Once again, we feature 100 Hours of Astronomy, our marathon global celebration of astronomy! This year, 100 Hours takes on a special meaning, as we also celebrate the OAO's 10-year anniversary. Under our motto, Astronomy for Everyone, we aim to engage communities around the globe in the wonders of the Universe, so take a close look at the feature below for details on how you and your community can get involved.
Please also consider joining our ongoing project, NameExoWorlds. Form a team to compete for the chance to name an exoplanet and its host star. In fact, you can bring three of the OAO's most exciting programmes together. For example: As part of your NameExoWorlds 2022 competition entry, organize a Meet the IAU Astronomers! Public talk on exoplanets. If your event takes place between 1 and 4 October 2022, register your activity as part of 100 Hours of Astronomy for a chance to name an exoplanet and win a telescope or other prizes, in addition to receiving support from the OAO and the IAU National Outreach Coordinators. The opportunities are endless with the OAO programmes!
The bulk of this Newsletter is devoted to building bridges in service to future generations of astronomers. We encourage all of you to participate in the 4th Shaw-IAU Workshop on Astronomy for Education: expand your networks as you learn from experts in the field of astronomy education. If you're an IAU member, collaborate with a team to create a Symposium or Focus Meeting that investigates paradigms within science and society. If you have the means, consider donating to the Astronomy for Equity crowdfunding campaign to support Libya's future astronomers. And, don't forget to check out the opportunities and resources described in this Newsletter! From training programmes to sonified astronomical data, there is truly something for everyone.
Below, you will read about our National Outreach Coordinators (NOCs) from Brunei and Nepal who joined forces (and resources) to make a provisional discovery of an asteroid. We are so proud of these teams for exemplifying what it means to be part of the IAU family, and thank them for showing us what is possible when we work together.
As always, our NOCs are at the forefront of building bridges with their communities, old and new. While many of our NOCs are busy preparing for 100 Hours of Astronomy and NameExoWorlds, some still managed to organise activities this month. We thank all of our NOCS for their efforts — both behind the scenes and on the stage. Stay tuned for more updates from this incredible group of astronomy communicators.
May your skies be dark and quiet,
Kelly Blumenthal, on behalf of the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach Team
100 Hours of Astronomy Announced From 1 to 4 October 2022, the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach will hold a 100-hour, round-the-clock, global celebration of astronomy. The OAO is inviting everyone around the world to get involved in the event, which aims to engage as many people as possible with the sky and the wonders of our Universe.
For this year's theme, the programme draws inspiration from the OAO's motto, Astronomy for Everyone. It will celebrate the OAO's 10th anniversary by inviting everyone — including amateur and professional astronomers, teachers, outreach professionals and astronomy enthusiasts — to come together as a community to help make astronomy more inclusive worldwide.
When spreading the word about your event on social media, be sure to use #100HoursOfAstronomy and #IAUoutreach so the OAO can help promote your activity too!
1) New Materials Upcoming for NameExoWorlds
The NameExoWorlds team has created new images that show the position in the night sky of the 20 systems with one known exoplanet involved in the NameExoWorlds 2022 campaign. The images show the location of each ExoWorld system on a real photograph of their host IAU-designated constellations. Under the NameExoWorlds 2022 competition, anyone in the world may form teams consisting of a combination of students, teachers, astronomy enthusiasts, amateur astronomers, and professional astronomers, conduct an outreach initiative in astronomy and make a proposal to name one of these 20 exoplanets and its host star. Look out for this resource on our Facebook and Twitter accounts in the coming weeks!
2) IAU Symposia and Focus Meetings Final Proposal Due 1 December
Proposals for IAU Symposia and Focus Meetings in 2024 are due 1 December. The received Letters of Intent (LoI) are published here. All IAU members are encouraged to peruse this list to find ways to collaborate to produce a proposal. It is not required that you have submitted an LoI to submit a Final Proposal.
3) 4th Shaw-IAU Workshop on Astronomy for Education
Registration is still open for the 4th Shaw-IAU Workshop on Astronomy for Education. This year’s Workshop focuses on the role of astronomy in the core regions of formal, primary and secondary education, with a particular emphasis on the experience of teachers. It aims to address the following questions: How do we teach astronomy as its own subject? What is the role of astronomy in teaching physics or chemistry, or even climate change? How do you engage with your administration? How do you build bridges between the fundamentals that are commonly taught in schools and the cutting-edge results from research?
4) Astronomy for Equity Crowdfunding Campaign
Astronomy for Equity, a new initiative to support STEM education in marginalized and isolated communities created by Astronomers Without Borders founder Mike Simmons, has launched its first crowdfunding campaign to provide telescopes for middle school astronomy clubs in five cities in Libya. This network of student clubs was created by Royaa, a Libyan national NGO, in partnership with the Libyan Ministry of Education. These active clubs need telescopes to continue to inspire science students, including in girls' schools and attract more participants and support. Please support and share this important campaign to share the sky with these students, and provide hope for their dreams for the future! For more information, click this link. To donate to this campaign, click here.
