In this Newsletter, we find some of our key collaborations crystalizing into opportunities for astronomy communicators around the globe. For example, the OAO has established a new collaboration with NASA, which we hope will lead to many more opportunities, beyond the training program for our NOCs, NAECs, ROADS and LOADs.
Additionally, we are so excited to see developments from our projects -- old and new. In spite of the pandemic, exciting news is continuing to arise from the 2019 NameExoWorlds competition, and with the announcement of the accepted Under One Sky Proposals, these immensely important projects will support and preserve knowledge from local communities.
Also in this Newsletter, you will find a number of excellent opportunities and resources, including the Telescopes for All project, whose deadline has been extended to 15 June. Please take advantage (or share it with your networks) of this amazing opportunity!
Finally, we would like to deeply thank our National Outreach Coordinator community for their amazing work over the last two weeks. Please find a sampling of their inspiring activities below.
May your skies be dark and quiet,
Kelly Blumenthal, on behalf of the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach Team
1) IAU-Sponsored Prizes Announced
a) Kavli Prize in Astrophysics
The Kavli Prize is awarded to those who have made significant contributions to the fields of astrophysics, nanoscience and neuroscience. The 2022 Laureates — Conny Aerts, Jørgen Christensen-Dalsgaard, and Roger Ulrich — have been selected for their work in developing the methods necessary to study the interior of stars. For more information see this link.
b) Prizes for Astronomy Outreach, Development and Education
In February the IAU announced three new prizes in astronomy outreach, development, and education. The names of the 2022 winners have recently been released: Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) — a website created by Robert J. Nemiroff and Jerry T. Bonnell (Outreach); Michèle Gerbaldi (Development); and Rosa Doran (Education). The awards will be presented at the IAU XXXI General Assembly in Busan, South Korea this August.
2) News from NameExoWorlds 2019
a) Science Results from a NameExoWorlds 2019 System
In 2019, as a result of the NameExoWorlds competition, Nepal named a star -- Sagarmatha -- and its planetary companion -- Laligurans. This system was further studied in a recent research paper carried out by two undergraduate students. Find the text of the press release here and the paper here.
b) NameExoWorlds 2019 Winner Welcomed at TNG, La Palma
In 2019, Elia Ceci was a high school student from Central Italy who suggested the winning names of a star, HD102195, and its planetary companion: Phlegethon and Lethe. Though he was promised a trip to La Palma to be an astronomer for two nights back in 2019, COVID-19 had other plans. Despite its two-year delay, this trip is no less special. Now an astronomy student at the University of Bologna, Elia was able to observe the stars on Italy’s largest telescope, the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo. Read more about this story here.
3) Office for Astronomy Outreach - Webb Space Telescope Training
Last week, the OAO partnered with NASA and the James Webb Space Telescope team to deliver two training programmes to National Outreach Coordinators (NOCs), National Astronomy Education Coordinators (NAECs), and the Regional and Language Offices of Astronomy for Development (R/LOADs). Across the two sessions, we had 127 registrants from 67 different countries. During these trainings, participants learned about the science of the Webb telescope and worked together to brainstorm activities around the release of the first light images, set to take place on 12 July. Stay tuned for more news from this collaboration.
4) Under One Sky call for Proposals: Selected Projects
The Under One Sky call for proposal awarded grants of up to 2000 Euros to projects that use cultural astronomy, and astronomy outreach and communication to recognize indigenous knowledge and respect indigenous learning systems with a rights-based approach to indigenous learning. The OAO is pleased to announce the selection of four projects: Guaraní Ethno-Astronomy in the Argentinian Northwest, from Argentina; Sky and People of Maumere, from Indonesia; Urban Indigenous Art and Culture in Rio de Janeiro, from Brazil; Intercultural Dialogues on Cosmology: Gazing with the Heart Under One Sky, from Colombia; and Under Iran Sky Programme, from Iran.
5) Wrap-up for the Dark and Quiet Skies Awareness Month
In alignment with UNESCO's International Day of Light on 16 May, the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach is dedicated the entire month of May to Dark and Quiet Skies Awareness. This project raises awareness about the need to preserve dark and quiet skies. Throughout May, people had the opportunity to learn about the importance of dark skies for human culture, heritage, and health as well as the use of dark and quiet skies for astronomy research. In 2022, the OAO ran a drawing contest with more than 200 submissions, a social media campaign, and One Sky, One Home: A Seminar for the Protection of Dark and Quiet Skies. The seminar brought together Connie Walker, Jessica Heim, Jaroslav Merc, and Sonal Asgotraa to share their connection to the dark sky, its importance to the world’s cultures and to our global ecosystem. A recording of the Seminar is available here.
