As the year is coming to a close, we’re finishing some of our projects, like the Online Astronomy@Home Awards, and preparing for next year. We’ll have more announcements about the conclusions of these projects in the coming weeks. In the meantime, the astronomy communication community is buzzing with more online opportunities to develop skills and make connections with other communicators.
In this newsletter are a number of upcoming conferences and symposia, many of which are taking place online and are free or low-cost. There are also a few regional contests for students and young professionals with fast-approaching deadlines — perfect opportunities to develop skills in research and programming. Lastly, we include some resources on diversity in astronomy research.
Wishing you clear skies and good health! Lina Canas & Izumi Hansen, on behalf of the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach (OAO) Team
1) Hackathon Competition with IAU OAD
The IAU Office of Astronomy for Development (OAD) in collaboration with the Development in Africa with Radio Astronomy (DARA) Big Data, the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC), and the Inter-university Institute for Data Intensive Astronomy (IDiA) are organising a virtual, 3-day hackathon competition for students and young professionals from all African countries. Applications are due 13 November at 23:59 GMT and require a free registration with SGAC.
Thank you to Ram Venugopal and the OAD team for sharing this news item with us.
2) 2020 Catch a Star Writing Contest in Europe
Students from European countries who live anywhere in the world are invited to submit to the 2020 Catch a Star astronomical writing contest. Groups of up to three students with a non-student group leader can submit essays by 23 December 2020 to be considered.
The United Kingdom will be celebrating their National Astronomy Week from 14-22 November, with almost all events being virtual. This year’s week is centred on Mars, with a different theme on the planet each day, such as “Life on Mars.”
The POLAR STAR programme seeks to bring the latest in conjunction with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and maths) projects about space and polar science. Science activities and teaching tools are available on the POLAR STAR website.
This year The International Dark-Sky Association annual conference will be virtual. The Under One Sky Global Conference is open to anyone around the globe interested in responsible lighting and access to the night sky. The conference will be held 13-14 November. Registration is free but required.
Thank you to Vivian White of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific for sharing this news item with us.
6) 4th Symposium on Space Science Activities
The Symposium on Space Educational Activities (SSEA) brings together university students and professionals in education and related fields to discuss their experiences organising, running or participating in space-related educational activities. The symposium will be held 21-23 April 2021 in both online and in-person formats. Abstracts are accepted through 1 December 2020.
Black Lives in Astronomy is a guide filled with resources about and by 25 black astronomers in the U.S. The guide is designed for instructors and students, so authentic black voices can be used in teaching and learning materials.
Thanks to the Astronomical Society of the Pacific for this news item.
8) Meeting of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific on Astronomy Education
The Meeting of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific on Astronomy Education will be held 3-5 December 2020. The virtual meeting brings together anyone around the world who is working in astronomy education and outreach. Registration closes 2 December 2020 and modest scholarships are available.
Japanese:http://bit.ly/2xlNyCR
Translations are thanks to Akihiko Tomita, through the Astronomy Translation Network.
You can subscribe to the Japanese newsletter through the Japanese Amateur Astronomers Association (http://www.jaaa-astro.jp/jaaa-ml.html) or the Japanese Society for Education and Popularization of Astronomy (http://www.tenkyo.net/).
If you are interested in translating the IAU Outreach Newsletter into your language, please email public@oao.iau.org.
11) Contributions to the IAU Outreach Newsletter—looking forward to hearing from you in 2020
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 2020! 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 public@oao.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.
