Luiz Augusto L. da Silva

According to Alexandre Amorim’s 2019 edition of Anuário Astronômico Catarinense, published by Núcleo de Estudos e Observações Astronômicas José Brazilício de Souza – NEOA JBS, in Florianópolis, SC, Brazil, on December 21, 2017, Brazil’s president Mr. Michel Temer approved the law number 13556, which assigns the December 2 date, birthday of Emperor Dom Pedro II, as the National Brazillian Astronomy Day. Back to 1982, professor Luiz Augusto L. da Silva published an Astronomy Day suggestion in Brazillian Astronomical Union’s bulletin (February/March edition). The following year, then as the president of that national association, da Silva convocated a referendum about possible dates, resulting December 2 as the most preferred one. The year 1984 saw then the first celebration of a Brazillian Astronomy Day. During the International Year of Astronomy (2009), the brazilian astronomer Júlio César Lobo (Campinas Observatory) ressurected the question, which was then sent to Brazil’s national congress for discussion. The law approved in 2017 is the result of a seed planted 37 years ago!