IAU Astronomy Outreach Newsletter
2016 #14 July #2
In this newsletter:
- From the Editors
- IAU/NASL Office for Young Astronomers (OYA) nomination
- National Outreach Contacts (NOCs) corner: News from Sweden
- My Sky Tonight
- Fronteras/Borderlines: A fulldome show based on social use of astronomy
- The new world atlas of artificial night sky brightness
- Let's Look at the Sun with Hinode Satellite 2016
- Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture Series
- Space TV app for Android
- Meetings & global events
- Recently added
- Important deadline
- Upcoming
- IAU Astronomy Outreach Newsletter in other languages
- Contributions to IAU Outreach Newsletter for 2016
0) From the Editors
We would like to congratulate and welcome to the IAU family Itziar Aretxaga, the newly appointed Deputy Director of the International School for Young Astronomers (ISYA). We are looking forward to working with Itziar and continuing to encourage the crucial role of young astronomers in outreach and its contribution to directing career choices towards astronomy.
In this issue, we highlight the “My sky tonight” programme by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP), the “Let’s look at the Sun with Hinode” programme for teachers and we encourage you to read about at the Silicon Valley Astronomy Lectures at Foothill College, California. We also want to thank our National Outreach Contact (NOC) from Sweden for his contribution to this issue.
We would also like to point out that the IAU supported project within the framework of the International Year of Light in 2015 — the Quality Lighting Teaching Kit — is currently promoting a series of workshops via Google Hangouts until early August. Stay tuned to our social media, where we will share the links to these sessions. We would like to remind everyone that the Astronomers Without Borders (AWB) crowdfunding campaign is still ongoing, so if you have the chance, please support AWB in sending eclipse glasses to African students.
Clear Skies!
Lina Canas & Sze-leung Cheung
IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach
1) IAU/NASL Office for Young Astronomers (OYA) nomination
The IAU has great pleasure in announcing that the IAU/NASL Office for Young Astronomers has appointed Dr. Itziar Aretxaga as Deputy Director of the International School for Young Astronomers (ISYA). Itziar Aretxaga is an astronomer at the Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica Óptica y Electrónica in Puebla, Mexico and has been a member of the IAU since 2006, with research interests include galaxy formation, active galactic nuclei, starbursts, and supernovae.
Learn more: https://www.iau.org/news/announcements/detail/ann16032/
2) National Outreach Contacts (NOCs) corner: News from Sweden
The Day and Night of Astronomy is one of Sweden’s largest initiatives aimed at making astronomy and the Universe accessible to everyone. In 2015, more than 45 events were held, in 34 different locations. This year, the Day and Night of Astronomy coincides with International Observe the Moon Night.
Day and Night of Astronomy website: http://www.astronominsdag.se (in Swedish).
3) My Sky Tonight
The creative astronomy educators at the Astronomical Society of the Pacific have teamed up with early childhood researchers in different organizations, to produce “My Sky Tonight”, a program that promotes Astronomy for children ages 3, 4 and 5. The goals are to increase participation in astronomy of families in general, develop interactive learning experiences to be used by Informal Science Education (ISE) practitioners (and parents and other adults in children’s everyday lives). You can find some of the resources here. Educators at museums and parks in North America can apply to participate in one of several online workshops.
Learn more about “My Sky Tonight”: https://www.astrosociety.org/education/my-sky-tonight
4) Fronteras/Borderlines: A fulldome show based on social use of astronomy
The Medellín Planetarium has produced a planetarium show that uses astronomy as a starting point to discuss social challenges. In a society divided by strong social conflicts, establishing a community identity based in a single geographical space encourages a reversal of the segregationist views generated by the dynamics of the conflict itself. With the show “Fronteras” the Medellín planetarium team has shown that astronomy can engage society as a whole. The show is still running in our current list of shows, part of the programme "Sustainable route for schools". The show lasts for 28 minutes and will be available for download for free via the collaborative portal created by ESO.
You can learn more about the show here: http://www.planetariomedellin.org/shows-domo/fronteras (in Spanish)
5) The new world atlas of artificial night sky brightness
As suggested reading we highlight the article on "The new world atlas of artificial night sky brightness" by Falchi et al., in Science Advances. Artificial lights raise night sky luminance, creating the most visible effect of light pollution — artificial skyglow. This atlas shows that more than 80% of the world and more than 99% of the U.S. and European populations live under light-polluted skies, and that our Milky Way is hidden from more than one third of humanity, including 60% of Europeans and nearly 80% of North Americans.
You can access the full article here: http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/2/6/e1600377.
And you can also consult this map, based on published data: http://cires.colorado.edu/Artificial-light
6) Let's Look at the Sun with Hinode Satellite 2016
Hinode is a solar observation satellite, launched in 2006. The Hinode programme has always promoted the idea that its observational data can be used not only for research but also for education. Since 2010, a programme run by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), called “Let's Look at the Sun with the Hinode Satellite”, has linked teachers and high school students together in a unique opportunity to observe the Sun. This year, on 15-20 and 23-30 July, teachers and students from around the world can also join the project. If you’re interested in joining this observation programme, please contact kentaro.yaji [at] nao.ac.jp.
