Astronomy team Groningen wins Battle of Universities

The astronomy team from the University of Groningen has won the Battle of Universities 2008. After the final 'battle' on June 11th in Leiden, the minister of Education announced the winner and presented the astronomy team from Groningen their prize of 100,000 euros. The astroteam defeated the 10 other Dutch universities. In their final presentation the team laid out the impact of infrared on today's astronomy and daily life and how they will translate the secrets of infrared to the general public. Among the team members was professor Herschel, the 18th century inventor of infrared.

With the so called Discovery Truck the team will visit schools and main cities across the country to demonstrate infrared by means of experiments the public can perform itself. Furthermore, the team as planned a photo contest in co-operation with the Academy of Art. The best photos on infrared will be publisched in NEMO, the science center of Amsterdam.

Initiators of the Battle of Universities are the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO).