In June 2023, 25 young astronomers from around the world will gather at the Vatican Observatory in Castel Gandolfo for an intensive four-week astrophysics summer school. These summer schools for the Vatican Observatory (Summer School of the Vatican Observatory – Voss), held since 1986, has been among Specola’s most important initiatives; We hope School 2023 will mark a return to its regular two-year schedule, after a five-year hiatus due to the Covid pandemic. The subject of this eighteenth Voss – reads a note – is “Learning the Universe: Data Science Tools for Astronomical Surveys”. Viviana Aquaviva, of the Flatiron Institute and New York University, and Jeliko Ivesic, of the University of Washington and the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, will lead a group of teachers that includes some of the world’s experts in applying “machine learning” principles to astrophysics studies. The release explains: “As telescopes have become more powerful and the instruments on them more sensitive, the amount of astronomical data that scientists need to understand has grown exponentially.” Future investigations, such as those made by the new Rubin Observatory, will produce catalogs of tens of billions of stars and galaxies and trillions of different micrometric measurements.” Voss 2023 will explore the science behind these observations, introduce concepts of big data and machine learning, and provide hands-on experience in data analysis that will empower students from using these data sets for their own astronomical projects The Summer School is open to advanced undergraduate astronomy students and top PhD students from around the world Most of the selected students come from developing countries Lessons are free and recipients provide additional financial support through the Vatican Observatory Foundation, ensuring participation Any student is accepted.Since its founding nearly 40 years ago, the Vatican Observatory Summer Schools have influenced the lives of more than 400 young astronomers and, upon their return home, also affected the lives of their friends and colleagues.The schools have always been strongly supported by the Popes over the years .
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