We are excited to kick off 2024 with our first Global Outreach Project, Women and Girls in Astronomy. From 11 February to 8 March (the International Day of Women and Girls in Science and International Women’s Day, respectfully) the OAO will celebrate women and girls’ contributions to the science and communication of astronomy. This includes our Women in Astronomy Card Game, our observing challenges, and the Events Calendar. In the feature below, you’ll find more information about how to get involved in Women and Girls in Astronomy in your communities.
We are also excited to announce a double feature of Communicating Astronomy with the Public Journal (CAPjournal), highlighting the contributions of planetariums to our understanding of the cosmos. CAPjournal is a fully peer-reviewed periodical that publishes twice each year. We welcome your articles on a rolling basis and hope you will consider submitting your research and best practices to our journal!
Are you excited by the NOCs’ work? Are you an amateur astronomer or researcher looking to get more involved in astronomy outreach? Reach out to your local NOC to learn how you can get involved! If your country is not represented in the NOCs network, consider applying to become a NOC yourself! The world needs more great minds like yours to truly make Astronomy for Everyone.
May your skies be dark and quiet,
Kelly Blumenthal, on behalf of the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach Team
Women and Girls in Astronomy 2024
The Women and Girls in Astronomy project supports events that recognise the role of all women in advancing science and encourages everyone on and off the gender spectrum to consider careers in astronomy. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) strongly encourages activities throughout the year, with a particular focus between two International Days adopted by the United Nations: the International Day of Women and Girls in Science on 11 February and International Women’s Day on 8 March.
With each new edition, the Women and Girls in Astronomy project strives to grow and improve. We want to clearly state that trans women are women. We invite everyone on and off the gender spectrum to engage with this programme, highlighting our shared and individual experiences that can help us grow toward a better, more inclusive future in STEM.
There are many ways to get involved:
This year, our National Outreach Coordinator network turns 10! In honour of their amazing work, we will feature the women of the NOCs: their incredible stories and the people of all genders they inspire. Follow us on Facebook, X and LinkedIn for features, updates and news.
Learn about women in astronomy throughout history with our Women in Astronomy Card Game, now available in nearly 10 languages!
Host an event centred around one of our observational challenges and learn about the amazing women in astronomy who, through observations of these objects, expanded our knowledge of the Universe.
1) CAPjournal Double Feature
To honour 100 years of the planetarium, the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach (OAO) has released a special double feature of the Communicating Astronomy with the Public Journal (CAPjournal); Issue #33 will explore the myriad creative uses for the planetarium from pedagogical tools to venues for accessible astronomy, while Issue #34 will showcase the diversity of the planetarium through a collection of stories.
At a time when light pollution is threatening our night skies, planetariums can serve as dark sky oases — places that can inspire all audiences with the wonder of the night sky. We encourage everyone to read these articles to discover how pivotal a planetarium can be within its community and to reconnect with their local planetarium during this two-year celebration.
2) Time Machines On 25 November, the exhibition Time Machines opened in Rome, Italy. It offers visitors the opportunity to venture on an extraordinary journey back in time through planets, stars and galaxies as observed by the “time machines” of contemporary astrophysics. The ehibition, created by the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) with the patronage of IAU and in collaboration with the IAU's Office of Astronomy for Education Center Italy, is fully bilingual (Italian and English) and will be on display until 24 March 2024 at Palazzo Esposizioni Roma.
3) New Zealand Starlight Conference 2024 The New Zealand Starlight Conference in Tekapo, New Zealand will take place between the 20th and 23rd of October 2024. This conference helps to promote New Zealand as a world leader in dark sky protection and astro-tourism. World experts will contribute to the conference by engaging participants on talks and discussions related to the health and environmental impacts of artificial light at night. Participants should also expect presentations on the latest research that can help communities, local government officials and lighting engineers enact lighting policies that comply with the best international practices.
5) Global Sky Clubs Las Cumbres Observatory (LCO) is offering the opportunity for astronomy clubs in schools to use robotic telescopes for projects or investigations - Global Sky Clubs. LCO provides 10 hours of time on its 10 x 0.4m telescope network exclusively for projects in schools and involving school students. The program runs for 6 months, starting 1 August 2024.
6) Updates from the IAU National Outreach Coordinators (NOCs)
a) Bangladesh
Thanks to the NOC Bangladesh Team, we are able to provide the Women in Astronomy Card Game in Bangla!
b) Germany
Thanks to the NOC Germany Team, we are able to provide the Women in Astronomy Card Game in German!
c) Haiti
The NOC Haiti Team has launched the Astro-Club de Limonade at the Centre de Lecture et d'Animation Culturelle, a network of community libraries in Haiti. The club plans to engage the public in various activities, including public sky observations, lectures, and educational workshops, raising awareness of astronomy among local school students.
Thanks to the NOC Haiti Team, we are able to provide the Women in Astronomy Card Game in Haitian!
d) Mauritania
The NOC Mauritania, in association with the Mauritanian Association for Astronomy, organised a conference and observation event for middle and high school students that gathered people together to discuss astronomy. In addition, students competed to present a research paper on a topic related to astronomy.
e) Poland
Thanks to the NOC Poland Team, we are able to provide the Women in Astronomy Card Game in Polish!
f) Slovakia
Thanks to the NOC Slovakia Team, we are able to provide the Women in Astronomy Card Game in Slovakian!
g) Bahrain and Tunisia
This February, the NOC Tunisia Team invited the NOC Bahrain, Myriam Alqassab, President of Stargazers for Astronomical Science - Bahrain Stargazers, to give a public talk entitled "Breaking barriers empowering women in astronomy"
7) Opportunities
a) The International Planetarium Society Planetarium Education Research Fellowship
This fellowship aims to support academic research that helps planetarians know how best to use their spaces for educational purposes. Anyone is welcome to apply for this $5,000 USD grant. This opportunity is for one year with a flexible starting date no earlier than 1 July 2024. The first round of applications are due on 15 March. For more information, check out the IPS Planetarium Education Research Fellowship website.
9) IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach Newsletter in Non-English Languages
* A note to our subscribers looking for live translations: this month's Newsletter came at a particularly busy time. Please allow our translators about a week to produce the translations below. Thank you for your understanding and patience!
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.
French
Translations are thanks to the Club d'Astronomie de Tabarre (CAT), a subset of the Haitian Astronomical Society (SHA). Translations of previous Newsletters into French were thanks to the Haitian Translation Group of Astronomy and are still available on this page.
Galician
Translations of the OAO Newsletter into Galician until March 2023 are thanks to Martin Pawley of the Agrupación Astronómica Coruñesa Ío in Spain.
Italian
Translations are thanks to Eleonora Piromalli of AstronomiAmo in Italy.
Portuguese (European)
Translations are thanks to João Ferreira and Frederico Arez 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.
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.
The Newsletter will be published on the last day of each month. For publication in the next Newsletter, please send us your suggestions by the 10th of each month. We look forward to hearing from you!
