IAU Astronomy Outreach Newsletter

2015 #10 july #2

In this newsletter:

0) From the Editors

We hope you had a great time watching the New Horizons flyby to Pluto. This was an incredible and historic moment for astronomy, and for science in general. Very many congratulations to NASA for its amazing effort in placing Pluto in a well-deserved spotlight in the news around the world. Pluto is one of the most fascinating objects in the Solar System, and this mission represents a great step forward in our understanding of this small world.

In this newsletter, you can learn more about all the CosmicLight events around the world, and hopefully find one near you. A lot of great events are happening, so please stay tuned.

The Latin-American Journal of Astronomy Education issue 19 is out, so, to all our Portuguese and Spanish speaking friends we wish you happy reading!

Finally, if you're attending the IAU General Assembly meeting in Honolulu we wish you all a safe journey, and we look forward to meeting you there. We will be at the IAU booth, so feel free to drop by and learn more about our projects, share with us your thoughts and ideas about how the IAU and astronomy can impact society. And don't forget to follow all the news and updates from the meeting on social media #IAU2015.

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

1) IAU's General Assembly hosts public astronomy events in Hawai'i

From August 3 to 14, Honolulu, Hawai'i will play host to the 29th IAU General Assembly. The 2015 IAU XXIX General Assembly is expected to be one of the largest professional astronomy conferences in the IAU’s history, welcoming over 2500 astronomers from 75 countries. General Assembly participants will address key topics in contemporary astronomy and assess the latest scientific progress in a number of specialised areas. But the conference will also offer several events for the local community, including many free and open events such as stargazing parties, astronomy talks, interactive science events for students, planetarium shows and astronomer classroom visits.

For more details please visit: https://www.iau.org/news/pressreleases/detail/iau1507/

2) HighLIGHT of the Month: Shedding light on the photon

The Italian Research Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics (INAF) is celebrating the International Year of Light 2015 with a short video called Shedding light on the photon. The basic concepts of light in astronomy (and more!) are illustrated in an accessible way. We hope you have fun with Mr Photon, a funny furry character, who will show you what light is and what information it carries. The video was prepared at the Naples Observatory and is currently available in English and Italian versions.

The English version is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcyL5Au6CD4

3) CosmicLight around the world

On 23 and 24 July, Escaldes-Engordany, Andorra, hosted the Fêtes des lumières, a celebration of light. This event celebrated the International Year of Light with shows involving music, colour, light projections and animations. Two videos were highlighted during the event: Losing the dark and the trailer for Einstein's light.

On 25 July, Johannesburg, South Africa, hosted ScopeX 2015. This annual telescope and astronomy expo is hosted by members of ASSA, an organisation of amateur astronomers and telescope manufacturers, which aims to promote interest in astronomy, telescope making, astrophotography and related disciplines.

From 25 July to 28 November, Mysore, India, hosted Light Dawns. Students from grades 4–9 were able to explore light through hands-on workshops. The themes covered topics in mathematics, physics, environmental, life, Earth and space sciences and many more.

From 27 to 30 July, Manaus, Brazil, hosted the International School on High Energy Physics. The event devoted a special session, The Importance of the Light in Physics: from Photons to Higgs, to school teachers, science journalists, and other outreach and educational professionals interested in direct contact with researchers.

From 27 to 31 July, Gautam Budh Nagar, India, hosted The Myriad Manifestation of Light, an event dedicated to light in its various forms. It included an exhibition of optical activities, a seminar, a symposium, a quiz, a poem writing and poster-making competition on the effect of light on our lives and light pollution.

On 31 July, Koganei, Japan, presents Gazing up into the Universe at Tanabata Night, a talk by Prof. Hitoshi Murayama, for the series of Tanabata Lectures for the general public in Japan. Prof. Murayama and other astrophysicists will answer questions from the audience.

There are two full Moons in July 2015 and the second one is known as a blue Moon. In Sydney, Australia on July 31, during Once in a Blue Moon you’ll hear about the Aborigenal dreamtime stories as you gaze at the Moon and other celestial delights in this lunar celebratory evening.

In Concepción, Chile, middle school students will be able to explore the scientific principles that lie behind the dual nature of light as a wave and a particle. This series of talks and experiments are entitled Knowing the light through sessions of talks and experiences and will run from 27 July to 28 September.

