IAU Astronomy Outreach Newsletter

2016 #16 August #2

In this newsletter:

0. From the Editors
1. CAP Journal Issue 20 now available
2. Kazakhstan and Tajikistan Joined IAU South West Asian ROAD
3. National Outreach Contact (NOC) Corner: News from Armenia
4. American Astronomical Society Endorses Nashville Recommendations for Inclusive Astronomy
5. Call for Planetary Science Educational Resources
6. Constellation follow up activities in the Amazonia
7. World Space Week
8. Brazilian Olympiad of Astronomy and Astronautics
9. Meetings & global events
   1. Recently added
   2. Important deadlines & information
   3. Upcoming
10. IAU Astronomy Outreach Newsletter in other languages
11. Contributions to IAU Outreach Newsletter for 2016

 

0) From the Editors

On 1 September 2016, there will be an eclipse visible across Africa. This is a call for everyone interested in contributing to initiatives around the world and sharing the eclipse with everyone who can not watch it live. We are looking for activities; please tell us how you will share the eclipse with your community and let us know via outreach@iau.org.

In this issue, we thank our National Outreach Contact in Armenia for sending us some highlights not only for their activities in Armenia but also in connection with the IAU Regional Office of Astronomy for Development (ROAD). We also invite you to take a look at the latest issue of the CAP Journal. Many great articles, so don't miss it!

Last but not least, we welcome the latest collaborator to our group of newsletter translators. A huge thank you to Emilio Zúniga from Nicaragua who is currently translating issues of this newsletter into Spanish.

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

 

1) CAP Journal Issue 20 now available

The 20th issue of the Communicating Astronomy with the Public (CAP) Journal is out! In this issue, astronomy communication practitioners share with us new sonification software designed to bring the Universe to the visually impaired; they reflect on the impact of social-media-driven competitions; they discuss projects that engage with the people behind the science and counter traditional views of science, and they explain and explore licensing of astronomy assets.

Read the latest issue here: http://www.capjournal.org/issues/20/index.php.

 

2) Kazakhstan and Tajikistan Join IAU South West Asian ROAD

In October 2015, the IAU South West Asian Regional Office of Astronomy for Development (SWA ROAD) was officially opened in Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory (BAO) and Armenia became a regional astronomical centre. It is one of the eight centres established within the framework of the IAU Strategic Plan and coordinates the development of astronomy in the region. In June 2016, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan joined the SWA ROAD, expanding its sphere of activities to Central Asia and forming the IAU South West and Central Asian (SWCA) ROAD. The status of the regional astronomical centre strongly contributes to collaborations at all levels: professional, educational and popular, with astronomy playing an important political role in establishing and strengthening friendship and cooperation between the regional nations.

Learn more at the official webpage at http://iau-swa-road.aras.am/eng/index.php.

 

3) National Outreach Contact (NOC) Corner: News from Armenia

a) Cultural Astronomy in Armenian Highland

Between 20 and 23 June 2016 the “Cultural Astronomy in Armenian Highland” Conference for Young Researchers was held in Armenia, devoted to the role of astronomy in culture and other fields of human activity. The meeting aimed to address the problems of interdisciplinary science in Armenia and the preparation of a basis for further possible collaborations through the presentation of up to date knowledge in various areas of culture by experts from different professions, and by joint discussions.

You can find more information about the conference here: http://www.aras.am/ArasNews/arasnews93.pdf

 

4) American Astronomical Society Endorses Nashville Recommendations for Inclusive Astronomy

The Council of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) has endorsed the recommendations that emerged from the inaugural Inclusive Astronomy conference in Nashville, Tennessee. For three days in June 2015, 160 astronomers, sociologists, policymakers, and community leaders met at Vanderbilt University. In the months following the conference, participants augmented the discussions and workshops held at Vanderbilt. This work led to guidelines and recommendations covering four broad topical areas that you can find here. The Inclusive Astronomy recommendations are meant to serve as a roadmap for equity and inclusion in astronomy.

