[Beyond IYA2009] IAU Outreach Newsletter

Moved

noreply@blogger.com (Thilina Heenatigala) — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 17:47:00 +0000

For the IAU Outreach Newsletter, please visit http://www.universedowntoearth.org/?page_id=83

IAU Outreach Newsletter - February 01 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Thilina Heenatigala) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 08:26:00 +0000

In this newsletter:

1. First Announcement: CAP 2013 Conference
2. British Science Association Media Fellowships
3. UNAWE 2012 Impact Figures
4. Get your free copy of 'Max Goes to the Moon' from UNOOSA
5. STEM programme "Here, There, and Everywhere"
6. Telescopes to Tanzania: Project update on Astronomy.com
7. Upcoming EPO events

And for more updates, don't forget to follow @IAU_Outreach on Twitter.

Clear skies,

Sarah Reed
International Outreach Coordinator, IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach

1. First Announcement: CAP 2013 Conference

Details about the Communicating Astronomy with the Public (CAP) 2013
conference have been released. CAP 2013 will be held in Warsaw, Poland, 14-18
October 2013. As the venue for the conference is a modern planetarium, there
will be a special focus on audiovisual and multimedia communications. Other
highlights of the rich programme include how IAU initiatives are helping
formal and informal education in the developing world, and outreach
opportunities for the CAP community during in International Year of Light
2015.

First announcement: http://goo.gl/zxCLx

2. British Science Association Media Fellowships

If you are a practising researcher then the Media Fellowships scheme is for
you. A Media Fellow experiences first-hand how science is reported by spending
3-6 weeks on a summer placement in press, broadcast or online journalism. They
work with professional journalists to produce well informed, newsworthy pieces
about developments in science. The Fellows come away better equipped to
communicate their research to the media, public and their colleagues. They
develop writing skills that could help produce concise and engaging articles
and funding applications.
Application deadline: 11 March 2013

Website: http://goo.gl/wJISp
Poster download: http://goo.gl/MJk5P

3. UNAWE 2012 Impact Figures

The Universe Awareness (UNAWE) International Office has gathered data from the
national UNAWE projects about activities held in 2012. They were polled on
how many teachers and children they have educated and inspired, which
activities were carried out and how many invited schools held UNAWE events.
The results are displayed in an attractive infographic, which can be viewed on
the organisation's website.

More info: www.unawe.org/updates/unawe-update-1304/

4. Get your free copy of 'Max Goes to the Moon' from UNOOSA

Educators are invited to apply for one free copy of the space adventure book
for children, 'Max Goes to the Moon'. This was the first children's book to
be read aloud in space, by Astronaut Alvin Drew aboard the final mission of
the Space Shuttle Discovery. If you have a planetarium in your region, you can
also obtain materials for the 'Max Goes to the Moon' planetarium show at no
cost. Contact the author, Jeffrey Bennett, for more information
(www.jeffreybennett.com).

The books have been donated by Bennett and are provided to educators by the
United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs. To order your book, please
email your full address to to Romana.Kofler@unoosa.org or
Hans.Haubold@unvienna.org

Alvin Drew reading from space: http://goo.gl/AeAqo
Book website: www.BigKidScience.com

5. STEM programme "Here, There, and Everywhere"

"Here, There, and Everywhere" (HTE) is a NASA-funded programme that consists
of a series of exhibitions, posters and supporting hands-on activities (in
English and Spanish) that use analogies from everyday life to help teach
science, engineering, and technology (STEM). The target audience is small
community centres, libraries and under-resourced small science centres. The
purpose of the programme is to demonstrate the universality of physical laws
and the connection between our everyday world and the Universe as a whole.
Watch video podcasts, read blogs, see activity demonstrations and find out
more on the HTE project website. Educators may request limited copies of free,
large-format posters for display (available in English or Spanish).

Website: http://hte.si.edu

6. Telescopes to Tanzania: Project update on Astronomy.com
The Astronomers Without Borders' project 'Telescopes to Tanzania' gained
valuable publicity last month with a blog post on the website for Astronomy
Magazine.

Blog post: http://goo.gl/1i11u

7. Upcoming EPO events

7a) IMERSA Summit 2013 & Professional Development Seminars, 14-17 Feb,
(Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Denver, Colorado, USA)
Event website: http://goo.gl/22Mq4
Info on The FullDome Database: www.fddb.org/event/2013-imersa-summit/

7b) AAAS Meeting 2013, 14-18 February
(Boston, USA)
Event website: http://www.aaas.org/meetings/

7c) AAAS: International Teacher-Scientist Partnership Conference
(Boston, USA)
Event website: http://goo.gl/8qrtA

IAU Outreach Newsletter - January 11 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Thilina Heenatigala) — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 08:18:00 +0000

In this newsletter:

1. Join the Worldwide GLOBE at Night 2013 Campaign
2. NUCLIO & GTTP Comenius and Gruntvig Training Courses 2013
3. Last chance to book: Proposal deadline for the 2013 Science Communication
Conference (London, UK) is January 11
4. ASP 2013 Annual Meeting: Super Early Bird Registration is Open
5. Highlights of Astronomers Without Borders' latest activities

1. Join the Worldwide GLOBE at Night 2013 Campaign

GLOBE at Night is a citizen science project to record the brightness of the
night sky around the world. During five observing campaigns in 2013, children
and adults are asked to match the appearance of a constellation (Orion or Leo
in the northern hemisphere, and Orion or Crux in the southern hemisphere) with
seven star charts of progressively fainter stars. The data is collected to
produce an interactive map of all worldwide observations. There are five GLOBE
at Night campaigns in 2013: January 3-12, January 31-February 9, March 3-12,
March 31-April 9, and April 29-May 8. Make a difference and join the GLOBE at
Night campaign!

New for this year, the organisation is asking communities to plan observing
sites in the 'Adopt-A-Street' programme to create a map of light pollution in
their cities. The community to collect the most observations with reference to
population will win a prize organized by the International Dark-Sky
Association!

