| At
first Sa’adat-Shahr seemed like any other rural village in Iran. This agricultural
town of 16,000 sits amid an oasis of fruit trees and grape vines but the
buildings and walls of brown and grey blend with the stark landscape of
Iran’s southern desert. The passion of the citizens of Sa’adat-Shahr, however,
is anything but typical. As we approached the town’s main intersection
we were startled to behold a huge sign declaring -- first in English and
then in Farsi -- "We welcome the arrival of the astronomers of the USA
and Germany to our city." This was just the beginning of an incredible
day full of surprises. This most unusual small town in Iran is devoted
to astronomy. |
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We
had heard that many of the residents of Sa’adat-Shahr (pronounced sah-ah-dat-shawr)
were interested in astronomy and that they were building an observatory.
That seemed unusual enough but we weren’t prepared for the reception we
would receive, not just from a small group of amateur astronomers but from
the entire town. The educational center we were conducted to was adorned
with another welcoming sign, this one placed by the local bazaari, the
town’s business people. An excited crowd formed around us as we passed
through the center’s courtyard and into a hall of perhaps 300 seats that
quickly filled to standing room only. Seated in the front row, we were
surrounded by photographers, autograph seekers and the curious. We learned
later that our hosts from Tehran had nixed the townspeople’s plan to show
their respect by slaughtering a cow in front of us. It was a great honor,
to be sure, but something we were not prepared for (especially the vegetarians
among us). |
| A sign welcomes
the visitors to Sa’adat-Shahr. |
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Opening ceremonies
-- begun shortly after the town’s important figures were escorted in --
included a film depicting an array of natural and religious events, many
of them astronomical. This is the Iranian way of thanking God for the wonders
of this world and beyond at the beginning of important public gatherings.
We had first seen this Islamic gratitude for important celestial events
in 1999 when we heard prayer throughout the total solar eclipse (except
during totality when the faithful rose to witness the event that had inspired
their gratefulness). I was introduced and ushered to a podium adorned with
the Iranian flag and a large photo of President Khatami for a presentation
prepared by members of my local astronomy club, the Los Angeles Astronomical
Society. As at previous presentations, the audience was curious about amateur
projects in the US, amateur-professional cooperation and whether or not
a government agency provides funding for amateur astronomy activities.
Finally, as television cameras rolled, we were gathered on-stage and presented
with gifts, local crafts and plaques commemorating our visit. We were true
celebrities and genuinely welcome guests in Sa’adat-Shahr. |
| Sherri Simmons
is greeted at a girl's school. |
|
But
the day was hardly over. After a pleasant lunch -- we are fed continuously
everywhere in Iran -- we visited the construction site of the local observatory
on a hillside a few hundred feet above the town. The road to the observatory
through the outlying area of Ali Abad was lined with welcoming signs and
a passage from the Koran related to the sky adorned a wall in English,
Farsi (Persian) and the original Arabic. From the observatory’s hilltop
location the view of the town with its orchards and vineyards surrounded
by desert is striking. The tents and herds of a nomad encampment were seen
on the slopes below. The 10-foot dome atop a small building is being readied
for a Celestron 11-inch telescope. Sa’adat-Shahr doesn’t appear to be a
town that could easily support such an endeavor but the funds for this
project come not from the local government but from the residents, including
women who sold their jewelry to help out. This was the greatest surprise
-- that this project is so important to the entire town, not just a minority
with a particular interest in astronomy. |
| Townspeople and students in front of Sa’adat-Shahr’s observatory. |
This rural town produces little light pollution and there are no other light
sources nearby. Still, the astronomers will sometimes request the help
of the town in dimming lights when a public star party is scheduled. The
local government gave its assistance for one particularly important event
-- they simply cut the electricity to the entire town. This was an exception
but it shows the unprecedented commitment to astronomy that this town has
made.
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Astronomy
is integrated into the lifestyle of this small town. In Iranian mosques,
noon prayer is followed by a short break and then the afternoon prayers,
leaving the rest of the afternoon until sundown free for other activities.
The time between prayers may be filled with religious commentary or other
lectures. Celestial phenomena have always been a part of the teachings
of Islam, as evidenced by the many important Islamic astronomers and other
scientists of centuries past. But in Sa’adat-Shahr it has become much more.
Here there are often astronomical slide shows in the mosque between prayers.
I was surprised to hear that I had been scheduled to speak in the mosque
between prayers but we had arrived later than planned and the noon services
could not wait since they must begin at local apparent noon (when the Sun
is at its highest point in the sky). Interesting astronomical events, such
as the current planetary grouping, are announced by the prayer leader in
the mosque to encourage people to go to the observatory site where portable
telescopes are set up. The schools are also used to spread the word from
teacher to pupils. |
| Addressing a crowd in the meeting hall of the town’s educational center. |
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Asghar
Kabiri is one such teacher. Now 33 years old, he has been an amateur astronomer
for 18 years. But he is more than an interested teacher and amateur astronomer
in Sa’adat-Shahr. Quiet and unassuming, he is one of the most active amateurs
and popularizers of astronomy in Iran and the driving force behind his
hometown’s astronomical activities. He has almost single-handedly lifted
the citizenry’s eyes upward to the heavens, first through the schools and
then through the town elders. In 2001, largely through Asghar’s efforts,
the first national gathering of amateur astronomers ever held in Iran took
place at the meeting hall in Sa’adat-Shahr. Asghar will be participating
in a US-based international program of astronomy education, Permission
to Dream (http://www.space-frontier.org/Projects/permission), bringing
more hands-on astronomy to the young people of this town. As we have traveled
Iran, enthusiasm has been the hallmark of those involved in astronomy |
| A passage from the Koran onthe road to the observatory. |