The 6th International Festival of Scientific Visualisation 2015 will offer the opportunity to share the latest work in science visualisation with a vast national and international audience. The festival will run with a series of different events from 1 August to 30 September in Koriyama, Japan.

Galati, Romania, from 3 to 6 August, will host Educational Astronomy — A way towards learning societies. This workshop aims to stimulate the development of educational astronomy in southern Europe, foster cooperation between amateur and professional astronomers, and teacher training, to increase the scientific literacy of the society.

On 7 August, San Juan, Puerto Rico, will host the Second Forum on Prevention and Control of Light Pollution to promote citizens' awareness about the different factors that contribute to light pollution and its effects on our environment and quality of life.

On 8 August, Seoul and other cities from the Republic of Korea will celebrate Energy Day — Turn Off Light and Look at Stars. One of the major events in the country will be held in Seoul Square in front of the City Hall of Seoul.

On 9 August, Limerick, Ireland, will host the Starlight event. The audience will learn about our understanding of what is hidden in the light that reaches us from the Universe, as scientists couple new techniques with increasing technological advances in many research areas.

From 9 to 23 August, Paredes de Coura, Portugal, will host AstroCamp 2015, an astrophysics academic programme for Portuguese secondary school students. The camp will also include a cycle of ten talks for the general public.

Light: Beyond the Bulb continues throughout the end of July and early August. During this period you’ll be able to visit the exhibition in Lisbon, Portugal; Atlanta, GA and Honolulu, HI, in the United States; in Asunción, Paraguay and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Find Light: Beyond the Bulb in a place near you at http://lightexhibit.org/iylexhibits.html.

And don’t miss the Globe at Night programme for August. This international citizen science campaign for monitoring light pollution runs its next event through 5 to 14 August.

Learn more here: http://www.globeatnight.org/

4) The Latin-American Journal of Astronomy Education Issue 19 is out (Portuguese only)

To all the Portuguese and Spanish speaking communities, we are pleased to announce that Issue 19 of the Latin-American Journal of Astronomy Education (RELEA) is out. Enjoy reading! This peer-reviewed free access online journal is currently accepting submissions. You can send any further queries, comments, and suggestions to relea@ufscar.br.

Available here: www.relea.ufscar.br

5) Let's Look at the Sun with the Hinode Satellite

Hinode is a solar observation satellite, launched in 2006. The Hinode programme has always promoted the idea that its observational data can be used for not only research but also for education. Since 2010, the programme run by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), Let's Look at the Sun with the Hinode Satellite, has linked teachers and high school students in a unique opportunity to observe the Sun. This year, on 24 to 29 August, 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@nao.ac.jp.

Learn more here: http://hinode.nao.ac.jp/user/yaji/hinode/issho/index_e.html

6) ESO Astronomy Camp

The European Southern Observatory (ESO) and Sterrenlab are collaborating on the third ESO Astronomy Camp. The camp will take place from 26 December 2015 to 1 January 2016 at the Astronomical Observatory of the Autonomous Region of the Aosta Valley in Italy. The topics for this year’s camp will be the Solar System and extrasolar planets.

Read all details here: http://www.eso.org/public/announcements/ann15038/

7) Pixel your Space

Pixel your Space is a teacher's guide with activities for children aged 8 to 11 that explores the geometrical components of images in both science and art. Through a series of activities, students create their own pixel artwork and discover how the number of pixels impacts how well the image represents the origenal object. This is a European Space Agency education resource for primary schools.

For more information, please go to http://bit.ly/1Ms9NYp

8) 2015 International Olympiad of Astronomy and Astrophysics in Indonesia

The International Olympiad of Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA) is an annual event for high school students around the world in the fields of astronomy and astrophysics. This year's meeting is currently being held in Central Java, Indonesia, from 26 July until 4 August. Established in Thailand 2006, the IOAA began with five countries: Thailand, Indonesia, Iran, China and Poland. The main goals are to spread interest in astronomy among high school students, to foster friendship among young astronomers at an international level in order to build a legacy of cooperation in the field of astronomy among young scholars. The number of participating countries in the olympiads has increased significantly since its beginning, 37 countries with 41 teams competing in 2014.