GLOBE at Night website: www.globeatnight.org
Adopt-A-Street programme: www.globeatnight.org/aas2013.php

2. NUCLIO & GTTP Comenius and Gruntvig Training Courses 2013

Three new Comenius and Gruntvig training events are planned for June and July
2013: 'Universe Quest', building games for education (in partnership with
Learnit3D); 'Astronomy@MyBackPAck'; and 'Astronomy@MyPC'. These training
events are open to everyone, but funding is available from the Comenius
Agencies for teachers in Europe. The main objective of these programmes is to
introduce educators to the use of new methodologies for science teaching.

The deadline for applications is January 16, 2013.

More information: http://goo.gl/YMyOp

3. Last chance to book: Proposal deadline for the 2013 Science Communication
Conference (London, UK) is January 11

Alice Taylor-Gee, The British Science Association: The Conference brings
together a diverse group of people to share ideas in science communication,
reflect on projects, discuss new areas of development as well as just enjoying
meeting new people and networking!

Delegates include those who work in research councils, the media, science
centres, festivals or museums, medical charities, learned societies, teachers,
funding bodies, as well as scientists interested in public engagement and
freelance science presenters. It really is a great mix of people and usually
attracts over 400 people each year. In 2013 the Science Communication
Conference will take place on 16-17 May in London, UK.

The Conference has a mix of plenary sessions as well as small break out
sessions. Although there is no set theme for the conference this year, there
are a few key areas we would like to cover and these can be found on our
website, along with the online form for submitting your proposal.

Conference website: www.britishscienceassociation.org/sci-comm-conf-2013

4. ASP 2013 Annual Meeting: Super Early Bird Registration is Open

The Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) celebrates its 125th gathering
of educators and public outreach (EPO) professionals on July 20-24, 2013.
Co-hosted by San Jose State University, the ASP’s 125th Annual Meeting will
take place in the nation’s hub of science, technology, engineering and math
(STEM) industries. Accordingly, the focus of the 2013 Annual Meeting is STEM
literacy across multiple disciplines, from earth science to space science,
from physics to astrobiology.

2013 also marks a Cosmos in the Classroom year. This unique triennial
conference welcomes more than 100 teachers of college-level introductory
astronomy for a series of education workshops about one of the most popular
basic science classes in universities across the country.

Conference website: http://astrosociety.org/education/asp-annual-meeting

5. Highlights of Astronomers Without Borders' latest activities

a) AstroArt Now an Ongoing AWB Program
The AWB AstroArt programme presents inspiring and thought-provoking artworks
involving astronomy, bridging the gap between the arts, science, astronomy and
culture. www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/projects/astroart.html

b) Dark Skies Awareness Blog Launched
In collaboration with the International Dark Sky Association (IDA) and GLOBE
at Night (GaN), Astronomers Without Borders (AWB) is launching a Dark Skies
Awareness blog. In this blog, you will find articles ranging from basic
information about light pollution to detailed analysis of new research.
www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/blog/dark-skies-awareness-blog.html

c) Astropoetry Blog Re-Launched
The AWB Astopoetry Blog will be re-launched this year, with new interactive
features. Blog Editor Bob Eklund said: “As the Astropoetry Blog begins its
fourth year of publication, it’s a good time to reflect on how it can be
improved to better fulfill its goals: helping to unite science and the
poetic/artistic spirit, bringing greater depth to the human experience of the
night.” www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/blog/astropoetry-blog.html
Email your poems or content for the blog to
astropoetry@astronomerswithoutborders.org

d) Share Your Culture’s Traditional Astro-Music with the World
The renowned musician and astronomy educator Matthew Whitehouse and AWB are
collaborating in a survey of traditional songs and dances associated with the
night sky. This is the first step toward creating a collection that will be
made available (free of charge) to researchers and enthusiasts around the
world on the AWB website. Contributions will be used strictly for educational
purposes, and no information will be used for financial gain. The survey will
run until the end of February, 2013.
www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/index.php?Itemid=705

IAU Outreach Newsletter #16

noreply@blogger.com (Thilina Heenatigala) — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 13:19:00 +0000

Hello,

In this newsletter:

1. GAM 2012 Astropoetry Contest
2. Google Code-in Contest for High School Students
3. Music Inspired by Astronomy: A Resource Guide Organised by Topic
4. WTAT Astrotruck Initiative
5. AAAS Mass Media Science & Engineering Fellows Program

1. GAM 2012 Astropoetry Contest
Astronomers Without Borders: The Global Astronomy Month (GAM) 2012 Astropoetry
Contest was a great success, with a total of 73 poems submitted. Our thanks to
all the fine poets, young and old, who contributed their work to the contest
and helped to make GAM a memorable event.
You can read the full story on our website: http://goo.gl/UM1Gg
The winning poems are posted here: http://goo.gl/eDP2C

2. Google Code-in Contest for High School Students
Carolina Ödman: Subscribers may be interested in this international
programming contest for high school kids. This is a great opportunity for
astronomers to demonstrate to kids in their local area that astronomers have
many useful skills as they help them to take part. The contest launched on 26
November and runs until January.
Contest website: http://goo.gl/dKuR6

3. Music Inspired by Astronomy: A Resource Guide Organised by Topic
Andrew Fraknoi: A new guide presenting 133 pieces of music inspired by
astronomical ideas (organised into 22 subject categories) was published
recently in the online journal Astronomy Education Review. Both classical and
popular music are included, and a short appendix lists a number of astronomers
who have recorded songs and self-published them. If you can't immediately name
the six songs that include valid information or ideas about black holes, this
is the list you want to consult.
Read the guide: http://goo.gl/qLqg6

