In today’s information age, using the Internet to communicate and search for various information has become a necessary path for many astronomy enthusiasts. Fellow enthusiasts may have browsed astronomical science websites such as the Mufu Astronomy Forum, Starry Friends Space Station, and Space Astronomy Network. In fact, they all originate from a common group of science popularization websites—Cosmos Station. As its name suggests, Cosmos Station is the "home" on the Internet for a large group of us astronomy enthusiasts. It provides stable and free website space for our group of stationmasters who are passionate about online science popularization.
Cosmos Station was initiated in 2002 as one of the LAMOST projects of the National Astronomical Observatories of China (NAOC). To date, nearly a hundred stationmasters have "settled" there. From June 28 to June 30, 2013, our group of stationmasters gathered in Xinglong to hold a unique meeting: the "Astronomy Popularization Seminar in the Information Age and the 3rd Stationmasters’ Gathering."
I joined Cosmos Station in 2009. When I first discovered this platform, I was extremely excited because I had already been "venturing" through the network for three years and knew how difficult it was to find a stable web server. Shortly after I simply set up my website, the 2nd Stationmasters’ Gathering was held. However, at that time, I was still a child who knew little of the world and lacked experience, so I did not participate. Looking back now, I still feel quite regretful. For this year’s 3rd gathering, I was determined to attend. Below are the details of my participation in this meeting, shared with everyone in the hope that we can encourage each other.
06.28 Gathering and Departure
On the 28th, after getting off the plane at noon, I rushed to the National Astronomical Observatories. Fortunately, I just caught the bus prepared for departure. Our destination for this trip was the Xinglong Observing Station. Of course, people might be more familiar with it if I mention the LAMOST telescope. At the mention of LAMOST, many memories and stories about the Astronomy Olympiad surfaced in my mind. Heaven was very kind to me, allowing me to pass through the entire series of competitions from domestic contests to the IOAA (International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics) during my first participation, gaining much in terms of astronomy and life experience. I remember my first chance to visit LAMOST was during the 2010 IOAA, but unfortunately, the itinerary was too tight and it was eventually canceled. It wasn’t until the 2011 Peking University Astronomy Summer Camp that I finally witnessed its glory for the first time: grand, magnificent, and profound. Therefore, this gathering was my second visit to LAMOST, and naturally, there was an indescribable sense of warmth.
After a three-hour journey, we arrived at Xinglong, a place both somewhat strange and familiar. When arranging accommodation, I had the honor of staying with seniors such as Xie Renjiang, the founder of the Mufu Astronomy Forum, and Zhang Ziheng, the administrator. This was undoubtedly an excellent opportunity to learn from them. Also in the same room was the 15-year-old "Astronomy Boy" Zhang Qiqian. After dinner, as the weather was not favorable for observation, we rested and socialized in the room. Master Xie is a very humorous person, and he led us in mutual exchanges. During the conversation, we discussed many topics, including everyone’s personal stories and astronomical history, the development history and plans of Mufu, and stories related to website construction. It turned out that most of our companions were among the first group of seniors to touch the Internet and establish astronomy websites. This made me feel deeply honored and also aware of our heavy responsibility as one of the new generation of "successors."
06.29 Reports and Seminar
According to the plan, this day was for reports and seminars. After breakfast, we gathered in the Xinglong conference room. The morning session was chaired by Dr. Cui Chenzhou. The first speaker was Dr. Jiang Xiaojun from the National Astronomical Observatories, who explained the development history of the Xinglong Observatory, including its construction history, site selection, light pollution, and development goals. His humorous speaking style won laughter from the audience. After the speech, as Dr. Jiang had urgent matters to attend to, we took a group photo first. We chose LAMOST as the background. Unfortunately, the observatory over these two days was like a "fairyland," shrouded in clouds and mist; we could only faintly see the silhouette of LAMOST through the fog.
