Skip to main content

Gaza’s astronomy fans gaze longingly at heavens

Gaza's astronomy enthusiasts lament that the siege on the Gaza Strip prevents them from establishing quality laboratories and traveling abroad for educational events.

AFP PHOTO / Mohammed ABED
A picture taken on Nov. 14, 2016, shows the moon on the eve of the "supermoon" spectacle in Gaza City. — MOHAMMED ABED/AFP via Getty Images

“What gets to me is that I was unable to take part in the 2021 astronomy camp in Hebron as the Israeli occupation refused to grant us permits,” Jumana Koueider, an amateur astronomer from the Gaza Strip, lamented in her statement to Al-Monitor.

Koueider explained that the camp, which was held on Aug. 5, included an observational astronomy training course held at the observatory of Birzeit University and at the planetarium of the Korea Palestine Center in Hebron, as the month of August offers the most beautiful astronomical events in the Palestinian sky of Palestine: a major meteor shower.

Subscribe for unlimited access

All news, events, memos, reports, and analysis, and access all 10 of our newsletters. Learn more

$14 monthly or $100 annually ($8.33/month)
OR

Continue reading this article for free

All news, events, memos, reports, and analysis, and access all 10 of our newsletters. Learn more.

By signing up, you agree to Al-Monitor’s Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. Already have an account? Log in