4. WTAT Astrotruck Initiative
(Project website forwarded by Kevin Govender, Director of the IAU Office of
Astronomy for Development)
The Wilgenhof Trans Africa Tour (WTAT) -- a 65-day tour across numerous
African countries, undertaken by 55 students known as 'Wilgenhoffers' -- set
off on the road on 22 November. In support of the IAU's Strategic Plan,
Astronomy for Development, the group will run street astronomy events during
the trip. You can follow the progress of WTAT on the project's blog.
WTAT blog: http://goo.gl/99Eo6

5. AAAS Mass Media Science & Engineering Fellows Program
AAAS: Our 10-week summer program places graduate and post-graduate level
science, engineering and mathematics students at media organisations
nationwide [United States]. Fellows have worked as reporters, editors,
researchers and production assistants at such media outlets as the Chicago
Tribune, Los Angeles Times, National Public Radio, Sacramento Bee, and
Scientific American. Participants come in knowing the importance of
translating their work for the public, but they leave with the tools and the
know-how to accomplish this important goal.
To apply: http://goo.gl/ZW0MG

How to submit an item for the next newsletter:
Please send your news and events (short paragraph with links) with the subject
line 'Mailing list contribution' to sarah.reed@nao.ac.jp I look forward to
promoting all of your wonderful public outreach activities!

Clear skies,
Sarah

Astronomy Outreach Coordinator
IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach

Solar Eclipse Update

noreply@blogger.com (Thilina Heenatigala) — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 10:51:00 +0000

Dear all,

Please find below links to several websites that will be streaming the total
solar eclipse from Australia on 14 November (local time). Totality will begin
at 06:35 Australian Eastern Standard Time on 14 November (20:35 UTC on 13
November).

I would like to thank Thilina Heenatigala from Astronomers Without Borders for
compiling the list.

Cairns Solar Eclipse, 2012
http://www.eclipse2012.org.au
The official destination website for the total solar Eclipse over Cairns and
Great Barrier Reef will feature Terry Cuttle from the Astronomical Association
of Queensland as the host. He will be joined by Kate Russo (eclipse chaser and
author), Ben Southall (winner of the 'Best Job in the World' promotion and
tourism ambassador), Richard Fitzpatrick (an underwater cameraman, will be
live from under water) and Alan Hale (from Hale-Bopp comet who is studying
comets close to the Sun which can only be seen during an eclipse).

2012 Eclipse live from a Cairns Hot Air Balloon
http://www.hotair.com.au
Up to a dozen hot air balloons floating west of Cairns, Queensland Australia,
with visitors from 20 different countries will be part of a live webcast of
the 2012 total solar eclipse.

SLOOH
http://events.slooh.com
SLOOH will broadcast a free, real-time feed of the stunning total solar
eclipse live from Cairns, Australia. The broadcast team includes Patrick
Paolucci, Bob Berman, Lucie Green, Matt Francis and Paul Cox.

Cairns City Eclipse 2012 webcam
http://www.eclipsecairns.com
Can't make it to Cairns to see the Eclipse? No problem! Just check back on 14
November before 6:39am AEST (GMT+10) to see it live on our webcam.

GLORIA Project
http://live.gloria-project.eu
Videos and pictures of the eclipse will be broadcast live on the internet
starting at 20:30 UT. Additionally meteorological data will be collected to
allow students to perform an interactive experiment. During the broadcast
there will be live commentary in Spanish and English.

Live Web Camera from Port Douglas Australia 2012
http://www.zincportdouglas.com/solar_eclipse_port_douglas.html

Clear skies!
Sarah

Sarah Reed
IAU Astronomy Outreach Coordinator
IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach

Astronomy News and Events #14

noreply@blogger.com (Thilina Heenatigala) — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 15:12:00 +0000

Greetings all,

From now on, the 'Astronomy News and Events' updates will be compiled by the
IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach (OAO). The OAO was set up to build on the
momentum of IYA 2009, and this mailing list is a valued part of its legacy.
Please send your news and events (short paragraph with links) with the subject
line 'Mailing list contribution' to sarah.reed@nao.ac.jp I look forward to
promoting all of your wonderful public outreach activities!

In this update:

1) Urgent Appeal: Telescopes to Tanzania
2) Astronomers Without Borders Solar Viewing Glasses
3) African Cosmos: Stellar Arts exhibition
4) Astronomy News from Sri Lanka
5) Report on World Space Week 2012 Celebration in Bangladesh
6) Visionaries Wanted for the First SPACE Retreat

1) Urgent Appeal: Telescopes to Tanzania
Astronomers Without Borders: "There is an urgent need for support for the
Astronomers Without Borders (AWB) programme 'Telescopes to Tanzania'.
Workshops will be held in Arusha, Tanzania, for 80 teachers from around the
country, and resources provided that cannot otherwise be obtained in Tanzania.
However, the economic situation, due to the drought and famine, threatens the
participation of many teachers. You can help!" Read more:
http://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/projects/telescopes-to-tanzania/13-pr
ojects/current-projects/1246-urgent-appeal-telescopes-to-tanzania.html

2) Astronomers Without Borders Solar Viewing Glasses
Astronomers Without Borders: AWB-branded solar viewing glasses (certified 100%
safe) are once again available for the upcoming solar eclipse, and other solar
viewing occasions. All proceeds support AWB programs worldwide. They are
currently available in packs of 50 only. $2/pair ($100/pack of 50). Available
in the new AWB online store:
http://shop.astronomerswithoutborders.org/collections/frontpage/products/solar
-viewing-glasses

3) African Cosmos: Stellar Arts exhibition
Jay M. Pasachoff, Williams College, Massachusetts: "For over a decade,
National Museum of African Art curator Christine Mullen Kreager has been
compiling ideas about African artwork relevant to cosmology. Her work has
culminated in an excellent exhibition in this Smithsonian Institution museum,
which is on the National Mall in Washington, DC, until 9 December. Most of the
exhibition deals with African carvings. Of particular interest to me, since my
visit to the Dogon Country in Mali in 1970, was the set of masks from that
part of Africa. I learned that the carved wooden Yoruba bowl that I had
brought back from Africa contained the sky or heaven represented in its upper
part and the physical world in the lower."
Further information can be found at:
http://africa.si.edu/exhibits/cosmos/index.html. The mounted
exhibit is in several parts, described at
http://africa.si.edu/exhibits/cosmos/celestial.html.

