Integration workshop - We got to know each other through games!😊

Sunny Dance workshop - We got know each other through dance!😊

Toruń - city located in Northern Poland is the birthplace of the greatest and famous Nicolaus Copernicus. In the Middle Ages Toruń was a prominent trade centre as a member of the Hanseatic League; in Poland is called 'Krakow of the North'. Toruń is the most Gothic urban complex in Poland, one of the most important and crowded tourist centres of unique value, right after Krakow the second richest of original and best preserved historical monuments city in Poland. Numerous museums and other attractions.The whole complex of Toruń Old Quarter, of unique value, measured by world standards, consists of three historical urban sections: Old City (1233), New City (1264) and the Teutonic Knights' Castle (mid. 13th c.). All of them are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. 

In the Toruń planetarium we watched the show: "Here is the cosmos". Away from city lights, when the night is clear, the sky looks as if someone showered it with jewels. However, today, busy and immersed in the world of numbers and patterns, we often look at the sky without emotions, and the star constellations have become only echoes of mythical heroes and monsters. The majesty of the sky, its power, constancy and mystery causes that for centuries it has been a canvas for the projection of various fantasies that were born in the minds of observers. So how to bring the Cosmos closer and describe it to people? It turns out that you can use maps and globes, you can describe this with drawings, poetry and music. And the combination of everything has become an extraordinary device invented 100 years ago - a planetarium. This is all just to make this immeasurable and extraordinary Cosmos at your fingertips.

 Cyanotype is one of the oldest photographic processes we know of, and has a distinctive blue color. Cyanotypes are made by treating a surface — paper, cloth or leather — with iron salts which then react to UV light. Originally used to document botanical specimens by placing them on treated papers and exposing them to the sun, it was also an early way to create copies of drawings, especially architectural drawings – thus the name “blueprints.” 

On November 23, 2024, our Erasmus group attended a cyanotype workshop at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. Before the workshop, the paper was pre-coated with cyanotype chemicals so that it was dry and ready to use when the participants arrived. Cyanotype is equal parts iron ammonium citrate and potassium ferricyanide.

The students placed the dried plants and their photos on pre-treated sheets of paper. They were then placed under glass and transferred to a large box with a UV lamp, which acted as an oven to bake the prints for 10 minutes each. Everyone in the group was able to make several prints and experiment with different times and positions. After exposing the prints to UV light, the group went to the darkroom and washed the remaining chemicals off the prints until the water ran clear, then placed the prints on a drying rack to dry.

The results of the cyanotype workshops were wonderful!

Time with Polish students' families

On November 25 we took part in meetings with experts.

First, Mr. Jan Stańczak, a photovoltaic specialist, told us about solar energy and its use to produce electricity in photovoltaic panels. Then, he led workshops on building mini photovoltaic panels. We used experimental photovoltaic kits: "Solar Assistant"

Mr. Michał Mosdorf, space researcher and president of the N7 Space company, cooperating with the European Space Agency, told students about the Proba 3 project. PROBA-3 is a dual-probe technological demonstration mission by the European Space Agency devoted to high-precision formation flying to achieve scientific coronagraphy. It is part of the series of PROBA satellites that are being used to validate new spacecraft technologies and concepts while also carrying scientific instruments.

On Thursday, December 5, the European Space Agency's Proba-3 mission was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in India. Its aim is to demonstrate the technology of precise flight in a two-satellite formation. This project is a significant step forward in space technology, and its implementation would not be possible without the involvement of Polish institutions and companies, such as the Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences (CBK PAN), Sener Polska, GMV, N7 Space, Creotech Instruments.

Mr. Grzegorz Ostaszewski, a professional photographer, talked about natural light in photography and showed how to use it effectively to take photos. Natural light in photography refers to any source of light that is created by the sun. Natural light is the most basic form of light there is. The quality and amount of light present depends on different variables, most notably the weather and the time of day. There are pros and cons when it comes to natural light photography. The quality of light can't be beat but it's harder to control, for example. It's also constantly changing so you've got to work fast.

What is natural light in photography used for?

-Low cost

-Offers variety

-Can be used indoor and outdoor

-Effective for varying photographic styles

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