Roberto Silvestre e a astronomia: duas décadas de inspiração para a população de Uberlândia

Abstract

Astronomy is considered to be the oldest science. Ancient civilizations from 50,000 years ago were already watching the sky seeking to understand it. Often combined with religion and mythology, astronomy has long helped ancient peoples to survive. Today astronomy is still considered a science of fundamental importance for us. It allows us to understand our origins; by your look, it awakens our feelings when we try to understand the universe; and in schools it allows an interdisciplinary approach to science. Thus, knowing the astronomy’s importance, this work seeks to highlight some history elements of the amateur astronomer Roberto Ferreira Silvestre related to astronomy and his look at this science. Silvestre volunteered to carry out various types of educational work and astronomy dissemination in Uberlândia. Among his activities, we highlight those carried out with students and teachers from public schools, who made him a well-known character in the school and academic circles of this city. We did a work with data obtained on the internet and through interviews with this character and with teachers who had contact with him. We use the methodological framework of content analysis and approach aspects of Silvestre as his history; their motivations for their outreach work; its relationship with society; and your look at astronomy. In the analysis of his motivations, we based on the Theory of Self-determination and we realized that Silvestre, in his history, was inserted in a context that provided him with knowledge and skills related to the sky’s science. Based on this theory, we also realize that Silvestre demonstrates intrinsic needs for psychological autonomy, personal competence and social bond, basic components of a self-determined behavior. About his relationship with society, his work in schools with students and teachers is remarkable; his actions in the media with publications of texts on his website (http://www.silvestre.eng.br/), publication of articles in the extinct 'Jornal Correio' of Uberlândia and, currently, the production of videos posted on his channel YouTube (Prof. Silvestre). With regard to his approach to astronomy, there is a strong presence of subjects related to astronomy content; false information posted on the internet; alternative conceptions in astronomy; and ideas about light pollution. Based on Silvestre's approach to astronomy, we developed the educational product of this study, an exhibition on the sky’s science, in the form of banners and information boards, installed at the DICA Museum. In addition, in our exhibition, we discussed the importance of Roberto Silvestre for the dissemination of astronomy in Uberlândia, thus paying tribute to the amateur astronomer.