4) Astronomy News from Sri Lanka
Prasanna Deshapriya, University of Colombo: "We're going to revive regular
activities of the Astronomy & Space Study Center (ASSC) from Saturday, 3
November. ASSC is a local institute for regular astronomy practices and
outreach events and has been rending an immense service to our island for more
than 24 years. However, since 2006, its activities had been put on hold. We
are finally going to revive it, thanks to the commitment and dedication of
many. We've already published some articles online about this in our local
language Sinhalese and English."
Links:
http://skylk.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=427:2012-10-29-0
8-44-31&catid=18:astronomy-news&Itemid=3#axzz2AbyJJH00
http://iya2009sl.blogspot.com/2012/10/revival-of-astronomy-space-study-center.
html

5) Report on World Space Week 2012 Celebration in Bangladesh
F. R. Sarker, Bangladesh Astronomical Society: "We celebrated World Space Week
2012 at Enayetpur on 5-6 October. It was the 10th Anniversary of celebrating
World Space Week in Bangladesh. For a full report, please click the link
below."
Link:
http://www.bangastrosociety.org/WSW-2012_Celebrated/WSW_2012_Enayetpur_Banglad
esh.htm

6) Visionaries Wanted for the first SPACE Retreat
Virgiliu Pop, Scientific Preparatory Academy for Cosmic Explorers: "Fellow
space enthusiasts, I would like to invite you to apply to the 1st SPACE
Retreat - a 'ties-off, minds-on' un-conference / un-iversity / writers retreat
8-22 January, taking place on the isle of Tenerife, Canary Islands. The
two-week event, will be an informal occasion whereby the participants will
take turns in being lecturers and students -- assisting others while being
themselves assisted by their fellow attendees -- in writing space habitation
related papers. The event is organised by the Scientific Preparatory Academy
for Cosmic Explorers (www.spaceacad.org), a nascent institution based on the
Isle of Man aimed at changing the space education paradigm. The registration
fee for the event is 300 euros, which includes accommodation in a three-person
self-catering apartment. Some financial help may be available for participants
from disadvantaged backgrounds. For more information and to apply visit
www.spaceretreat.org. See also: www.facebook.com/events/362479160495901/
Should your institution be interested in sponsoring the event, please
contact me at vp@spaceacad.org
Ad astra."

Kind regards,
Sarah Reed

IAU Astronomy Outreach Coordinator
Office for Astronomy Outreach

Astronomy News and Events #13

noreply@blogger.com (Thilina Heenatigala) — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 12:09:00 +0000

Greetings all

More astronomy news and events below:

1. The IAU Office for Public Outreach has just this week begun operations at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, under the capable leadership of Sarah Reed who many of you may know. Watch this space for more information about this office which will be of great interest to everyone on the Beyond IYA mailing list. Some information about the office and Sarah's position can be found at http://bit.ly/yizCoS

2. REMINDER: the deadline is fast approaching for applications from all over the world for grants relating to astronomy activities at University, School or Public level. For more information visit the OAD website, specifically http://www.astro4dev.org/cfp. Please spread the word!

3. From Rosa Doran, an EU competition for 14-18 year olds: "I would like to call your attention to an interesting contest taking place in Europe http://www.odysseus-contest.eu/ You have plenty of time. Don't miss this opportunity."

4. From Andrew Fraknoi: Resources for Addressing Student and Public Fears About Astronomical Causes for the End of the World in 2012

As students return to school this fall and the media and web hype about Doomsday 2012 reaches a final, fevered pitch, all of us in science education will need to be prepared to respond to concerns from those who are genuinely worried or confused. Two new resources are now available for educators, parents, youth group leaders, and science communicators to address fears that world-wide disaster is coming on Dec. 21, 2012:

- A guide to accessible written and audio-visual materials (most of them freely available on the Web) has just been published in the journal "Astronomy Education Review":

http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/AER2012021 (click on the "Download PDF" link under the author's name for the easiest way to see the entire article).

- A video recording of the plenary session "Doomsday 2012 and Cosmophobia" at this summer's meeting of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific has now been posted by NASA's Lunar Science Institute at: http://lunarscience.nasa.gov/articles/cosmophobia/

The panel, held Aug. 7, 2012 in Tucson, Arizona, includes astronomers, educators, and an expert on Mayan civilization. Panelists examine some of the key claims about end-of-the-world predictions and the more general idea of "cosmophobia" -- fear of celestial events and phenomena. And they answer questions from educators in the audience. The website also includes an overview letter from Dr. David Morrison (of NASA and the SETI Institute) and links to useful resources.

5. ASTRONOMY AMBASSADORS: A NEW PROGRAM FOR EARLY-CAREER ASTRONOMERS WHO WANT TO DO OUTREACH (Workshop Jan 5 & 6, 2013 at the Long Beach American Astronomical Society Meeting):

The American Astronomical Society (working with the Astronomical Society of the Pacific and other organizations) is sponsoring a new program to support early-career astronomers (graduate students, post-docs, new faculty) with training, resources, and a web-based community for doing effective outreach to schools and to the public. If you are a new astronomer with an interest in spending a fraction of your time helping students or the public become more scientifically literate, this is an invitation to join our inaugural cohort. For now, some of the costs are being underwritten by the AAS Council. The first workshop for the "Astronomy Ambassadors" program will be held before the January 2013 AAS meeting, where participants will spend two active, hands-on days learning techniques, examining selected materials, and getting to know each other and an existing community of astronomers who do and support outreach activities. Applications are due by no later than Oct. 24th.

