Cairo:A pilot platform featuring artificial intelligence tools for astronomy has been launched by the International Astronomy Center (IAC). The platform includes 10 scientific tools, programs, atlases, and interactive simulations aimed at making astronomical applications accessible to the general public, students, teachers, amateur astronomers, science enthusiasts, and specialists. The launch coincides with World Space Week, held annually from October 4 to 10.
According to State Information Service Egypt, the platform is overseen by a specialized committee of six experts from various Arab countries, chaired by Iraqi physicist and programmer Omar al-Baz, a member of the IAC. Egypt's representation on the committee comes from Dr. Yasser Abdel Fattah Abdel Hadi of the Solar and Space Research Department at the National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics.
In its pilot version, the platform offers tools for studying asteroids and near-Earth objects, including analyzing their orbits and close approaches, as well as determining the positions of celestial objects relative to the ecliptic and constellations. Additional features include tools for working with calendars, converting between dates, and applications for studying equinoxes, solstices, and seasonal changes.
The platform also allows users to monitor solar activity, solar winds, and space weather, assessing their potential impacts on communications, navigation, and satellites. A tool for tracking the International Space Station (ISS) is included, providing its location, orbital path, passage times over cities, and observation opportunities.
In addition, interactive applications in cosmology and astrophysics are offered, exploring theoretical models of dark matter in the early universe and simulations of black hole mergers along with the gravitational waves they generate. The IAC stated that the platform aims to harness artificial intelligence to develop scientific software and enhance educational and interactive presentation tools while adhering to scientific principles, verifying results, and clearly identifying the limitations of the computational models used.