6) Updates from the IAU National Outreach Coordinators (NOCs)
a) NOC Egypt
The NOC Egypt, Dr Somaya Saad, and her team engaged local kids in a number of different activities at Kottamia Observatory in late May.
b) NOC Ethiopia
One of the NOC Ethiopia team, Kirubel Menberu, shared a number of activities they have done in April and May in collaboration with ESSS, including outreach events at local schools and universities.
c) NOC Haiti
The NOC Haiti team and their Coordination of Astronomy Clubs held an online meeting for club leaders to discuss (in French and Creole) how to establish science-oriented clubs. In addition, the NOC Haiti team, in collaboration with the Astronomy Club of Tabarre (CAT), will organise a conference in celebration of International Asteroid Day. On 30 June at 7pm EDT, they will host a conversation with the founder of CAT, Mr. John Masken Larose, moderated by Ms. Lydie Perpignan, the co-founder of CAT, and member of the NOC Haiti team.
d) NOC Iraq
Our NOC Iraq, Ali Jaber Al-Edhari, in collaboration with the Department for Scientific Care and the Baghdad Astronomical Team, held an event to highlight the need to restore the Planetarium in Baghdad, and to call upon the ministry to focus more on astronomy. In addition, after the OAO-Webb Training Session, the NOC Iraq translated some key resources into Arabic. See the Resources section below for a link.
e) NOC Morocco
With the help of our NOC Morocco, Meriem El Yajouri, Space Curiosities is launching a new web series, Space Talk, that aims to introduce the astronomy community with Space Curiosities host Youssef Ait Ouarssas.
f) NOC Qatar
Our NOC Qatar, Hani Dalee, led a group of amateur astronomers to view the Tau Herculids Meteor Shower. Though they weren’t able to see many meteors themselves, they collaborated with their colleagues in Jordan who had clearer skies.
7) Opportunities
a) Telescopes for All Deadline Extended - 15 June
Following requests, the deadline to send applications to the Telescope for All has been extended to 15 June. More information on the submission process can be found here. The Telescopes for All distribute telescopes to underserved communities around the world. We welcome proposals for projects that will broaden the horizons of children, parents and educators alike, sparking an interest in science and raising awareness of equal opportunities for pursuing a career in astronomy.
b) Citizen Science with the Rosetta Mission ESA and the Zooniverse have launched Rosetta Zoo, a citizen science project in which participants help scientists figure out how the surface of a comet changes as it passes near the Sun. Sign up today at this link, and read more about the project here.
c) 4th Japan SciCom Forum Announced
The 4th Japan Scicom Forum will convene on 21 October 2022 at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University. In the coming months, the website will be updated with information regarding the event. In the meantime, if you have suggestions for topics, sessions, or speakers, please share your thoughts with japanscicomforum@gmail.com
d) Space4Women Conference this August
The Space4Women Project aims to encourage women and girls to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through raising awareness about career opportunities, highlighting the importance of gender equality, and much more. In August Space4Women will hold a meeting to discuss, among other things, how the space sector can positively impact the lives and careers of women and girls. Apply by 15 June to engage in discussions, network, present, and learn from others whose goal is to empower women to pursue careers in space. For more information, see their website.
e) REINFORCE Youth Art-Science Competition
The Research Infrastructures for Citizens in Europe (REINFORCE) is running a youth art-science contest with the theme: “Humanity as observer and listener of the cosmos”. The winning piece will be presented at the 2022 European Researchers’ Night at the European Gravitational Observatory, and all finalists will be able to participate in a virtual or in-person tour of the EGO and its facilities. For more information regarding rules and eligibility, see their website.
8) Cool Resources
a) James Webb Space Telescope Resources Translated to Arabic
Following a training session from the Office for Astronomy Outreach and the JWST teams, our NOC Iraq, Ali Jaber Al-Edhari, translated some key resources into Arabic. You can find the images at this link.
b) James Webb Space Telescope Science Translated to Spanish
Following the same training session, the National Astronomy Education Coordinator (NAEC) for El Salvador, Brisa Terezón, in collaboration with Spanish-speaking colleagues from the workshop’s discussion group, translated some of the basic science behind the Webb into Spanish. You can find the document at this link.
c) The Earth-Life Science Institute’s Push for Strategic Science Communication
The Earth-Life Science Institute’s (ELSI) communications team focuses on evidence-based and strategic science communication. Read more about the ELSI’s public outreach efforts at this link.
9) IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach Newsletter in Non-English Languages
Our newsletter is being translated into the following languages:
Arabic
Translations are thanks to the members of the Bahrain Stargazers Astronomy Club.
Chinese (Simplified)
Translations are thanks to Dr Chen Cao, Shandong Astronomical Society (SDAS) of China.
Portuguese (European)
Translations are thanks to Catarina Leote and João Ferreira through the Astronomy Translation Network Portuguese Language Group.
Spanish
Translations are thanks to Emílio Zuniga of the Association of Amateur Astronomers in León, Nicaragua.
If you are interested in translating the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach Newsletter into your language, please email public@oao.iau.org.
10) Contribute to the IAU Astronomy Outreach Newsletter
We are always looking for material about astronomy outreach, communication and public engagement from around the world to include in our next IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach Newsletter. 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.
Please send us your suggestions through the 4th for issue #1 and the 17th for issue #2 of each month. We look forward to hearing from you!
