It is with great sadness that we announce that Norio Kaifu, former President of the IAU, passed away on 13 April 2019, aged 75, at his home in Japan. Norio Kaifu was passionate about astronomy outreach and used it effectively to expand public support for science, both globally and in Japan. His contributions were instrumental to the global success of the International Year of Astronomy in 2009 and as IAU President-elect, he consolidated these worldwide efforts through our office, the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach (OAO). He will be dearly remembered and greatly missed by all of us.
In this issue of our newsletter, we want to highlight that the Communicating Astronomy with the Public Journal Issue 25 is now online, invite the public to help name a Kuiper Belt Object and celebrate the relaunch of the Galileoscope.
Wishing you all clear skies and all our best, Lina Canas, on behalf of the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach Team
1) Join the IAU outreach team at the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach!
The IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach has opened a call for a position at its IAU outreach team, based in Mitaka, Japan and welcomes applications from enthusiastic and driven outreach practitioners and science communicators to join! The IAU and NAOJ now seek an excellent individual to join the IAU OAO and to provide support to the IAU OAO activities.
The Galileoscope was selected as a cornerstone project of the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009). Over the last decade, supported by several organisations, more than 250 000 Galileoscope kits have been sent out to people in more than 110 countries. Teachers, students and science enthusiasts worldwide have used them to engage with optics, telescopes, and astronomy. Through an agreement with Explore Scientific, the project will now continue, a decade after it was first introduced.
3) Communicating Astronomy with the Public Journal Issue 25 Now Available
The 25th issue of the Communicating Astronomy with the Public journal is out! In this issue of CAPjournal you can find papers reflecting on the IAU100 themes, such as gender equality, inclusion, exoplanets and the big question: are we alone? All of this and more are featured in this free, peer-reviewed journal for astronomy communicators — available now for download.
4) Communicating Astronomy with the Public Conference (CAP 2020) Goes to Australia
In 2020, Sydney, Australia will host the largest conference in Astronomy Communication - the Communicating Astronomy with the Public (CAP) Conference. The IAU Commission C2 working group Communicating Astronomy with the Public Conference received numerous high-quality applications to host the CAP 2020 conference, following which the proposal to host CAP 2020 was awarded to Sydney, Australia. CAP 2020 will take place 21 - 25 September 2020. We look forward to seeing you there!
5) IAU Office of Astronomy for Development 2019 Projects
Molo Mhlaba, South Africa
MM (molomhlaba.org) has a radical new approach to schooling in South Africa. With local, low-fee, independent schools in underserved communities, MM provides SA’s most vulnerable group - black girls - with access to quality STEM education and career orientation, going beyond standard educational targets to strive for excellence and innovation. MM inspires and equips girls to pursue careers in STEM by crucially focusing on early development and primary education. Through classes and extra activities, astronomy will be used to inspire the female scientists of the future, while enabling learners, parents, and educators see how a career is achievable, addressing racial and gender inequality affecting STEM.
6) IAU Commission C1 and AstroEdu Conference on Astronomy Education: Bridging Research & Practice 2019
On the 16–18th September 2019, ESO will be hosting the first of a regular, biennial, Astronomy Education Conference with an aim to increase the quality, quantity, community and impact of astronomy education research and practice. This conference, which will take place in the new ESO Supernova Planetarium & Visitor Centre aims to bring together astronomers, astronomy education researchers and education practitioners to communicate, discuss and tackle common issues. The conference will also provide an opportunity for the community to discuss the results in astronomy education stemming from the IAU Strategic Plan 2010–2020 and discuss the requirements for meeting the next IAU Strategic Plan goals regarding astronomy education.
7) Astronomers Invite the Public to Help Name Kuiper Belt Object
Three astronomers, Meg Schwamb, Mike Brown and David Rabinowitz, are inviting the public to help name a Kuiper Belt Object in the outer Solar System. Discovered in 2007, the object was given the designation 2007 OR10 by the Minor Planet Center in November 2009 but has yet to be given a permanent name. The team is now asking the public to get involved in choosing the best name for the Kuiper Belt Object 2007 OR10, which they can do by voting online. Voting closes on 10 May 2019, after which the discoverers will submit the most popular name for consideration by the IAU.
