved – and where it might take us next. One highlight of the program will be the opening of The Ionogram Butterfly by the artist Felix Kiessling, an immersive art installation that translates real-time space weather data into colour and light. In addition to contributions from leading scholars, the event will feature the NextGen Innovators Award ceremony and a live planetarium show, creating a unique bridge between scientific discovery, artistic expression, and future imagination.
Moderated by AGYA alumni Dr. Lena-Maria Möller and Prof. Dr. Mohammad Alwahaib.
| 17:30 – 17:45 | Welcome Addresses H.E. Prof. Dr. Esameldin Agamy, Chancellor of the University of Sharjah, UAE Prof. Dr. Hamid M. K. Al Naimiy, Director of the Sharjah Academy for Astronomy, Space Sciences & Technology (SAASST), University of Sharjah, UAE, & Founder and President of the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space, UAE |
| 17:45 – 18:00 | Interstellar Input ‘Copernicus and his Arab Predecessors’ by Prof. Dr. Mashhoor Ahmad Alwardat, Professor for Astrophysics & Director of Academic Affairs Department at SAASST, University of Sharjah, UAE |
| 18:00 – 18:15 | Award Ceremony of Student Competition ‘NextGen Innovators’ |
| 18:15 – 19:00 | Cosmic Keynote ‘What Do We Experience in a Planetarium?’ by Prof. Dr. Hans-Christian von Herrmann, Department of Philosophy and History of Literature, Science and Technology, Technical University Berlin, Germany |
| 19:00 – 19:15 | Celestial Show ‘Journey Through the Universe’ by Fatima Mohamed Alkhateri, Director of Sharjah Astronomical Planetarium Department at SAASST, University of Sharjah, UAE |
| 19:15 – 19:30 | Vernissage of the AGYA Space Weather Installation 'The Ionogram Butterfly’ Artist Felix Kiessling, Berlin, Germany, in discussion with with Eng. Abdollah Masoud Darya, Research Engineer at the Space Weather and Ionosphere Lab at SAASST, UAE |
| 19:30 – 19:45 | Award Ceremony of Conference Organising Teams |
| 20:00 - 21:00 | Networking Dinner with Stargazing |
Registration is mandatory, please register here.
Find an overview of all public events at the AGYA Annual Conference 2025 in Sharjah here.
Date: 18 November 2025
Time: 05:30 pm - 09:00 pm
Venue:
Sharjah Academy for Astronomy, Space Sciences & Technology
Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Rd
University City
Sharjah
UAE
Language: English
Calendar: ICS/ICAl
Felix Kiessling