For more about the program, see: http://aas.org/education/ambassadors

For more workshop information, visit: http://aas.org/meetings/aas221/ambassadors_workshop

To complete an online application, go to: http://aas.org/meetings/aas221/ambassadors_application

Please send me your news and events (short paragraph with links)

Regards

Kevin

Kevin Govender

IAU Office of Astronomy for Development

www.astro4dev.org

Astronomy News and Events #12

noreply@blogger.com (Thilina Heenatigala) — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 20:07:00 +0000

Greetings

Astronomy related news and events below...

1. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the European Southern Observatory (ESO) we launched two public competitions with exciting awards: a trip to Paranal Observatory in Chile, being the first member of the public ever to decide what the Very Large Telescope (VLT) observes, the latest iPad and many other ESO products.

For choosing what the VLT should observe and winning an iPad please visit this page (http://www.eso.org/public/vote/eso50/) — Choose what the VLT observes!

To win a trip to Chile, all expenses paid, please visit this page (http://www.eso.org/public/outreach/50years/competitions/twitter.html) — Tweet your way to the VLT!

The competitions' deadline was 31 August 2012. More details can be found at the links above, as well as in this press release. (http://www.eso.org/public/news/eso1232/)

2. GLORIA has organized the next web broadcast. This time it will be the Northern Lights Expedition to Greenland:

http://gloria-project.eu/2012/08/shelios-en/

It is not as unique as the Venus Transit, but still may be quite spectacular, if the weather cooperates.

3. September 21, the International Day of Peace (Peace Day), is an opportunity for peacemakers around the world to replace world conflict with world friendship. The international organization StarPeace will celebrate this day by organizing mutual public star parties near the borders of neighboring countries. Astronomers Without Borders will join hands with StarPeace as a partner organization to celebrate the 'Peace Day'. We invite AWB friends around the world to join us.

http://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/news/1208-celebrate-peace-day-with-a-star-party-sept-21.html

4. SKYCUBE: A SATELLITE FOR EVERYONE

Astronomers Without Borders is partnering with Southern Skies, developers of the popular SkySafari apps for Apple and Android devices, to put a new satellite into orbit. A nanosatellite whose "owners" contribute as little as one dollar, SkyCube will allow its thousands of supporters to send messages from space and take images looking back at Earth. Astronomers Without Borders (AWB) member programs will use the satellite's unique capabilities, including its high visibility when it inflates a reflective balloon near the end of its mission. Southern Skies will in turn donate up to 50% of proceeds from SkyCube donations made through Astronomers Without Borders back to AWB global programs.

http://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/projects/skycube-satellite.html

5. REACH FOR THE STARS - AFGHANISTAN

A new Astronomers Without Borders project, Reach for the Stars - Afghanistan, has launched with the goal of establishing the first astronomy curriculum for young children in Afghanistan. Created in collaboration with the Astronomical Association of Afghanistan, Reach for the Starts - Afghanistan will be based on Afghan culture, the countries rich heritage of Islamic astronomy, and modern science. Schools, orphanages and refugee camps in and around Kabul will also receive scarce educational resources to be used in the programs. Supporters are needed to bring the stars and science to the children of Afghanistan.

http://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/projects/reach-for-the-stars-afghanistan.html

6. TELESCOPES TO TANZANIA

Telescopes to Tanzania (TtT), a successful program that brings scarce educational resources to one of the world's poorest countries, is now under the aegis of Astronomers Without Borders. TtT is expanding the educational capacity of the teachers and schools of a country where a lack of basic resources means stronomy is taught without telescopes, chemistry without labs, geography without maps. In the fall of 2012, TtT will expand its program with training sessions for 80 secondary and elementary teachers in the use of basic science equipment donated by the program, impacting the education of thousands of students.

Telescopes to Tanzania needs supporters to make this dream come true for as many teachers and students as possible. The costs in Tanzania are very low by western standards, but far beyond what Tanzanians can afford.

http://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/projects/telescopes-to-tanzania.html

Regards

Kevin

Kevin Govender

IAU Office of Astronomy for Development

www.astro4dev.org

Astronomy News and Events #11

noreply@blogger.com (Thilina Heenatigala) — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 20:35:00 +0000

Greetings all

Please see below a call for astronomy-for-development project proposals and two other exciting news items.

1. The IAU Office of Astronomy for Development, on behalf of its three Task Forces, calls for proposals relating to astronomy-for-development activities in the 2013 calendar year. Proposals are invited under each of the three Task Force areas: (1) Astronomy for Universities and Research, (2) Astronomy for Children and Schools, and (3) Astronomy for the Public. For more information and to download the respective calls and application forms please see http://www.astro4dev.org/index.php/cfp or contact Kevin Govender (kg@astro4dev.org). We look forward to supporting your projects which will contribute towards realising the vision of using astronomy for global development! Please feel free to pass this on to any other mailing lists or individuals who may be interested.

2. The final tally is now in from the seventh annual international star-hunting activity known as GLOBE at Night. During the 2012 campaign, citizen scientists around the world recorded a total of 16,850 measurements of night-sky brightness. More countries than ever before participated in the 2012 GLOBE at Night campaign. Read more at: http://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/news/1216-globe-at-night-2012-final-results.html

3. Astronomers Without Borders has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with World Space Week Association to jointly celebrate World Space Week on October 4–10 every year. The new relationship established by this MOU is expected to lead to greater cooperation between World Space Week (WSW) event organizers and AWB National Coordinators. World Space Week is an international celebration of science and technology, intended to educate, encourage, and inspire people everywhere in the human outreach toward space. Each year, the World Space Week Association, in coordination with the United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs, selects a theme that participants are asked to incorporate into their World Space Week events. The theme for 2012, "Space for Human Safety and Security," has been chosen to celebrate the many ways in which mankind's activities in space are improving our daily lives. Read more at: http://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/news/1214-awb-to-collaborate-with-world-space-week-association.html

Regards

Kevin

Kevin Govender

IAU Office of Astronomy for Development

www.astro4dev.org

Astronomy News and Events #10

noreply@blogger.com (Thilina Heenatigala) — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 06:46:00 +0000

Greetings all,

Please find some interesting news items below that may spark your...
Curiosity...

