World Space Week is an UN-declared celebration of space held annually, every October 4 to 10. The 2020 edition is dedicated to satellites under the theme "Satellites improve life". This is an important opportunity for our community to discuss the benefits of satellites to society and highlight the negative impact satellites constellations may have on astronomical observations and the pristine appearance of the night sky when observed from a dark region. Please read below some of the resources and activities that you can explore in your events.
In this issue of our newsletter, we want to encourage you to join the Meet the IAU Astronomers! program and host a talk or a meet up with an IAU astronomer; join the Globe at Night October campaigns and to submit your abstract to the upcoming special issue of the CAPjournal.
Wishing you clear skies and good health! Lina Canas & Izumi Hansen, on behalf of the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach (OAO) Team
1) CAPjournal Special Issue on Astronomy Communication in a Time of Confinement
In this time of confinement, while the world still fights to contain the spread of COVID-19, people from all backgrounds and levels of experience in public communication have organised astronomy events to connect with their communities. Now, the CAPjournal is seeking contributions from groups and individuals for a special issue that will share the stories behind the outreach initiatives that continue to engage the public meaningfully with science and astronomy during the pandemic.
2) IAU President: Help Support Projects to Mitigate Effects of Pandemic
In response to the devastating impact of COVID-19 on society, the IAU has been taking action to mitigate some of these negative effects. But our resources are limited. We urgently need your help to ensure additional worthy programmes can access funding at this challenging time. Our target is €40 000, allowing us to double the resources we have so far committed to helping the community in this critical time of need.
3) Outreach for Development: Astronomy in a Shoebox, Canada
The purpose of this OAD funded project is to provide low-income families which lack internet access with educational activities in different languages. A 'shoebox' or small, compact box will be provided with several activity sheets, instruction sheets (for adults), and a few basic art and craft supplies related to the activity. These boxes will be distributed at local food banks in the Greater Toronto area in Canada and provide families with a chance to discover the wonders of space and astronomy and work together as a team.
We encourage teachers, informal educators, amateur astronomers, to organize virtual meetups with IAU Astronomers to talk to students, parents and the general public about astronomy, the importance of astronomy for society, and choosing astronomy as a career.
Globe at Night is a monthly citizen-science campaign to track the effects of light pollution on our night skies. The observation session for October will run from October 8 to 17, 2020.
6) 2nd Shaw–IAU Workshop on Astronomy for Education
The 2nd Shaw–IAU Workshop on Astronomy for Education will be held online on 6–9 October 2020. The event has been organised by the IAU Office of Astronomy for Education (OAE) with generous funding from the Shaw Prize Foundation and will be held as a fully virtual event.
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) is supporting the Dark and Quiet Skies for Science and Society workshop. Organised alongside the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the Government of Spain, the virtual workshop will address mitigation of light pollution on research and human wellbeing. It will take place on 5-9 October 2020. Registration closes 30 September 2020.
World Space Week is an UN-declared celebration of space held annually, every October 4 to 10. These events are organized by institutions around the world, including space agencies, aerospace companies, astronomy clubs and museums. The 2020 World Space Week edition is dedicated to satellites under the theme "Satellites improve life". This is an important opportunity for our community to discuss the benefits of satellites to society and highlight the negative impact satellites constellations may have on astronomical observations and the pristine appearance of the night sky when observed from a dark region.
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.
