We have just finished the IAU General Assembly 2021 Business Meetings, this year, due to the pandemic, fully virtual. You can see all the main sessions available on YouTube, including the pre-meeting sessions “The IAU TODAY” where you can find an overview of the key activities the IAU was involved in during the past triennium and talks by Nobel Prize winner Andrea Ghez, Gruber Prize winner Volker Springel, among others.
From October 1 to 4, we will be celebrating 100 Hours of Astronomy. For this edition under the theme “Together Under One Sky” we want to highlight the 10 telescopes give-away in partnership with Stars Shine for Everyone/Leiden University. The first 100 activities registered on our IAU Outreach Calendar will receive OAO goodies, including CAPjournal printed editions. So plan ahead and join the celebrations of 100 Hours of Astronomy around the world!
In this issue, we want to highlight the agreement our NOCs for Nepal and Brunei signed for a continuous partnership and support between their institutions; invite you to be all-around inspired by the many activities carried out by our NOC community and encourage you to participate in the Night Sky Network survey to the amateur astronomy community.
Last but not least a word of appreciation to our translators and their huge dedication in making our newsletter more accessible to their communities by translating it into Japanese, Galician, Portuguese, Arabic, French and Italian. Thank you very much.
Wishing you the clearest skies and good health!
Lina Canas, on behalf of the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach Team
1) Message from the IAU About the Scientific Community in Afghanistan
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) is profoundly concerned by the current events in Afghanistan and fears adverse consequences to its scientific community, most notably continued access for women in science and access to education for girls. Triggered by the life-threatening situation in which our colleagues find themselves, the IAU wishes to encourage its members and National Members to publicly denounce any action that endangers or threatens their wellbeing and to pursue any protective action of our colleagues in need. The IAU also strongly encourages our National Members and other colleagues to help wherever possible in this difficult time for Afghanistan.
2) Save the Dates to Celebrate 100 Hours of Astronomy Around the Globe
From 1-4 October 2021, the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach will continue the legacy of celebrating 100 Hours of Astronomy. This year’s event will be themed “Together Under One Sky” drawing inspiration from how our community has come together during a time where physical contact wasn't - and in many places still isn't - possible. We encourage you to host or participate in events over these 100 hours as there are numerous creative possibilities for activities during 100 Hours of Astronomy! Be safe, be inclusive and share your event in our IAU Global Outreach Event Calendar!
3) Astronomical Societies in Nepal and Brunei Sign Agreement to Formalize 15-year Partnership
The Astronomical Society of Brunei Darussalam (PABD) and Nepal Astronomical Society (NASO) have signed an agreement to publicize and collaboratively implement four key areas in the field of astronomy: (i) to implement data driven citizen science projects such as Asteroid Search program etc; (ii) to establish coordinated communication networks in both countries; (iii) to facilitate in fundraising activities to support the implementation of the projects; and (iv) to support astronomy development in both countries on other areas of mutual interest such as cultural astronomy. Both communities wish to learn astronomy from each other and create long-lasting bonds.
4) News from the NOCs: Palestine, Iraq, Sri Lanka and Bulgaria
a) News from Palestine
During July and August, our NOC for Palestine and the Palestinian Astronomical Society carried several outreach initiatives in Bethlehem, Hebron, Ramallah and Jerusalem. The activities consisted of astronomical evenings, training courses and camps to monitor the Perseides meteor shower. The events gathered over 600 participants of all age groups. We want to thank our NOC for Palestine, Dawoud Tarawa for sharing the news.
b) News from Iraq
An astronomical camp was held in the ancient city of Ur in Dhi Qar Governorate, southern Iraq, on the occasion of the Perseids meteor shower. This camp was attended by a number of amateur astronomy teams with lectures about the history of astronomy in Ur. We want to thank our NOC for Iraq, Ali jaber Al-Edhari for sharing the news.
c) News from Sri Lanka
The NOC for Sri Lanka contributed to the translation of a comic book named "Adas Adventures in Science" to their local languages, Sinhala and Tamil. The team would like to thank Bahthiya Senavirathne and Fathima Nafla for the assistance given in translating the book and to Edward Gomez, Laura Sorvala and Alice Hopkinson for giving them the opportunity to contribute to this project.
The book is a partnership of arts and science which may inspire kids about science and empower them to do science: https://www.adacomic.uk/comics/ We want to thank our NOC for Sri Lanka, Dhanuska Subath Amaradasa for sharing the news.
d) News from Bulgaria
On July 26th, thirty-two students had the unique opportunity to ask questions directly to the astronauts aboard the International Space Station. The historic video connection was the culmination of a day-long event consisting of STEM-related workshops and lectures for children and adults, including the participation of the first Bulgarian astronaut Georgi Ivanov. The conversation with the astronauts was broadcast live: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHTNEh4kaF4&t=2850s We want to thank our NOC for Bulgaria, Lyuba Slavcheva-Mihova for sharing the news.
5) Night Sky Network Survey to the Amateur Astronomy Community
Every 5-10 years, the Night Sky Network releases a survey to the amateur astronomy community, specifically looking at how our community engages the public, but also covering topics such as interests, where they get their information, and how clubs are organizing.
Fill in the form: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GSMBFT9
And share your experiences in amateur astronomy including club changes, outreach needs, and your areas of interest. We want to thank Vivian White for sharing the news.
6) Capture the Dark 2021 Winners
Photography is one of the most powerful tools in dark sky advocacy. The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) recently hosted the second annual Capture the Dark Photography Contest receiving 1 122 entries from 66 countries. The awarded photos were recognized by their technical skill, composition, connection to the category theme, and ‘wow’ factor.
On October 16, everyone on Earth is invited to learn about lunar science and exploration, take part in celestial observations, and honour cultural and personal connections to the Moon. Attend or host a virtual or in-person event, or join in from wherever you are as an individual observer. Registration is now open.
8) STEM XR: Collaborative Interdisciplinary Workshop on Science Communication in Virtual Worlds
STEM XR is a free, fully virtual collaborative workshop (1 October 2021 to 1 January 2022) sponsored by the American Astronomical Society in which we assemble interdisciplinary teams of professionals from science outreach, technology and creative worlds to explore novel and experimental ways of science communication in virtual worlds.
Register here: https://stemxr.org We want to thank Alexander Kaurov for sharing the news.
9) Featured Activities Event & Online Resources Repository
a) STEM XR: Collaborative Interdisciplinary Workshop on Science Communication in Virtual Worlds
Location: Virtual
Date: 1 October 2021 - 1 January 2022
Website: https://stemxr.org
Japanese:https://bit.ly/36XeKZr
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 Office for Astronomy Outreach Newsletter into your language, please email public@oao.iau.org.
11) Contribute to the IAU Astronomy Outreach Newsletter
We’re always looking to include news about astronomy outreach, communication and public engagement from around the world in the next newsletter from the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach. If you have an astronomical event, job, opportunity, educational resource, or anything else that would be of interest to the astronomy outreach community, send us an email at public@oao.iau.org with more information.
You can send us your suggestions through the 4th for issue #1 and the 17th for issue #2 of each month. We are looking forward to hearing from you!