After the photo, Ms. Li Wen from the China Science Communication website gave a report titled "Ubiquitous and Integrated Science Popularization Cloud Platform." The report discussed topics such as science popularization being the social responsibility of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and how information technology assists in astronomical communication. Following that, Shi Wenhui, a beautiful editor representing the Sohu Science Popularization Portal, shared her work experience. She spoke about the contradiction between science popularization and commerce (portal websites) and the awkward situation of portal science popularization websites, which made us sigh and feel deeply that astronomical science popularization has a long way to go. Then came the tea break, and we all took the opportunity to give brief self-introductions. I found that among the "brigade" of about 50 people attending this meeting, there were both senior experts who had been involved in astronomy for many years and many "new forces" born in the 90s, with the youngest being only 15 years old. It truly is a case of "the waves of the Yangtze River behind pushing those in front." After the tea break, Teacher Zhang Chao from the National Astronomical Observatories gave us a simple yet wonderful report. He spoke to us about "The Communication of Astronomical Research," emphasizing the unique charm of personally observing various phenomena in nature, which is far more attractive than things found on Google or Baidu. At the same time, he pointed out that content is far more important than the platform. These points left a deep impression on me. However, he came and went in a hurry; Teacher Zhang Chao traveled over two hours to reach the mountain but could only stay for half an hour. After the report, he had to rush back down the mountain for work. "Let us see Teacher Zhang off with applause and thanks..." The echoes lingered. Next, one of my roommates, Wei Hua, and Guan Kaiying from Guangzhou University gave speeches on "Demand for Science Popularization Information" and "Astronomy Education and Popularization in Guangdong Middle Schools," respectively. The morning reports concluded amidst applause.
There were many "highlights" in the afternoon as well. First was the wonderful speech by Mufu Forum Master Xie Renjiang. He told us about his own astronomical history and the development issues of Mufu, which captured the attention of the entire audience. Especially when discussing website operation, profit versus non-profit, and other issues, it sparked heated discussions, bringing the atmosphere to a climax. The Master’s speech ended with "The Future of Mufu," followed by reports from Zhang Xin of Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications on "Using Network Platforms for Astronomy Popularization on University Campuses" and Zhang Anqi from the Department of Astronomy at Beijing Normal University on "Astronomy Popularization in the Information Age." At this time, I noticed familiar figures in the conference room: President Li Jian and Teacher Zhang Changxi from Amateur Astronomer magazine! They are all my mentors and friends! Among them, Teacher Li Jian provided many valuable suggestions for my writing, and Teacher Zhang Changxi was my team leader when I participated in the IOAA in 2010. During the tea break, I hurried up to exchange a few words with them. Everything felt as if it had returned to three years ago.
After a short tea break, Liu Xiao from Starry Friends Space Station showed us the construction and development of their station and also brought us voices of science popularization regarding mobile platforms. Then, Liu Boyang from the National Astronomical Observatories answered the question of "whether one should choose science popularization as a career" based on his own experience. The afternoon seminar ended with a report by Director Guan Tong from Guantong Vision titled "New Production Methods in the Internet Era." "Director Guan" brought us into a dynamic world, where various visual effects strongly impacted our eyes.
The high enthusiasm of the representatives caused the seminar, originally scheduled to end in the afternoon, to continue into the evening. After dinner, Dr. Cui Chenzhou, the "big brother" of Cosmos Station, gave a speech on the era of data and the Virtual Observatory. He introduced us to various new concepts such as "Big Data," the "Fourth Paradigm," and the "Virtual Observatory," and also demonstrated the status of astronomical digitization around the world, which surprised the audience. Director Guan Tong supplemented his afternoon speech, and then Tang Haiming, the master of the "Astronomy Online" forum at Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, gave a report on the dynamics of the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, science communication groups, and science popularization issues. Finally, the entire meeting concluded with Yang Hua’s speech on astronomical software translation issues. After the meeting, we had a heated free discussion. Following the discussion, this seminar and gathering officially came to a successful conclusion.
06.30 Visit and Dispersal
All good things must come to an end, and despite our reluctance, we had to part ways. The three-day gathering was coming to a close. In the morning, we returned to Beijing and visited the Huairou Solar Observing Station. This was also my second visit; the first was during the 2010 IOAA. The Astronomy Olympiad has given me so much—it is a beautiful memory that can never be erased. It is not just a competition, but a unique gathering for astronomy people.
The scenery in Huairou is beautiful and made us linger, but after a brief visit, we had to leave. After lunch, we set off to return to the National Astronomical Observatories headquarters in Beijing. There, we waved goodbye, a gesture that seemed like a farewell but felt more like a wish to hold onto those beautiful moments. Astronomy is so wonderful, and every minute spent together is precious. Finally, I embarked on the long journey home, looking forward to the next gathering.
As young people, we should be full of spirit and ambition. Regardless of what the future holds, I will hold fast to my astronomical dream of today. Because we are young and "newborn calves who do not fear tigers," let us do what we want to do! Here, I would like to share a modified version of a timeless poem to encourage everyone to stick to their astronomical dreams:
But let us wish for longevity, sharing the same astronomy across a thousand miles.
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