Read the Inclusive Astronomy 2015 Recommendations (or the “Nashville Recommendations”) here: http://bit.ly/2bhQoxZ

 

5) Call for Planetary Science Educational Resources

Europlanet is developing educational activities about key topics in planetary science for primary and secondary school education, relating to astronomy, geology, atmospheric sciences and technology. These educational resources will be part of the official Europlanet collections, reviewed and submitted through IAU astroEDU. The team is looking for scientists and educators who are interested in participating in activities about space technology and planetary geology. If you have any ideas about educational activities that should be part of the official Europlanet collections, please get in touch with Tibisay Sankatsing Nava (Leiden University) at sankatsing@strw.leidenuniv.nl.

Learn more about Europlanet and astroEDU.

 

6) Constellation follow up activities in the Amazonia

Constellation is a project officially endorsed by the IAU Cosmic Light programme and in 2015 it brought together schools from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru to create a South American network of schools committed to sharing the exciting world of astronomy with their teachers and students. The GalileoMobile project is a part of this Constellation initiative, and it needs your help for the next step. A crowdfunding campaign will allow the organisers to deliver astronomy outreach activities with students and teachers in the Amazonia and donate material to their schools.

Learn more about the program here: https://www.fiatphysica.com/campaigns/constellation-follow-up-activities-in-the-amazonia

 

7) World Space Week

Since the United Nations declaration in 1999, World Space Week has grown into one of the largest public space events on Earth. More than 1800 events in 73 countries celebrated the benefits of space and excitement about space exploration in 2015. Each year, the World Space Week Association (WSWA) selects a theme for the upcoming World Space Week (WSW) to provide a focus for the activities and events that take place throughout the world, between 4 and 10 October. WSWA is pleased to announce that the theme for 2016 is “Remote Sensing: Enabling Our Future”, an inward-looking theme which celebrates Earth Observation from Space for the betterment of the human race. With this topic, WSW2016 aims to inspire even more events around the world in 2016.

Learn how to join in the celebrations here: http://www.worldspaceweek.org/.

 

8) Brazilian Astronomy and Astronautics Olympiad

The Brazilian Astronomy and Astronautics Olympiad (OBA) is an educational project with a 19-year history that each year reaches nearly 800 thousand students and teachers nationwide in primary and secondary schools, in both the public and private systems. As in every Olympiad, the best students receive medals for their efforts. Its main goal is to improve science education in schools using astronomy as a motivator. As a result of severe budget cuts the resources to deliver the project have been diminishing, so OBA has launched a crowdfunding campaign to keep its projects going.

Learn more about the crowdfunding campaign here (in Portuguese and English): http://crowdfunding.kickante.com.br/oba-awakening-the-joy-for-science/

 

9) Meetings & global events

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

a) Recently added

IX International Conference on Oriental Astronomy
Date: 15-18 November 2016
Location: Pune, India
More Information: icoa2016.tifr.res.in

b) Important deadlines & information

1st Workshop on Astronomy Beyond the Common Senses for Accessibility and Inclusion
Registration Deadline: 20 September 2016
Date: 8 October 2016
Location: Cartagena de Indias, Colombia
More Information: wai.unal.edu.co/information/

c) Upcoming

1. 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/
2. Twenty-fourth Annual Conference (SEAC 2016)
   Date: 12-16 September 2016
   Location: Bath, England
   More Information: www.seac2016.com
3. 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
4. International Conference on Artificial Light at Night (ALAN 2016) Date: 26-28 September 2016
   Location: Cluj, Napoca, Romania
   More Information: www.artificiallightatnight.org
5. LARIM 2016: XV Latin American Regional IAU Meeting
   Date: 3-7 October 2016
   Location: Cartagena de Indias, Colombia
   More Information: larim.unal.edu.co
6. 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/
7. World Space Week
   Date: 4-10 October 2016
   Location: Worldwide
   More Information: www.worldspaceweek.org/theme/
8. International Observe the Moon Night
   Date: 8 October 2016
   Location: Worldwide
   More Information: observethemoonnight.org
9. DPS-EPSC Joint Meeting 2016
   Date: 16-21 October 2016
   Location: Pasadena, CA, United States
   More Information: www.epsc2015.eu
10. Arab Conference on Astronomy and Geophysics
    Date: 17-20 October 2016
    Location: Helwan, Cairo, Egypt
    More Information: acag-conf.org
11. 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/
12. IX International Conference on Oriental Astronomy
    Date: 15-18 November 2016
    Location: Pune, India
    More Information: icoa2016.tifr.res.in
13. 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
14. 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 and Spanish are available.

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.