Cairo: The COSPAR 2026 Capacity-Building Workshop on solar physics and space weather opened in Egypt on Monday, August 31, 2026, bringing together 40 young researchers and international experts and scientists, including specialists from NASA, in an event being held for the first time in Egypt, the Middle East and Africa.
According to State Information Service Egypt, the workshop is organized by the National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (NRIAG), headed by Dr. Bassem Nabawy. The two-week workshop focuses on hands-on training and the analysis of real space data, providing researchers access to data from major international observatories and space missions. The training aims to familiarize participants with the latest tools for analyzing solar activity and understanding the effects of space weather on satellites, power grids, and communications systems.
Dr. Mohamed Samida Al-Shahed, Head of NRIAG's Solar and Space Research Department and Chairman of the workshop's organizing committee, stated that the program emphasizes practical learning and direct applied analysis. Participants are being trained using data from international space missions and observatories, including SOHO, STEREO, Wind, and ACE, as well as the NOAA-operated GOES satellites, NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), and the ground-based e-CALLISTO telescope network. The training seeks to equip researchers to analyze coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and high-energy solar particles and study the effects of space weather on power grids, satellites, and modern communications systems.
The scientific committee selected 40 researchers from more than 160 applicants worldwide. They include 20 Egyptian researchers from universities and research centers and 20 international researchers representing 12 countries, including India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Algeria, C´te d'Ivoire, Sri Lanka, Cameroon, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Pakistan, and Uganda, as well as participants from other countries under the workshop's international program.
A number of international scientists and experts are taking part in lectures and training, including Nat Gopalswamy of NASA, Denise Peroni of the Italian Space Agency and COSPAR representative, Christine Amory of the French space agency, and Carlos Gabriel, representing COSPAR, alongside a number of Egyptian scientists. NRIAG President Bassem Nabawy said that hosting COSPAR 2026 was part of the institute's efforts to localize space science and technology and develop Egyptian research capabilities.
He noted that the institute has a scientific history spanning more than 180 years since its establishment in 1839 and relocation to its current headquarters in Helwan in 1903. Nabawy highlighted several milestones in the institute's history, including the first photographic images of Halley's Comet taken using the 30-inch Helwan telescope between 1909 and 1911, as well as its role in observing and documenting the dwarf planet Pluto following its discovery in 1930. He also said the institute had provided astronomical and surveying data used by NASA in selecting landing sites for the Apollo 11 mission on the Moon in 1969. The institute currently works in areas related to satellite and space-debris tracking, in addition to providing national astronomical services related to the Islamic calendar and moon-sighting.
Representatives of the Ministry of Scientific Research, Capital University, and the International Space Agency, along with the workshop's organizing committee, attended the opening ceremony. Nasrallah Deraz, representing the Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Scientific Research at the Ministry of Scientific Research, praised the institute's research activity and its role in developing scientific cadres capable of turning research findings into practical applications and solutions. Capital University provided logistical support for participants and lecturers, including accommodation at the university's guesthouse.
During the event, NRIAG also announced preparations for a major global astronomical event to be hosted by Egypt on Aug. 2, 2027 - a total solar eclipse, with the city of Luxor set to be a key observation center. The total eclipse in Luxor is expected to last about six minutes and 23 seconds, an exceptional duration that would make it one of the longest total solar eclipses observable until 2114, enhancing the event's scientific and tourism significance. Nabawy also announced plans to hold an international scientific conference in Luxor from Aug. 3 to 5, 2027, immediately after the eclipse, to discuss solar-corona physics, the eclipse's effects on the ionosphere, and ancient Egyptian astronomical heritage.
The workshop's scientific sessions began with a lecture by NASA's Nat Gopalswamy titled 'Why Do We Study the Sun?', addressing the importance of solar physics and understanding the impact of solar activity on the space and terrestrial environments. Another lecture, by S.P. Rajaguru of India, focused on 'Solar Interior Physics: Dynamo Mechanisms and Drivers of Solar Activity,' examining how magnetic fields are generated inside the Sun and their role in driving space-weather phenomena and affecting Earth's electromagnetic environment. A lecture by Professor Javier and Dr. Juan Jo from Spain covered the use of Python programming in solar calculations and the analysis of data and equations related to solar activity, helping researchers handle complex calculations and support modern astronomical research.