1. From Paulo S. Bretones, Luiz C. Jafelice, Jorge H. Horvath:
We are pleased to announce the release of the thirteenth issue (pdf)
of the "Latin-American Journal of Astronomy Education" (RELEA),
available at the site: www.relea.ufscar.br
Once again, we acknowledge your collaboration and valuable support. We
would like to request, not only a wide advertising of this issue, but
also a personal effort in launching a campaign for articles submitted
to our Journal. In this aspect, we also ask you to read, in
particular, our reflections and concerns in the editorial of this
thirteenth issue.Any comments and suggestions may be sent directly to
Prof. Paulo S. Bretones at the address:bretones@mpc.com.br

2. Celestron and Astronomers Without Borders, two world leaders in the
global astronomy community, have announced a partnership that will
benefit astronomers worldwide. Celestron is the global leader in
telescope design, innovating in manufacturing since their first
telescope was designed over half a century ago. Astronomers Without
Borders organizes the world's largest global astronomy programs, based
on the idea that "we all share the same sky". Astronomers Without
Borders' flagship program, Global Astronomy Month (GAM) in April, has
become the world's largest regular celebration of astronomy with
participation from the vast majority of the world's countries.
Celestron's mission to inspire a sense of wonder, knowledge and fun
about all aspects of astronomy in their customers worldwide matches
Astronomers Without Borders' mission to connect people worldwide
through a shared passion for astronomy. New initiatives will be
announced soon as the partnership moves forward. More information at
http://bit.ly/M0bRVd

3. 11th National Festival on Popular Astronomy, 4-6 Oct. 2012
Algerian astronomers invite worldwide participation in the country's
11th National Festival on Popular Astronomy, 4-6 Oct. 2012. The
gathering is both an astronomy exposition and a series of seminars and
workshops geared to the general public. The festival has grown to be
the largest multinational gathering of its kind in North Africa and
even perhaps in Africa. This year's theme is "Our Star the Sun". There
will be mch discussion about thecoming maxim of Solar activity next
year...
More at:
http://www.siriusalgeria.net/salon012.htm
http://siriusalgeria.net/salon012/participants.htm#a1

4. Celebrate the Curiosity Landing Live on Google +
Starting at 03:00 UTC August 6th (8:00 p.m. PDT August 5th) a live,
4-hour webcast, accessible via Google Hangout on Air, will highlight
the landing of the Mars rover Curiosity. During the webcast,
scientists, engineers and other experts will provide unique insight
into the rover and the landing, and viewers will have the chance to
interact and ask questions.
Hosted by Universe Today's Fraser Cain, along with Dr. Pamela Gay and
Dr. Phil Plait, the webcast will feature interviews with special
guests, a live video feed from NASA of the landing, and live coverage
from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and the Planetary Society's
PlanetFest by reporters Scott Lewis and Amy Shira Teitel, who will be
on location to interview members of the MSL team.
More: http://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/news/1215-celebrate-the-curiosity-landing-live-on-google-.html

5. MSL Live coverage by NASA JPL:
As Curiosity prepares to make its historic descent to the surface of
Mars, the Earth's inhabitants will be watching... and waiting.
Officially known as the Mars Science Laboratory, Curiosity is the
largest and most sophisticated vehicle ever sent to explore the
surface of another planet. With a landing system specially developed
to lower the 900 kg rover safely to the Martian surface, Curiosity
will be on its own for seven minutes as it descends towards Mars.
There's nothing controllers at JPL back on Earth can do but wait, and
the rest of the world will watch and wait with them. Catch the live
coverage at: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/participate/

6. Planetfest:
The Planetary Society's star-studded festival in Pasadena, just down
the road from JPL. CEO Bill Nye (the Science Guy), space author Andrew
Chaikin, actor Robert Picardo (Star Trek: Voyager's "Doctor"), JPL
scientists and engineers on the MSL mission, and more. It will all be
webcast live from Pasadena.
http://www.planetary.org/get-involved/events/planetfest-2012/

7. Curiosity's Seven Minutes of Terror: [video]
Team members at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory share the challenges
of the Curiosity Mars rover's final minutes to landing on the surface
of Mars.http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/24364591

8. Celebrate curiosity landing:
Plan an event around Curiosity's landing. Bring people together to
watch the landing, take telescopes to the streets to show Mars and
other objects to passersby, or find a new way to share the science and
excitement of the landing with others. Register your event at NASA
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/mars/eventlocations/index.html or
with Planetary Society
http://www.planetary.org/get-involved/events/planetfest-2012/worldwide.html

Send me your news items for the next one - just a short paragraph and a link
Regards
Kevin

--
Kevin Govender
IAU Office of Astronomy for Development
www.astro4dev.org

News and Events #9

noreply@blogger.com (Thilina Heenatigala) — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 05:40:00 +0000

Greetings all

Some news and information:

1. Telescopes4Teachers

Shouldn't every teacher and student have access to a telescope? Rick Fienberg and Doug Arion of the Galileoscope project think so, and so do Pamela Gay and her colleagues at Astrosphere New Media Association, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to improving science literacy and education. Astrosphere has created the Telescopes4Teachers program, through which supporters in the U.S. can make tax-deductible donations of Galileoscopes to their favorite teachers and schools. Supporters outside the U.S. can contribute too, but not tax-deductibly. There are two ways to donate Galileoscopes to schools via the Telescopes4Teachers program:

* In the U.S. (only), individuals and organizations can contribute $50 (for 1 kit) or $200 (for 1 case of 6 kits) and specify the teacher or school where the Galileoscope(s) should be delivered; the school must be a nonprofit educational institution serving grades from kindergarten through college. Where applicable in the U.S., these donations are fully tax-deductible.

