How interesting it is to spend Cosmonautics Day

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

You can feel like a brave explorer of the Universe without even leaving your home.

When and why did they start celebrating Cosmonautics Day

Cosmonautics Day is celebrated in Russia and several other countries every year on April 12 - on the anniversary of the first manned flight into space. On this day in 1961, the Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin went into orbit on the Vostok-1 spacecraft and made a revolution around the Earth. This event became a turning point in the history of space exploration.

A year after Gagarin's flight, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR issued a decree and officially made it on April 12, 1961, the first manned flight into space took place on April 12, Cosmonautics Day. The idea of the holiday was submitted by GS Titov's note to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union dated March 26, 1962 on the announcement of April 12 as the "Cosmonautics Day" by the pilot-cosmonaut German Titov, who made the world's first long-term space flight.

In 1968, the International Federation of Aviation Sports decided to celebrate April 12 as the World Day of Aviation and Astronautics. In the Russian Federation, the Cosmonautics Day became the Federal Law of 13.03.1995, No. 32-FZ, an official memorable day in 1995.

Cosmonautics Day is celebrated

In Russia

Cosmonautics Day has a relatively short history, so special holiday traditions did not appear. What does Cosmonautics Day mean to you? even among workers in the rocket and space sector. Nevertheless, April 12 is considered an important date in Russia. According to a poll by VTsIOM, Calendar of Holidays: What Do Russians Celebrate? 2018, this holiday is among the most popular: more than a quarter of the country's residents celebrate it.

As a rule, on April 12, all specialists in the space industry are congratulated, special events are organized in museums and planetariums, thematic lessons are held in schools, and matinees in kindergartens.

In other countries

The UN General Assembly has recently declared International Day of Human Space Flight April 12 as International Day of Human Space Flight. The resolution was approved in 2011, before the 50th anniversary of the Vostok-1 launch. According to the idea of the organization, the holiday is needed to "annually celebrate at the international level the beginning of the space age for mankind."

In some countries, the annual party in honor of the anniversary of the first manned flight into space - Yuri's Night (Yuri's Night) is quite popular. An unofficial holiday for science fiction fans and all those who are not indifferent to the topic of space, About Yuri's Night was invented in the United States in the early 2000s.

Since then, enthusiasts from all over the world have come together on April 12 to cheerfully celebrate the past and future achievements of humans in space exploration. Writer Ray Bradbury and the cast of Star Trek have been seen on Yuri's Night over the years.

How to spend Cosmonautics Day

If the career of an astronaut has remained just a childhood dream for you, but you still want to get a little closer to the stars, celebrate April 12 in one of these ways.

Explore the starry sky

The easiest way is to go to the nearest planetarium for an excursion. Stay tuned for the announcements, there will surely be something interesting there on Cosmonautics Day.

You can observe celestial objects without leaving your home. Now for this there are dozens of sites and mobile applications with maps of the starry sky and visualization of astronomical phenomena, for example, Star Chart or Stellarium Mobile Sky Map.

And if the spirit of romance is still alive in you, arm yourself with atlas, binoculars and go out of town to admire the night sky in the open air.

Chat with real astronauts

In honor of the holiday, the Museum of Cosmonautics, Roscosmos and other organizations often arrange meetings with cosmonauts. For example, in 2021, the crew of the International Space Station will read questions for the first First All-Russian Space Dictation of the All-Russian Space Dictation. Anyone can watch the online broadcast and take part in the quiz.

If you do not have time to connect to the broadcast, subscribe to the astronauts' social media accounts. There, they regularly share interesting facts about their profession.

Watch the documentary

This is a great option for those who want to spend time usefully and expand their knowledge of space. Choose one tape or a whole series on a topic of interest.

Spectacular "Journey to the Edge of the Universe" will help you understand how the galaxy works, "Battle for Space" will tell about the intense struggle between the USSR and the United States in the space race, and "Earth through the Window" - about how the life of astronauts works.

Try flying a flight simulator

If you are haunted by the dream of raising a spaceship into the sky, sign up for a piloting lesson on an air simulator. Of course, the Boeing is not a starship, but operating an exact replica of a real aircraft will be remembered for a long time. And besides, future cosmonauts need to start somewhere.

Fly in a wind tunnel

In this unusual attraction, several fans create a powerful air flow in a closed tube. If you hit it, you can be in zero gravity for a few minutes and imagine what the astronauts feel. Such a flight does not require special training, is safe and will definitely bring you vivid emotions.