5) Astronomy Society of the Pacific Announces 2022 Awards
The ASP has recently announced the recipients of its 2022 awards, including astronomy outreach, education, and amateur participation.
a) Klumpke-Roberts Award for outstanding contributions to the public understanding and appreciation of astronomy
Congratulations to Suzanne Gurton, Director of Education and Public Outreach at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory! For more information on her contributions to the field, see this website.
b) Richard H. Emmons Award for excellence in college astronomy teaching
Congratulations to Professor George Greenstein, the Sidney Dillon Professor of Astronomy at Amherst College, Emeritus! For more information on his innovative teaching methods, writings, and explanations, see this website.
c) Las Cumbres Amateur Outreach Award for outstanding outreach by an amateur astronomer to children and the public Congratulations to Billy Hix, member of the Von Braun Astronomical Society in Huntsville, Alabama, and Founder and Director of the Motlow College Foundation STEM Outreach Program in Tennessee! Learn more about his amazing outreach work and time as an educator at this website.
d) Gordon Myers Amateur Achievement Award for significant observational or technical achievements by an amateur astronomer Congratulations to Paul D. Maley, a longtime member of the Johnson Space Center Astronomical Society! Learn more about his contributions to astronomy research at this website.
6) NOC Nepal and NOC Brunei Team up to Make Discovery
The NOC Nepal and NOC Brunei Teams, in association with the Nepal Astronomical Society (NASO) and the Astronomical Society of Brunei Darussalam (PABD) have made their first provisional discovery of an asteroid, currently named 2021 RE43! This is one of the best examples of how the mission of the IAU comes to fruition. Congratulations to both teams! For more information, see this link.
7) Updates from the IAU National Outreach Coordinators (NOCs)
a) Haïti
The NOC Haiti team coordinated an online event discussing the Sun. They are also gearing up for 100 Hours of Astronomy and produced a promotional video this month advertising their event.
b) Libya
The NOC Libya, Amjed Khurwat, has created beautiful compilation images showing the difference between JWST and HST in the JWST First Images, written entirely in Arabic.
c) Qatar Our NOC Qatar, Hani Dalee, in collaboration with Qatar University Astronomy Club, Qatar Calendar House, Arab union for Astronomy & Space Sciences, Astronomical Society of Qatar and Astroever photography, led a 5-day campaign in the Al Kharrara desert to photograph the DART mission and view Jupiter in Opposition.
8) Opportunities
a) Public Engagement Trainers Network Free Event
On 13 October (12:00-14:30 UTC), The Public Engagement Trainers (PET) Network will host an event to share and learn from other professionals working in the field. Come discover new methods and best practices! This event is free to attend. You can register at this link.
b) Save the Date: Forum on Astronomy in Africa 2022
To continue building momentum toward the IAU GA 2024, the next Forum on Astronomy in Africa will take place on 25 October. This fully virtual event will bring together astronomers, astronomy enthusiasts, outreach and education specialists, and policymakers. For more information, see this link.
c) Joint ESA-GTTP Hybrid Teacher Training
The European Space Agency and the Galileo Teacher Training Program have co-created training opportunities for all interested educators. This free hybrid event will take place from 17-21 October 2022 in person in Madrid, Spain and online. Among other enriching activities, this training event will feature networking and collaborative opportunities with teachers and scientists. The organisers ensure: “Take part in this training course and go back to your school with a research project in your hands.” For more information, see this link. To register, click here.
d) Africa Earth Observation Challenge
The Africa Earth Observation Challenge is an open invitation for African innovators, entrepreneurs, big thinkers and students in the space tech sector: an event for anyone involved in utilizing space data to improve the lives and land of the African continent. The challenge is aimed at sourcing novel space technologies which, with a little investment or guidance, can become a driving force for positive change. If you are passionate about solution-seeking, have a heart for the African continent, and can envision opportunities to do good using geospatial data, then this challenge is for you! To join the challenge, click here.
9) Cool Resources
a) Recordings from the 2nd Astronomy Education Conference in Chile [Content in Spanish]
In July, the National Astronomy Education Coordinator for Chile organised the second Astronomy Education Conference, which brought together science teachers, undergraduate students, communicators, astronomers and tour operators interested in astronomy. You can now view the recordings of the sessions on their YouTube channel.
b) Honouring forgotten women scientists, mathematicians, programmers and palaeontologists [Content in English]
Many historical women in science were not given the recognition they deserved. Learn about a selection of these brilliant scientists at this website.
c) Sonification of JWST First Images [Content in English and Sound]
Sonification is a common practice to make astronomy images and data accessible to people with blindness or visual impairments by transforming visual information into sound. For sighted individuals, sonification presents astronomical information in a whole new way, potentially leading to new insights and new discoveries. Try it out for yourself; listen to three of JWST's first images at this link.
d) ISC Report on the Crisis in Ukraine [Content in English and Ukrainian]
The International Science Council has released a report on the European higher education and research sectors’ responses to the crisis in Ukraine. In their report, they detail seven recommendations for the international community to better support science systems impacted by conflict. Download the report here.
10) 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 Andrea Ahumada of the Observatorio Astronómico, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, and Ileana Andruchow of the Instituto Astrofísica de La Plata, Universidad Nacional de La Plata. For translations of previous Newsletters in Spanish, thanks to Emílio Zuniga of the Association of Amateur Astronomers in León, Nicaragua, click here.
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 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!
