It is a busy recognition season, and we have two projects related to recognition in this newsletter. Firstly, we at the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach (IAU OAO) and our partners Sterren Schitteren Voor Iedereen (Stars Shine for Everyone) have announced the awardees of the 2021 Telescopes for All project. We saw a large growth in interest this year, and are thankful for the enthusiasm we see with this project. If you haven’t already, please have a look at how the telescopes will be used once they reach their destinations. Secondly, another awesome project that announced winners is the Dark Skies Rangers 2021 Contests with NUCLIO in Portugal. Raising awareness of our night sky is very important for our office so we’re glad to see so many young people around the world learning and raising awareness of the impact light pollution has on our dark skies.
This newsletter also contains two resources that members of the public may find helpful. One is a series of astronomy videos from our IAU National Outreach Coordinator for Trinidad and Tobago, Dr Shirin Haque, and the other is the Space Scoop, an astronomy news website for kids that our host institution, the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, is proud to financially support.
Lastly, there are a number of opportunities for astronomy outreach practitioners to develop their skills or projects. The first are two funding schemes from Europe to support astronomy outreach projects. The other is the Global Hands-on Universe Conference for people interested in astronomy education and meeting people with similar interests. Check out more on all these opportunities below.
Wishing you the clearest skies and good health! Izumi Hansen, on behalf of the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach Team
1) Telescopes for All Winners Announced
The IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach (IAU OAO) and Sterren Schitteren Voor Iedereen (Stars Shine for Everyone) are excited to announce the 12 awardees for the 2021 Telescopes for All programme. The awardees are spread across five continents and will bring astronomy to a variety of underserved communities within their countries using their awarded telescope.
The IAU Office of Astronomy for Development (IAU OAD) periodically hosts visiting fellows to contribute to the vision of the IAU OAD. Proposals are welcome on a rolling basis and are currently fully remote.
3) NOC News: Astronomy Videos from Trinidad and Tobago
IAU National Outreach Coordinator for Trinidad and Tobago Dr Shirin Haque has been creating videos for kids and adults in the English-speaking Caribbean on astronomy in response to the pandemic, including a series with questions sent in by kids and a series with professional astronomers.
The Space Scoop brings the latest astronomy news to kids around the world in 33 languages. The project is supported by astronomy organisations and projects around the world so that kids everywhere can learn about the newest developments in astronomy.
The 2021 Global Hands on Universe (GHOU) Conference will again be held virtually for teachers, students, educators, and other scientists interested in astronomy education. Registration closes on 10 August 2021. The free conference will be held 23-27 August 2021.
6) Winners Announced for the Dark Skies Rangers 2021 Contests
NUCLIO in Portugal has announced the winners of the Dark Skies Rangers 2021 Contests! The annual writing and drawing contests help raise awareness of the impact of light pollution and the importance of preserving the night sky.
The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) is accepting applications for their Education & Outreach Small Grants Scheme through 15 August 2021. These global grants aim to support a range of public outreach activities related to astronomy or geophysics.
8) Call for Europlanet Outreach Funding Scheme and Prize 2021
The Europlanet Society is accepting applications for their 2021 Outreach Funding Scheme and Prize. Applications are accepted through 18 August 2021. Both the funding scheme and the prize are designed to support those in Europe who are doing public outreach for planetary sciences.
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 Office for Astronomy Outreach Newsletter
We’re always looking to include news about astronomy outreach 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!