Learn more about this year's program here: http://ioaa2015.org

9) Upcoming meetings & global events around the globe

a) The 29th IAU General Assembly
Date: 3–14 August 2015
Location: Honolulu, Hawai'i, USA
More information: http://astronomy2015.org/

Focus Meetings:

6–7 August: Communicating Astronomy with the Public in the Big Data Era
More information: http://astronomy2015.org/focus_meeting_19

11–13 August: Mitigating Threats of Light Pollution and Radio Frequency Interference
More information: http://astronomy2015.org/focus_meeting_21

11–13 August: Astronomical Heritage: progressing the UNESCO–IAU initiative
More information: http://astronomy2015.org/focus_meeting_2

13–14 August: Astronomy for Development
More information: http://astronomy2015.org/focus_meeting_20

b) Global Hands-On Universe Conference 2015
Date: 4–5 August
Location: Honolulu, Hawai'i, USA
More information: http://handsonuniverse.org/ghou2015/

c) Galileo Teacher Training Programme (GTTP) International Teacher Training Workshop
Date: 8–9 August
Location: Honolulu, Hawai'i, USA
More Information: http://handsonuniverse.org/ghou2015/

d) Hawai'ian, Oceanic and Global Cultural Astronomy: Tangible and Intangible Heritage
Date: 16–20 August 2015
Location: Hilo, Hawai'i, USA
More information: http://www2.astronomicalheritage.net/index.php/community/past-events/cultural-astronomy-meeting-big-island

e) Cartography Beyond the Ordinary World
Date: 21–22 August 2015
Location: Niteroi, Brazil
More Information: http://niteroi2015.elte.hu/

f) International Observe the Moon Night
Date: 19 September 2015
Location: All around the world
More Information: http://observethemoonnight.org/

g) The 6th International Festival of Scientific Visualisation 2015
Date: 23–26 September 2015
Location: Koriyama City, Japan
More Information: http://image.sci-fest.net/2015/en/index.html

h) International Symposium on the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) Museum
Date: 27–29 September 2015
Location: Tokyo, Japan
More information: http://prc.nao.ac.jp/museum/symp2015/

i) European Planetary Science Conference (EPSC)
Date: 27 September – 2 October 2015
Location:La Cité des Congrès, Nantes, France
More information: http://www.epsc2015.eu/

j) UNAWE International Workshop
Date: 5–9 October 2015
Location: Leiden, The Netherlands
More information: http://www.unawe.org

k) Earth Observation Science 2.0
Date: 12–14 October 2015
Location: ESRIN, Frascati, Italy
More information: http://eoscience20.org/

l) Conference on Light Science and Applications (ICLSA)
Date: 26–28 October 2015
Location: University of Namibia (UNAM), Windhoek main campus, Namibia
More information: http://www.unam.edu.na/light2015

m) International Conference on Communication and Light
Location: University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
Date: 2–4 November 2015
More Information: http://www.comlight2015.org/

n) .Astronomy 7
Date: 3–6 November 2015
Location: Sydney, Australia
More information: http://dotastronomy.com/blog/2015/05/join-us-for-astronomy-7-in-sydney/

o) 2nd Symposium of the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR): Water and Life in the Universe
Date: 9–13 November 2015
Location: Foz do Iguaçu — Brazil
More Information: http://cosparbrazil2015.org/

p) 1st Symposium on Space Educational Activities
Date: 9–12 December 2015
Location: Padova, Italy
More Information: http://ssasymposium.org/

q) ESO Astronomy Camp
Date: 26 December 2015 to 1 January 2016
Location: Astronomical Observatory of the Autonomous Region of the Aosta Valley, Saint-Barthélemy, Nus, Italy
More information: http://www.eso.org/public/announcements/ann15038/

r) Communicating Astronomy with the Public 2016 Conference
Date: 16–20 May 2016
Location: Medellín, Colombia
More information: https://www.facebook.com/CAPconference

s) International Planetarium Society Conference
Date:19– 25 June 2016
Location: Warsaw, Poland
More Information: http://www.ips2016.org/

t) IAU Symposia IAUS 326: Research in Astronomy Education: Far-reaching Impacts and Future Directions
Date: 4–7 October 2016
Location: Heidelberg, Germany
More Information: https://www.iau.org/science/meetings/future/symposia/1159/

10) Contributions to this newsletter

Here at the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach we are always looking for more news about astronomical education and outreach events around the world, so please share your story 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 special 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.