IAU Astronomy Outreach Newsletter

2016 #18 September #2

In this newsletter:

0. From the Editors
1. National Outreach Contact (NOC) Corner: News from Portugal
2. Beyond Cosmic Light: Science Opera continues its legacy in 2016
3. Launch of the IYL 2015 Final Report
4. Gaia First Star Map
5. New Free Planetarium Products from ESO
6. NASA Launches New Citizen Science Opportunity
7. Universe Awareness (UNAWE) newsletter
8. Education, communications and outreach opportunities at CERN
9. Meetings & global events
   1. Important Dates
   2. Upcoming
10. IAU Astronomy Outreach Newsletter in other languages
11. Contributions to IAU Outreach Newsletter for 2016

0) From the Editors

Don’t miss the chance to participate in the ESO Astronomy Camp that will take place in Italy, in the amazing landscape of the Italian Alps, from 26 December to 1 January. Deadline for applications is 4 October.

We would like to thank all of those that continuously keep sharing with us their favourite astronomy education and outreach news around the world. A huge thank you from all our team.

In this issue, we would like you to discover some of the job opportunities at CERN, Gaia’s interactive star map and how to participate in a global science opera. Enjoy!

Clear Skies!
Lina Canas & Sze-leung Cheung
IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach

1) National Outreach Contact (NOC) Corner: News from Portugal

Ignite IAstro is a series of free monthly events in Portugal, where eight researchers in Astrophysics and Space Sciences explain their research field to a lay audience in 5 minutes presentations, followed by a Q&A session. These events are being organised during 2016, and they are held in cultural venues in towns and cities away from the main Portuguese urban areas, where there is less access to scientific dissemination. Ignite IAstro events are organised by the Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences, the largest research centre in this field in Portugal and encompassing most of the field's national scientific output.

Detailed information about Ignite IAstro and upcoming events can be found at http://www.iastro.pt/ignite

2) Beyond Cosmic Light: Science Opera continues its legacy in 2016

Write a Science Opera (WASO) is a creative approach to science and art inquiry in schools, developed at Stord/Haugesund University College, Norway. Global Science Opera is a direct legacy of Skylight, the first example of this project during International Year of Light 2015 and directly endorsed by IAU Cosmic Light. Participating in the Global Science Opera community is easy and free; anyone can join in, and there are different kinds of activities to suit everyone’s interests.

Learn more about this IAU officially endorsed project here http://globalscienceopera.com/

3) Launch of the IYL 2015 Final Report

The Final Report of the International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies 2015 (IYL 2015), including the IAU Cosmic Light program, will be delivered to UNESCO leadership at a special half-day event to be held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France, on Monday 3 October 2016. The event will consist of an overview summarising key facts and figures of the International Year, followed by a series of short speeches from a selection of IYL 2015 partners. Finally, the IYL 2015 Final Report will be officially delivered to the UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences, Flavia Schlegel.

Learn more: http://www.light2015.org/Home/About/Latest-News/September2016/Launch-IYL-2015-Final-Report.html

4) Gaia First Star Map

The European Space Agency (ESA) has just released an all-sky view of the stars in our Galaxy — the Milky Way — and neighbouring galaxies, based on the first year of observations by ESA's Gaia satellite, from July 2014 to September 2015. This map shows the density of stars observed by Gaia in each portion of the sky. Brighter regions indicate denser concentrations of stars, while darker regions correspond to patches of the sky where fewer stars are observed.

You will find the interactive visual exploration system here: http://gea.esac.esa.int/visualization/index.html

5) New Free Planetarium Products from ESO

The European Southern Observatory’s (ESO) Supernova Planetarium & Visitor Centre is getting ready for its opening in late 2017. Both the mission and vision of the ESO Supernova emphasise the creation of connections and learning experiences for both scientists and the general public. With this strong focus, ESO continues to make an original range of high-quality materials available for use in planetariums, produced by world-renowned astrophotographers, artists, technicians, and musicians.

