We want to bring your attention to the upcoming second milestone of the IAU100 celebrations -- the 50 years anniversary of the Moon Landing. We want to encourage you to visit our website and register your events. If you want your activities highlighted please send an email to IAU100 Moon Landing Project Manager, Bethany Downer, and let us know details of the activities you are implementing in your community celebrating the Moon Landing.
The deadline for applying to the IAU100 Women and Girls in Astronomy contest to attend the IAU Symposium on Astronomy for Equity Diversity and Inclusion, in Tokyo, Japan is rapidly approaching. If you implemented an activity in your community related to promoting equal participation in science and science education to underrepresented groups such as girls and women, we encourage you to apply for this unique opportunity.
In this issue, we want to highlight the NameExoWorlds global competition, encourage you to become a mentor for Einstein Schools and apply for an Above and Beyond exhibition posters.
Wishing you all clear skies and happy celebrations! Lina Canas, on behalf of the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach Team
Jorge Rivero, on behalf of the IAU Secretariat
1) IAU100 Launches the NameExoWorlds Global Competition
Over 70 countries have already signed up to organise national campaigns that will provide the public with an opportunity to participate in the IAU100 NameExoWorlds global competition. This project allows any country in the world to give a popular name to a selected exoplanet and its host star.
The 50th anniversary of the 1969 Moon landing on July 20th is drawing nearer, and we are encouraging people to organise events worldwide around it. The Moon Landing 50 website contains a variety of visual and informational resources that can support your activities. A booklet of educational resources has been compiled, with the event logo now translated into 44 languages (with the sources files available for you to translate into your language as needed), and don’t forget to register your event!
A special prize will recognize and celebrate the efforts of event organizers worldwide who promote women and girls in astronomy through the organization of innovative, creative, accessible, and sustainable public outreach events. To participate in the contest, event organisers are invited to register their IAU100 eligible event(s) and submit an evaluation form by 31 July 2019 after their event concludes for consideration in this contest. One winning event organizer will be invited to the IAUS 358 Symposium "Astronomy for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion" in Tokyo, Japan and receive funding to cover registration, travel, and accommodation costs.
The Einstein Schools Programme, a global project of the International Astronomical Union 100 Years Celebration, is looking for mentors to encourage middle and high school students around the world.
5) Bring the Above and Beyond Exhibition Posters to Your Community
Requests are now being accepted for those wishing to receive a free set of twelve printed posters that have been created as a scaled-down version of the IAU100 Above and Beyond Exhibition.
6) Global Astronomical Community Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of 1919 Solar Eclipse
The IAU100 supported various initiatives under the theme (and 2019 milestone) of the 1919 Solar Eclipse, including conferences, celebratory events, educational activities, and more. To signal this internationally relevant event, São Tomé and Príncipe received the visit of the President of São Tomé and Príncipe and the President of Portugal.
7) Hundreds of Participants Enrolled in Einstein Schools
Two-hundred schools from all over the world have currently signed up for the Einstein Schools IAU100 global project. Participants are actively exploring the role of gravity in modern astronomy: from gravitational waves and black holes, to Einstein’s birthday and the centenary of the 1919 solar eclipse that verified Einstein’s prediction on how starlight would bend passing near the Sun.
8) Moon Landing 50 Telescope Contest Winners Announced
Twenty recipients and organisations from around the world have been selected to receive a telescope to be used for outreach and education as part of the IAU100 global event Moon Landing 50.
The IAU100 Endorsed projects provide extra means to achieve the IAU100 main goals and objectives. This project category is intended to provide large global projects, which satisfy the vision of IAU100, with greater international recognition and an opportunity to connect with other celebrations worldwide.
Here you can find a list of astronomy outreach & education conferences and events around the world. Plan ahead for a very special year for Astronomy, full of interesting events!
a) European Week of Astronomy and Space Science
Date: 24 – 28 June 2019
Location: Lyon, France
More information: https://eas.unige.ch//EWASS/
b) Starmus Festival V: A Giant Leap
Date: 24–29 June 2019
Location: Zurich, Switzerland
More information: https://www.starmus.com/
c) Asteroid Day
Date: 30 June 2019
Location: Around the world
More Information: http://asteroidday.org/
d) 3rd Workshop on Dissemination and Education of Astronomy (WDEA III)
Dates: 2 July (Solar Eclipse), 4- 5 July 2019
Location: San Juan, Argentina
More information at http://sion.frm.utn.edu.ar/WDEAIII/
f) Astronomy Education Conference: Bridging Research & Practice
Date: 16-18 September 2019.
Location: Garching, Munich, Germany,
More Information: http://iau-dc-c1.org/astroedu-conference/
g) IAUS358: Astronomy for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion — a roadmap to action within the framework of IAU centennial anniversary
Date: 12-15 November 2019
Location: Tokyo, Japan
More information: https://iau-oao.nao.ac.jp/iaus358/
h) Art, Visualisation and the Cosmos in Education
Date 5-6 December 2019
Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
i) Robotic Telescopes, Student Research and Education Conference
Date : 8-11 December 2019
Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
More information: https://rtsre.net/
Have we missed something? Then share your astronomy outreach and education international meetings or events with us via outreach@iau.org.
11) IAU Astronomy Outreach Newsletter in other languages
- Translations into Serbian are available, by Dr Liliana Gracanin from Serbia: https://twitter.com/IAU_srpski ;
- Translations into Japanese are available, carried out by Akihiko Tomita through the Astronomy Translation Network: http://bit.ly/2xlNyCR. If you want to receive the Japanese newsletter translation, please subscribe to the Japanese Amateur Astronomers Association here: http://www.jaaa-astro.jp/jaaa-ml.html, or the Japanese Society for Education and Popularization of Astronomy here: http://www.tenkyo.net/;
- Translations into Galician are available, by Martin Pawley, Agrupación Astronómica Coruñesa Ío, in Spain here: http://agrupacionio.com/gl/tag/boletin-iau
- Translations into Spanish are available by Emílio Zuniga, the Association of Amateur Astronomers from León, Nicaragua: http://asafile.blogspot.jp/p/blog-page_12.html;
- Translations into Italian are available by Eleonora Piromalli, AstronomiAmo, from Italy here: https://www.astronomiamo.it/DivulgazioneAstronomica/Newsletter-IAU/last
- Translations into Russian are available by Artem Mokhnaktin, Central Astronomical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Pulkovo. You can find the latest translations of the newsletter here.
- Translations into (European) Portuguese are available, carried out by Catarina Leote, João Ferreira & Jonas Souza through the Astronomy Translation Network (ATN) Portuguese Language Group (the previous issue can be found here).
If you are interested in translating our newsletter into your language, please let us know via outreach@iau.org.
12) Contributions to the IAU Outreach Newsletter—looking forward to hearing from you in 2019
Here at the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach, we’re always looking for news about astronomical education and outreach events around the world. Please continue to share your stories with us in 2019! If you are organising 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.
You can send us your suggestions until the 4th (for issue #1) and the 17th (for issue #2) day of each month. We are looking forward to hearing from you.