* If you'd prefer to make a smaller donation, or if you live outside the U.S., you can contribute any amount toward the purchase of Galileoscopes to be shipped to underserved schools throughout the world. (Such contributions are not tax-deductible.) In partnership with the Galileo Teacher Training Program and the CosmoQuest citizen-science project, Astrosphere will identify teachers in financially struggling regions and provide them not only a case of Galileoscopes for their class, but also the training they need to teach astronomy effectively.

For more information or to make a donation, visit Telescopes4Teachers.org

[U.S. teachers: To receive free Galileoscopes for your classroom, you'll need to find a donor or donors willing to contribute $50 (1 kit) or $200 (1 case of 6 kits) and to specify your school as the recipient. We do not maintain a list of educators seeking donations.]

2. Science writing internship opportunity at EU Universe Awareness

EU Universe Awareness (EU-UNAWE) ― an IAU- and UNESCO-endorsed programme that uses astronomy to inspire children aged 4-10 years ― is looking for a science writing intern.

More information: http://www.unawe.org/about/jobs/

3. Since IYA, Mi'kmaw Elders Murdena and Albert Marshall and/or Canada Research Chair Cheryl Bartlett at Cape Breton University in Nova Scotia have continued to promote Two-Eyed Seeing as a way for Indigenous knowledges and mainstream sciences to work together for the benefit of all. Two prominent, recent examples include a presentation for university representatives from across Atlantic Canada re "Eight Elders' Recommendations for Honouring Traditional Knowledge" and discussion at the 2012 Governor General's Leadership Conference in Halifax. In addition, Two-Eyed Seeing has been adapted within the business case made by CIHR-IAPH (Canadian Institutes of Health Research - Institute of Aboriginal Peoples' Health) for research programming over the next five years and specifically within IAPH's new "pathways" signature road map initiative for Aboriginal health research in Canada. More information available at: www.integrativescience.ca.

Regards

Kevin

Kevin Govender

IAU Office of Astronomy for Development

www.astro4dev.org

[Beyond IYA2009] News and Events #8

noreply@blogger.com (Thilina Heenatigala) — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 05:39:00 +0000

Greetings all

I hope the recent solstice found you warm/cool depending where you are in the world, and that you enjoyed the Transit of Venus which happened since the last email.

Just 3 items this time:

1. Transit of Venus consolidation of experiences:

We have received many photos and reports from around the world and have put together a Google Map (http://bit.ly/LDWZiu) with pins at the various locations with links to what we've received thus far. If your location is not shown on that map please send your photos/stories/experiences to tov2012@astro4dev.org (ideally in a pdf file but any format will do). If you need to refer people to a webpage with some information about the consolidation of experiences, you can use http://www.astro4dev.org/index.php/oadprojects/tov2012

2. Public Science Projects - from Kimberley Kowal Arcand and Megan Watzke

The public science project "From Earth to the Solar System" (FETTSS) is now in about 100 different sites worldwide. FETTSS is a collection of high resolution images that showcases the discoveries and excitement of planetary exploration, with a focus on the origin and evolution of the Solar System and the search for life. For more information and to see exhibit photos, visit http://fettss.arc.nasa.gov/ Related to FETTSS and the theme of public science, we have a proposal up at Slate.com's Hive on Science Education. If you are interested in projects like FETTSS please visit http://hive.slate.com/hive/american-science-education/making-science-public We would also like to announce a new project launching in September 2012 called "Here, There & Everywhere" (HTE). In HTE we look at how our knowledge of familiar processes can be applied to help us understand similar behavior on grander scales, and in very different environments. If you would like more information on HTE, please don't hesitate to contact us.

3. First Light Initiative:

The fundamental vision of the First Light Initiative is that Aboriginal youth of all ages are exposed to telescopes, astronomy, and the wonders that fill the sky, invigorating their desire to learn, and to engage and explore with science and technology, while also learning their cultural traditions and oral history about the sky. The Initiative seeks to promote and enhance the education of thoughtful, inspired, and engaged youth who can create and innovate for the preservation, advancement, and health of their community. The First Light Initiative is a non-profit organization currently starting operations which will work with private, corporate, and government donors to raise operating revenue, and in-kind contributions. These will be used to directly advocate for and support the donation and installation of telescopes and related support to Indigenous, Aboriginal, and First Nations communities across the country, continent and globe to advance their educational success rates. The Initiative will strive to build relationships with the communities it works in to encourage and enable the keepers of traditional knowledge to use these opportunities to also share this knowledge with the younger generations. Placing telescopes and the related support into their communities, and building a capacity and venue to share in modern and traditional knowledge will encourage and invigorate young learners in many ways. Follow on activities and capacity building in the communities will grow the positive impact so that larger and more substantial installations will proceed. Eventually, significant installations may become catalysts in their own right supporting the education and pride of our Aboriginal communities in the form of scholarships, prizes, and bursaries to generations of our youth.

Website is still under construction: www.firstlightinitiative.com

If you have something relevant to this list please send me a short paragraph with a link and I'll send it out every other Friday.

Regards

Kevin

Kevin Govender

IAU Office of Astronomy for Development

www.astro4dev.org

[Beyond IYA2009] News and Events #7 - all about ToV

noreply@blogger.com (Thilina Heenatigala) — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 15:07:00 +0000

Hi all

This email being sent slightly earlier due to the big transit of Venus event coming up - and in fact every item below is about that event...

1. The now very popular Transit of Venus resource that's been doing the rounds is available in English, Marathi, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Bengali, Gujarati, French, Spanish, Italian, Persian.

