Comet C\2020 F3 NEOWISE

Following a relevant study permit issued by the Ephorate of Antiquities of Ilia, on July 24 and 25, 2020, a night photo shoot took place with admittedly impressive results at the archeological site of Olympia by Dr. Kosmas Gazeas, Lecturer in Astrophysics at the Department of Physics of NKUA. The purpose of the photography was research and concerned the extremely rare arrival of a comet C\2020 F3 NEOWISE in our Solar System. The comet's arrival was safe for Earth, and offered the unique opportunity to study a primitive celestial body created before from 4.5 billion years, along with the planets we know today.

Comet C\2020 F3 NEOWISE, as photographed from the archeological site of Olympia, on July 25, 2020.

The night photography of the above dates coincided with the comet's proper position in the sky and gave the unique opportunity to photographed and studied within the stunning landscape of the sanctuary of Ancient Olympia, having in the foreground the temples, the individual monuments and buildings such as the temple of Hera, Philippion, the Stadium or the Leonideon.

From the first evening hours the comet was visible in the sky, among the stars of the constellation Ursa Major. The photography of Philippion and the Temple of Hera against the backdrop of the starry sky left an amazing (and at the same time rare) photographic imprint.

The previous arrival of the comet was about 4500 years ago (2500 BC) when the first samples of civilization of Early Helladic period II appeared in the wider area of Olympia.

The comet is now traveling at a speed of about 230,000 km/h and moving away from our Solar System, while its orbit is so long that it will visited again after 6800 years.

The starry sky from the archeological site of Olympia, on July 25, 2020.

The combination of rare astronomical phenomena with the impressive view of the temples of the area offers an aesthetically beautiful result, which will help in the dissemination of photographs to the wider international scientific community and the public around the world, in order to learn more about the rich history of our country.

In his work, Dr. Gazeas had the full assistance of the archaeologist of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Ilia Mr. Konstantinos Antonopoulos, the Chief Constable Mr. Marinis Nikolakopoulos and all the security staff, while the interest of the Head of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Ilia Mrs. Erofili-Iris Kollia was great, who did not hide her enthusiasm for the excellent result. In fact, he invited Dr. Gazeas in due time to present to the general public at a special event in Olympia the full results and the material of his research.

The photos on the page are just a small sample of the rich material that Dr. Gazeas managed to collect with great care. from his overnight stay inside the archeological site of Olympia for two consecutive nights.

In addition to the photography from the archeological site of Olympia, the comet C\2020 F3 NEOWISE was photographed from very dark locations in its wider prefecture of Ilia, such as Katakolo and the artificial lake of Pinios, in the village of Avgi.

Comet C \ 2020 F3 NEOWISE, as photographed from the area of Katakolo in the prefecture of Ilia, on July 17, 2020.






















































Comet C\2020 F3 NEOWISE, as photographed by the artificial lake of Pinios in the prefecture of Ilia, in the village of Avgi on July 19, 2020.

All images are protectd by copyright and any unauthorized use of them is strictly prohibited. If, however, you wish to use any of them, please contact me via email (kgaze@phys.uoa.gr), describing the purpose of use. I will be glad to share these images with you, as long as you preserve, fully document and acknowledge the source and photographer.

The publication, use or further dissemination of photographs taken from the archaeological site of Olympia is permitted solely for non-commercial purposes and use and must be accompanied by the following information, otherwise it is illegal:

"The rights to the depicted monuments belong to the Ministry of Culture and Sports (Law 3028/2002)"

"The Archaeological Site of Olympia is under the responsibility of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Ilia"

"Ministry of Culture and Sports - Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports/Archaeological Resources Fund)"

Creator/Photographer: Dr. Kosmas Gazeas, Astrophysicist, Department of Physics of NKUA, Department of Astrophysics, Astronomy & Mechanics

For a detailed description of copyright matters, please see the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Copyright Treaty (Geneva, December 2-20, 1996) and/or the latest text of the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works.