Between September 21st and 23rd, the town of Cascais becomes illuminated with another edition of Lumina – Light Festival. Artistic creations exploring light and color can be appreciated or experienced along a route through the streets of the village, open to all.

Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço joined the Lumina 2018 festival to organise a workshop on stars and constellations under the Cascais European Capital of Youth program. Using fluorescent materials and blacklight (the light next to the violet end of the spectrum of visible light), students of the 5th grade of Escola Básica e Secundária de Carcavelos are invited to reproduce a portion of the night sky seen over Cascais during the festival.

This is a proposal to discover the diversity of stars and their colors, traveling through a landscape of light. Participants also learn how to use constellations as “navigation” tools, so they can start sharing the sky with family and friends.

In the end, the map of the sky colaboratively build by the children will be able to be seen during the Lumina festival.