Shay Chamni wanted the telescope and managed to win it

Chamani is one of the young winners of the 2nd national quiz for astronomy and space named after Ilan and Asaf Ramon

On Thursday 3/6/2010, the final stage of the second National Astronomy and Space Quiz named after Ilan and Asaf Ramon for elementary schools was held, organized by the "Rosh Gadol" association and the Ilan Ramon Center for Youth Seeking Physics, in cooperation with the Israel Astronomy Association. The hall was filled with a crowd of jubilant students who came to cheer on their ten friends who qualified for the finals and with them teachers and family members who gathered in the Sonnenfeld Auditorium at Ben Gurion University in Bash for the project's final event. The young students aged 12-10 were exposed this year to knowledge about astronomy and space exploration and invested their time in studies.

After two tense and emotional hours, the quiz show host, actress Efrat Cohen, announced the three winners among the 10 contestants who qualified for the final stage:

First place went to Shai Chamani from Ma'ganim School in Ma'agan Michael and won a sophisticated telescope, a gift from Kosmos. Shay participated in the quiz last year as a XNUMXth grade student and won second place in field binoculars. This year he ran the telescope, learned the material by heart and managed to finish in first place.

Second place went to Amri Katz from Hillel High School in Ramat Gan, who won sophisticated field binoculars as a gift from Rosh Gadol association.

Third place went to Yarin Solomon from Naot Lon High School in Be'er Sheva who won two volumes of the encyclopedia of the constellations by Dr. Yigal Fatal, a gift from the Rosh Gadol association.

All participants were awarded a certificate of participation, a photo of Ilan Ramon with a personal dedication by Rona Ramon and a souvenir sheet of a 'big head' - an Israeli in space (January 2003) prepared for Ilan's departure into space on the Columbia shuttle.

The panel of judges was composed of Dr. Yigal Fatal, Chairman of the Israeli Astronomical Society, Dr. Diana Laufer, Israeli Astronomical Society, and Dr. Zohar Guri, Chairman of the 'Rosh Gadol' association and editor of the 'Rosh Gadol' magazine. The quiz was divided into three stages and the ten finalists qualified for it out of about 1000 who started in the first stage.

The Ilan Ramon Center for Youth Seeking Physics in Be'er Sheva operates science and technology programs for the entire population in Be'er Sheva and in many science centers throughout the south.

The Rosh Godol association works to promote and spread scientific knowledge and produces a science magazine.

The steering team of the project:

Prof. Yitzhak Ben Israel, Prof. Yoav Yair, Prof. Dan Blomberg, Dr. Yigal Fatal, Dr. Diana Laufer, Dr. Zohar Guri, Mr. Netzha Farbiash, Mr. Avi Har-Evan, Mr. Yitzhak Mayo and Mr. Sheika Shafrir .