As we reach the end of the year, our team has been particularly busy wrapping up our projects in 2020. The most recent of which is the special issue of the CAPjournal about the IAU 100 years celebrations. Our team has invited the IAU100 Secretariat to join the editorial for this special edition and revisit some of the outreach projects from the 2019 celebration of astronomy. The IAU100 was truly a global event and we want to take this opportunity to thank you all again for joining us in the celebrations!
This issue we also want to bring to your attention the upcoming total solar eclipse in December (we’ll be sharing more resources in the next issue of the newsletter), the upcoming IAU Symposium 367, and encourage you and your students to join the 2020-2021 Scientist for a Day Essay Contest.
Wishing you clear skies and good health! Lina Canas & Izumi Hansen, on behalf of the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach (OAO) Team
1) CAPjournal #28 — IAU100 Special Edition Released
The 28th issue of the Communicating Astronomy with the Public journal (CAPjournal) is out now! This special edition dedicated to the IAU100 celebrations and featuring as guest editors the IAU100 Secretariat team. This issue includes a detailed analysis of the approach and methodology used for the overall coordination of the IAU100 initiative as well as the behind the scenes of successful IAU100 Global Projects such as the IAU100 NameExoWorlds and the IAU Above and Beyond exhibition.
The IAUS367: Education and Heritage in the Era of Big Data Astronomy will be streaming much of their programme for free on Youtube. The symposium focuses on the future of astronomical education in this new age of astronomical research. The symposium will be held between 8-12 December 2020.
Our NOC Togo Doh Koffi Addor and Telescopes4All partners Sterren Schitteren Voor Iedereen (Stars Shine for Everyone, SSVI) have announced the winners of their national drawing contest. The contest was created to engage kids in astronomy in a safe way during the pandemic.
4) Register your Astronomy Day in Schools Event for the December Eclipse
Educators and researchers hosting events for the 14 December Solar Eclipse can register their event with the Astronomy Day in Schools calendar, hosted by the IAU Commission C1 Astronomy Education and Development. For inspiration, Commission C1 has also gathered teaching resources about eclipses on their website.
The Astronomical Society of the Pacific has released a resource guide Astronomy of Many Cultures. The guide is a compilation of resources on astronomy and astronomers from different cultures, with a particular focus on non-white cultures.
Lots of astronomers love to answer questions from the public, and there are a number of groups that let people pose these astronomers questions. If you have a short question about astronomy, check out some of these groups below:
If you are aware of a similar programme in your country, please let us know about it by emailing us at public@oao.iau.org.
7) LightSound and Ochestar
Researchers at Harvard University have created two devices that allow people who are blind or have low vision to listen to light-related events, like eclipses. These devices, LightSound and Orchestar, have free instructions available online.
NASA is once more hosting the Scientist for a Day Essay Contest. The NASA contest is open to students with a sponsoring teacher. Essay writers are asked to research Uranus’ three moons, then choose which would be the best place to return to with a spacecraft someday. Full instructions and details on the international competitions are on the contest website.
Resources Astronarium
What: Television show produced by the Polish Astronomical Society and Polish Television with support of the Polish Ministry of Science.
When: Back episodes are available on Youtube
Where: https://www.youtube.com/AstronariumPL
Japanese:http://bit.ly/2xlNyCR
Translations are thanks to Akihiko Tomita, through the Astronomy Translation Network.
You can subscribe to the Japanese newsletter through the Japanese Amateur Astronomers Association (http://www.jaaa-astro.jp/jaaa-ml.html) or the Japanese Society for Education and Popularization of Astronomy (http://www.tenkyo.net/).
If you are interested in translating the IAU Outreach Newsletter into your language, please email public@oao.iau.org.
11) Contributions to the IAU Outreach Newsletter—looking forward to hearing from you in 2020
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 2020! 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 public@oao.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.
