Presenter: Preka-Papadema Panagiota
Monday 27 November 2023, 6.30pm
ret. Assistant Professor of Astrophysics of the University of Athens
Member of the Association of Professors Emerity of the University of Athens
Abstract
Constellations are a distribution of the visible with the naked eye stars in various groups. The nomenclature of these groups and their description on the celestial dome comes from Greek Mythology. In particular, it existed in the work of Eudoxus of Cnidius 'Enoptron and Phenomena' which was saved through the poem of Aratos 'Phenomena and Diosemia'. Also, in the work of Eratosthenes 'Catasterismi', the number of stars that 'outline' each Constellation is given and the myth from which the name of the Constellation comes.
In this presentation, the distribution of the constellations in the celestial sphere is examined, as well as the distribution of the stars within them, as provided by the ancient Greek authors. It is established the existence of a mathematical relationship on the one hand with known Pythagorean Numbers and on the other with known terms of Musical Harmony, which is directly connected to the Pythagorean numbers
This study was carried out with the collaboration of the Professor of Music Studies of the University of Athens Mr. Charalambos Spyridis, the Lecturer of the Department of Astrophysics, Astronomy and Mechanism of the University of Athens Mr. Kosmas Gazeas, the (then) student of the Department of Physics of the University of Athens K. Kobothanis and the speaker P. Preka. It is published in Scientific Culture magazine under the title:
‘A study of the constellations based on Eratosthenes’ Catasterismi’,
Spyrides Ch., Preka-Papadema P., Gazeas K. and Kobothanasis K.,
Scientific Culture, vol.5, no. 1, (2019), pp 23-42
DOI:10.5281/zenodo.1451902
CURRICULUM VITAE
Preka-Papadema Panagiota
ret. Assistant Professor of Astrophysics of the University of Athens
Member of the Association of Professors Emerity of the University of Athens
Εκλεγμένη Γραμματέας του Δ.Σ. της ΕΜΑΕΜ (Εταιρεία Μελέτης Αρχαίας Ελληνικής Μυθολογίας), από άνοιξη του 2023 [ΕΚΛΟΓΕΣ 13/2/2023]
Work:
Assistant Professor in Section of Astrophysics, Astronomy and Mechanism, Faculty of Physics, University of Athens, Greece. Until 31.8.2020.
Main Topics of Research Activity:
- Solar Physics: a) Radio emission from solar active regions and solar eruptions b) Study of solar activity spatial and temporal variations during the 11years solar cycle. c) Solar-terrestrial phenomena relations.
- Effect of helio-geomagnetic activity on human physiology.
- Planets: Magnetospheres, atmospheres, morphology etc. Geomagnetic Activity.
- Archaeoastronomy.
Educational Work
Teaching the following courses for several years:
Introduction to Astrophysics (Dept. of Physics, undergraduate program of study)
Solar Physics (Dept. of Physics, undergraduate and postgraduate study program)
Space Physics (Dept. of Physics, undergraduate and postgraduate study program) - Astronomy B (Dept. of Mathematics, undergraduate study program)
Teaching the laboratory exercises:
Physics I and II (Dept. of Physics)
Astrophysics (Dept. of Physics)
Astronomy (Dept. of Mathematics)
Supervision of student’s Theses: 107
Supervision of Master's Degrees: 10
Member of three-member commission of Master's Degrees: 34
Member of the doctoral theses monitoring committee: 23
Member of a seven-member doctoral theses review committee: 12
Research Work
Publications (International and Greek Magazines and Proceedings of Conferences): 148
Book author: ‘In the paths of the Sun: Introduction to Solar Physics’. Preka-Papadema P., Danezis M., Theodosiou S. and Kargiolaki D., Athens 2009, Diavlos Publ. Company.
Participation in Conferences with oral or poster presentations: 138
Member of Local Organizing Committee of a Conference: 13
Reviewer of scientific manuscripts for International Scientific Journals
Topic Editor in ‘ATMOSPHERE’ magazine
Guest editor of Special Issue: The Effect of Helio-Geomagnetic Activity in the Geo-Environment and by Extension to Human Health
https://www.mdpi.com/journal/atmosphere/special_issues/solar_activity
Scientific Head of the Research Program ‘Maintenance of the Solar Radio Spectrograph ARTEMIS/J-L. Steinberg (ARTEMIS-IV/JLS), and development of appropriate infrastructure and software for the installation of a database, to organize and make available the observations via the Internet' (2018-2022)
Interviews, lectures, popular articles, teaching in Summer Schools for students, etc
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