You can find the full range of free material here: https://supernova.eso.org/for-planetariums/

6) NASA Launches New Citizen Science Opportunity

If you want to be a citizen Earth scientist all you need is a smartphone, access to the outdoors, and the new “GLOBE Observer” app. This app is an initiative of the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) program, a science and education effort that for over two decades has enabled schools and students in over 110 countries to investigate their local environment and put their observations into a global context.

Learn more: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2016/nasa-launches-new-citizen-science-opportunity

You can learn more about the app here (available for Apple and Android phones): http://observer.globe.gov/about/get-the-app

7) Universe Awareness (UNAWE) newsletter

Universe Awareness is an astronomy program dedicated to educating and inspiring young children, especially those from underprivileged backgrounds. Endorsed by UNESCO and the IAU, UNAWE is an integral part of the IAU Strategic Plan 2010–2020 — Astronomy for the Developing World. Find the latest Universe Awareness activities taking place around the world by subscribing to the UNAWE newsletter.

Read the latest issue here: http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=4830497680c71da1bf794fb7d&id=02ebc049ac&e=c19694eb28

Subscribe to the newsletter here: http://www.unawe.org/contact/subscribe/

8) Education, communications and outreach opportunities at CERN

The education, communications, and outreach group works to increase awareness of, and foster support for, CERN and its activities and to promote the interaction of science with society. Find a series of job opportunities such as Doctoral Student opportunity in science communication; Technical Student opportunity for web developing; Multimedia Technician for CERN virtual tours and many others here.

9) Meetings & global events

Here you can find a list of astronomy outreach & education conferences and events around the world.

a) Important Dates

ESO Astronomy Camp
Deadline for Applications: 4 October 2016
Date: 26 December 2016 to 1 January 2017
Location: Aosta Valley, Italy.
More information: http://www.eso.org/public/announcements/ann16031/

b) Upcoming

1. International Conference on Artificial Light at Night (ALAN 2016) Date: 26-28 September 2016
   Location: Cluj, Napoca, Romania
   More Information: www.artificiallightatnight.org
2. LARIM 2016: XV Latin American Regional IAU Meeting
   Date: 3-7 October 2016
   Location: Cartagena de Indias, Colombia
   More Information: larim.unal.edu.co
3. 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/
4. World Space Week
   Date: 4-10 October 2016
   Location: Worldwide
   More Information: www.worldspaceweek.org/theme/
5. International Observe the Moon Night
   Date: 8 October 2016
   Location: Worldwide
   More Information: observethemoonnight.org
6. DPS-EPSC Joint Meeting 2016
   Date: 16-21 October 2016
   Location: Pasadena, CA, United States
   More Information: www.epsc2015.eu
7. Arab Conference on Astronomy and Geophysics
   Date: 17-20 October 2016
   Location: Helwan, Cairo, Egypt
   More Information: acag-conf.org
8. Space Education International Workshop 2016
   Date: 18-22, October 2016
   Location: Leiden, Netherlands
   More Information: http://www.space-awareness.org/en/news/space-education-international-workshop/
9. IX International Conference on Oriental Astronomy
   Date: 15-18 November 2016
   Location: Pune, India
   More Information: icoa2016.tifr.res.in
10. 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 education international meetings or events with us via outreach@iau.org.

10) IAU Astronomy Outreach Newsletter in other languages

Translations of this newsletter into Serbian, by Dr. Liliana Gracanin from Serbia, are available: http://iau-serbian.freeinvision.net/t17-2016-astronomski-bilten-za-javnost-na-srpskom-jeziku#26

Translations of this newsletter into Japanese are available, by the Japan Amateur Astronomers Association: http://www.jaaa-astro.jp/jaaa-ml.html

Translations into Spanish are also available, by the Association of Amateur Astronomers from León, Nicaragua: http://asafile.blogspot.jp/p/blog-page_12.html

[older issues only] In Spanish, by the Astronomical Spanish Society : 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 organising any large-scale events at a regional or international level, offering astronomy education or communication job positions, have any innovative projects or inspiring stories, looking for professional–amateur collaboration in astronomy, or have created any educational resources, let us know by sending an email to outreach@iau.org.