Learn more here: http://hinode.nao.ac.jp/user/yaji/hinode/issho/index_e.html
7) Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture Series
The Silicon Valley Astronomy Lectures are a series of popular lectures explaining the latest discoveries and ideas in astronomy in everyday language. They feature notable astronomers from around California and the United States of America. These lectures are jointly sponsored by NASA’s Ames Research Center, the SETI Institute, the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, and the Foothill College Astronomy Department, and they will be starting their 17th year in October 2016.
The lectures are freely available as audio podcasts at: http://www.astrosociety.org/education/past-silicon-valley-astronomy-lectures/ and on the dedicated YouTube Channel here: http://www.youtube.com/svastronomylectures.
8) Space TV app for Android
Space TV is a free simple app for Android devices that links YouTube dedicated video playlists to videos related to astronomy and space. There are currently over 100 categories to choose from, from Albert Einstein to Yuri Gagarin, and there are also direct links to YouTube channels like Asteroid Day and NASA. The app was designed to work on older phones and tablets that run Android, so it quite easy for anyone to access it.
You can find the app and give a try at: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=vn.android4vn.spacetv&hl=en
9) Meetings & global events
Here you can find a list of astronomy outreach & education conferences and events around the world.
a) Recently added
The 3rd Conference on Universal Design for Astronomy Education
with Workshops for Educational Material Development
Date: 24-26 September 2016
Location: Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan
More information: http://prc.nao.ac.jp/fukyu/ud2016/index_E.html
b) Important deadline
41st COSPAR Scientific Assembly
Important Information by the LOC at http://cospar2016.tubitak.gov.tr/en/
Date: 30 July - 7 August 2016
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
c) Upcoming
- International Astronomical Youth Camp (IAYC)
Date: 24 July - 13 August 2016
Location: Exmoor National Park, Somerset, UK
More information: www.iayc.org
- Global Hands-On Universe Conference (GHOU 2016) & Galileo Teacher Training Program (GTTP) International Workshop
Date: 22 - 27 August 2016
Location: Stord, Norway
More information: handsonuniverse.org/ghou2016/registration/
- Twenty-fourth Annual Conference (SEAC 2016)
Date: 12–16 September 2016
Location: Bath, England
More Information: www.seac2016.com
- The 3rd Conference on Universal Design for Astronomy Education
with Workshops for Educational Material Development
Date: 24-26 September 2016
Location: Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan
More information: http://prc.nao.ac.jp/fukyu/ud2016/index_E.html
- International Conference on Artificial Light at Night (ALAN 2016)
Date: 26-28 September 2016
Location: Cluj, Napoca, Romania
More Information: www.artificiallightatnight.org
- LARIM 2016: XV Latin American Regional IAU Meeting
Date: 3-7 October, 2016
Location: Cartagena de Indias, Colombia
More Information: larim.unal.edu.co
- 1st Workshop on Astronomy Beyond the Common Senses for Accessibility and Inclusion
Date: 8 October, 2016
Location: Cartagena de Indias, Colombia
More Information: wai.unal.edu.co/information/
- World Space Week
Date: 4–10 October 2016
Location: Worldwide
More Information: www.worldspaceweek.org/theme/
- International Observe the Moon Night
Date: 8 October 2016
Location: Worldwide
More Information: observethemoonnight.org
- DPS-EPSC Joint Meeting 2016
Date: 16-21 October 2016
Location: Pasadena, CA, United States
More Information: www.epsc2015.eu
- Arab Conference on Astronomy and Geophysics
Date: 17–20 October 2016
Location: Helwan, Cairo, Egypt
More Information: acag-conf.org
- IX International Conference on Oriental Astronomy
Date: 15–18 November 2016
Location: Pune, India
More Information: icoa2016.tifr.res.in
- First Arab Winter School for Astrophysics (FAWSA)
Date: 28 November to 3 December 2016
Location: Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakesh, Morocco
More Information: marrakech-astro.uca.ma/fawsa
- ESO Astronomy Camp
Date: 26 December 2016 to 1 January 2017
Location: Aosta Valley, Italy.
More information: http://www.eso.org/public/announcements/ann16031/
Have we missed something? Then share your astronomy outreach and international education meetings or events with us via outreach@iau.org.
10) IAU Astronomy Outreach Newsletter in other languages
You can find some translations of this newsletter in Japanese and Spanish:
- In Japanese, by the Japan Amateur Astronomers Association: http://www.jaaa-astro.jp/jaaa-ml.html
- In Spanish, by the Spanish Astronomical Society (older issues): http://www.sea-astronomia.es/drupal/content/newsletter-iau-noc
If you are interested in translating our newsletter to your language, please let us know via outreach@iau.org.
11) Contributions to IAU Outreach Newsletter for 2016
Here at the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach, we are always looking for more news about astronomical education and outreach events around the world. In 2016 please continue to share your stories with us! If you are organizing any large-scale events at a regional or international level, are offering astronomy education or communication job positions, have any innovative projects or inspiring stories, are looking for professional–amateur collaboration in astronomy, or have created any educational resources, let us know by sending an email to outreach@iau.org.