8) Celebrating The Year of Indigenous Languages with Astronomy
Help raise awareness to the alarming rate languages around the world are disappearing by highlighting the importance of astronomical knowledge of indigenous peoples and inspire other regions to take actions for appreciation of our cultural diversity.
Here you can find a list of astronomy outreach & education conferences and events around the world. Plan ahead for a very special year for Astronomy, full of interesting events!
a) European Week of Astronomy and Space Science
Date: 24 – 28 June 2019
Location: Lyon, France
More information: https://eas.unige.ch//EWASS/
b) Starmus Festival V: A Giant Leap
Date: 24–29 June 2019
Location: Zurich, Switzerland
More information: https://www.starmus.com/
c) Asteroid Day
Date: 30 June 2019
Location: Around the world
More Information: http://asteroidday.org/
d) 3rd Workshop on Dissemination and Education of Astronomy (WDEA III)
Dates: 2 July (Solar Eclipse), 4- 5 July 2019
Location: San Juan, Argentina
More information at http://sion.frm.utn.edu.ar/WDEAIII/
f) Astronomy Education Conference: Bridging Research & Practice
Date: 16-18 September 2019.
Location: Garching, Munich, Germany,
More Information: http://iau-dc-c1.org/astroedu-conference/
g) IAUS358: Astronomy for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion — a roadmap to action within the framework of IAU centennial anniversary
Date: 12-15 November 2019
Location: Tokyo, Japan
More information: https://iau-oao.nao.ac.jp/iaus358/
Have we missed something? Then share your astronomy outreach and education international meetings or events with us via outreach@iau.org.
10) IAU Astronomy Outreach Newsletter in other languages
- Translations into Serbian are available, by Dr Liliana Gracanin from Serbia: https://twitter.com/IAU_srpski ;
- Translations into Japanese are available, carried out by Akihiko Tomita through the Astronomy Translation Network: http://bit.ly/2xlNyCR. If you want to receive the Japanese newsletter translation, please subscribe to the Japanese Amateur Astronomers Association here: http://www.jaaa-astro.jp/jaaa-ml.html, or the Japanese Society for Education and Popularization of Astronomy here: http://www.tenkyo.net/;
- Translations into Galician are available, by Martin Pawley, Agrupación Astronómica Coruñesa Ío, in Spain here: http://agrupacionio.com/gl/tag/boletin-iau
- Translations into Spanish are available by Emílio Zuniga, the Association of Amateur Astronomers from León, Nicaragua: http://asafile.blogspot.jp/p/blog-page_12.html;
- Translations into Italian are available by Eleonora Piromalli, AstronomiAmo, from Italy here: https://www.astronomiamo.it/DivulgazioneAstronomica/Newsletter-IAU/last
- Translations into Russian are available by Artem Mokhnaktin, Central Astronomical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Pulkovo. You can find the latest translations of the newsletter here.
- Translations into (European) Portuguese are available, carried out by Catarina Leote, João Ferreira & Jonas Souza through the Astronomy Translation Network (ATN) Portuguese Language Group (the previous issue can be found here).
If you are interested in translating our newsletter into your language, please let us know via outreach@iau.org.
11) Contributions to the IAU Outreach Newsletter—looking forward to hearing from you in 2019
Here at the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach, we’re always looking for news about astronomical education and outreach events around the world. Please continue to share your stories with us in 2019! If you are organising large-scale events at a regional or international level, offering astronomy education or communication job positions, have any innovative projects or inspiring stories, looking for professional-amateur collaboration in astronomy, or have created any educational resources, let us know by sending an email to outreach@iau.org.
You can send us your suggestions until the 4th (for issue #1) and the 17th (for issue #2) day of each month. We are looking forward to hearing from you.
