The IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach@

the XXXII General Assembly International Astronomical Union

Overview

During the XXXII IAU General Assembly in Cape Town, our team is looking forward to meeting the IAU members and other participating astronomy professionals. During these two weeks, we hope to engage with you as much as possible. We hope that everyone will drop by the IAU booth in person if you are joining us face-to-face, or online if you are attending virtually. We have prepared an exciting and engaging programme that will hopefully foster future collaborations between you and our IAU Outreach programmes, and inspire you to share the wonders of the Universe with your communities.

IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach Sessions

Rationale
Programme
SOC

OAO Booth

IAU Astronomy Outreach: 10 Years of the National Outreach Coordinators

IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach

August 6, 2024

Programme

More details soon...

Rationale

Ten years ago, our network of IAU National Outreach Coordinators (NOCs) was officially formed, creating the foundation of the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach. These NOCs span more than 130 countries, host over 300 members, and engage with countless members of the public in astronomy communication. During this General Assembly – the first on African soil – we celebrate the amazing work of this network. Our sessions will focus on (1) the history of the network, its many changes, and its future; (2) the contributions of amateur astronomers to astronomy communication and collaborations between amateur and professional astronomers, in collaboration with EC WG 5 on Professional-Amateur Relations in Astronomy; and (3) the innovative ways our community has engaged the public in the science of astronomy. Through these sessions, we hope to discover what the next ten years of the NOCs have in store as we welcome a new cohort of NOCs to the OAO family, as well as build community throughout the astronomy communication world.

Key topics

1) 10 Years of the NOCs

We invite our National Outreach Coordinators to discuss their work and their time as part of the NOCs network in celebration of its 10-year anniversary. In particular, NOCs who have served more than one term and/or those who have participated in the NOCs Funding Scheme are encouraged to submit an abstract.

2) Amateur Astronomy and Astronomy Communication

This session is in collaboration with the Executive Committee Working Group on Professional-Amateur Relations in Astronomy. For this session, we encourage talks that highlight collaborations in astronomy outreach and communication, including professional-amateur relations, citizen science, or international collaborations. We hope that you will use this opportunity to showcase your work and invite others to join your initiatives.

3) Innovations in Astronomy Communication

We welcome submissions from the IAU community to discuss case studies or best practices based on innovative outreach activities that they have used or developed. This might include curating a mobile museum, developing activities based on cultural astronomy, using new technology to communicate astronomy (e.g., AR, VR, AI, etc.), building accessible and inclusive outreach activities, and more.