Coming soon - Urdu, German, Dutch, Telugu. Download the material and distribute freely: http://transitofvenusncra.wordpress.com/

2. Lech Mankiewicz

For many people on the planet, June 5th/6th, 2012 will be the only chance to see a transit of Venus. What story do

we want to tell to our descendants who will see the next transit in 105 years? The GLORIA project would like

people to document this 'once in a lifetime' event by turning their cameras back to Earth to capture photos of

special places, everyday life, memorable events, themselves and their loved ones, on the days of June 5th and 6th

2012 and submitting them to the 'Transit of Venus - Message to the Future' group on Flickr.com. The photo

collection could be used, for example, by school children, to make a time capsule based on photos taken in their

locality, or to make a photographic exhibition or book, printed on archival paper. For all the details on how to

participate, please go to www.gloria-project.eu/get-involved

3. Steinar Thorvaldsen:

Here are the Norwegian Venus sites:

Tromso (midnight sun abd best view of Europe): http://site.uit.no/venus2012/
webcast: http://astro.viten.no/english.htm

4. Mary Stewart Adams

We are hosting a viewing event for the public at the Headlands International Dark Sky Park in NW Lower Michigan.
Follow this link for details: http://www.emmetcounty.org/transit-of-venus-2012-583/

5. From Fremont, Michigan, USA
The Dark Sky Astronomers will open the Stephen F. Wessling Observatory Tuesday, June 5th to view Venus transit the sun from 3:00pm to sunset. We will have several telescopes with solar filters available for the public to view the transit, including a PST to view the transit in hydrogen alpha. Visit our website for map, www.sfwobservatory.org

6. Kathryn Law:
PUBLIC TELESCOPE VIEWING SET FOR TRANSIT OF VENUS ACROSS THE SUN
The planet Venus will transit, or move across the face of the Sun on Tuesday,
June 5, 2012.This is a rare occurrence that will not happen again until 2117.
The public is invited to witness this event safely through a large telescope with
special solar filters provided by Living Desert State Park volunteer Jerry Krause.
Weather permitting, the telescope will be set up from 4:00 until 8:00 p.m. in the
parking lot of Living Desert State Park. In case of clouds or rain, we will have a
computer to view the transit via live feed. There is no fee for this program.
For more information, call Kathryn at 575-887-5516
Contact person: Kathryn law, Interpretive Ranger (575) 887-5516

7. Mike White:

The Los Angeles Astronomical Society along with the Burbank Sidewalk Astronomers will be hosting a Venus Transit Star Party at the Griffith Park Observatory located in Los Angeles, CA. U.S.A. Starting at 12:00 PM. 1900 UTC.

http://www.griffithobs.org/exhibits/special/Special_Event_Transit_of_Venus.html

This second link is to my Clubs Night Sky Network of the event.

http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/event-view.cfm?Event_ID=36289

8. Jason Kendall:

The Amateur Astronomers Association of New York will host the premier New York City viewing session for this once-in-a-lifetime event. The planet Venus will pass in front of the Sun, in an event that won't happen again for 105 years. In New York City, we'll see only a couple of hours of the event as the Sun sets in the West. But we'll see the first contact, and we'll have solar viewing telescopes, pinhole cameras and projection equipment to help show the public a view of this amazing event. After the Sun sets, we'll hold a public starparty to watch the Moon, Mars and Saturn as they go across the sky. The event is free and open to the public. It is suitable for people of all ages.

Official Website: http://www.aaa.org/transitofvenus2012

Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/293377017417389/

Our location is at Riverside Park South out on the pier next to Pier I Cafe:

http://www.nycgovparks.org/park-features/riverside-park/virtual-tour/riverside-park-south

9. Amanul Islam:

Venus Transit Observation in Bangladesh

For this event science organization Anushandhitshu Chokro arranges a National Venus Transit 2012 Observation Camp in front field of Motijheel Government Boys High School, Dhaka. The camp starts form 7 am and ends on at 11 am. An 8-inch Meade Cassegrain telescope, a Coronado solarscope and solar filters will be available to observe this phenomenon. The observation camp will be open for all. The emphasis of the camp will be on scientific literacy. Links:

http://www.achokro.org/
https://www.facebook.com/Anushandhitshuchokro

10. In Bonn / Germany a public observation of the VT June 6th is planned, starting 5:15 MESZ (shortly before sunrise) at the "Alter Zoll" near the river Rhine with a good view to the NE. We'll meet naturally only if sky conditons are ok. More infos will soon be posted on the website of Bonns Public Observatory, see

http://www.volkssternwarte-bonn.de/termine/Kalender.html

11. From Astronomers Without Borders:

VenusTransit Phone App ( http://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1060&catid=13&Itemid=491 )

VenusTransit Web App ( http://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1060&catid=13&Itemid=491 )

Live Webcast of the Transit of Venus from Mount Wilson Observatory (

http://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1196&catid=13&Itemid=541 )

Enjoy the event!

Regards

Kevin

Kevin Govender

IAU Office of Astronomy for Development

www.astro4dev.org

[Beyond IYA2009] News and Events #6

noreply@blogger.com (Thilina Heenatigala) — Fri, 25 May 2012 15:05:00 +0000

Greetings all
The Transit of Venus is almost upon us. Please spread the word widely
and enjoy your viewing with the useful resources and contacts
mentioned below.
Send me your events and I'll distribute...

1. From Niruj Mohan (NCRA)
Venus will come exactly between the Earth and the Sun on June 6th 2012
- this rare event will not occur for another 105 years. To help
mobilise people to watch this event, NCRA has published a graphic
novel to describe the history and science behind Venus Transits, and
also how best to see it next month. This is aimed primarily at high
school and college students.
This illustrated novel is available in English, Spanish, Hindi and
Marathi - and will be available in Bengali, Tamil, Kannada, Gujarati,
Persian, French, Italian and more, by this weekend. This work is
available at no cost, and is licensed under Creative Commons, and
hence we encourage you to distribute, email, print, photocopy, post
and host these files ! Currently, files are hosted at
http://mutha.ncra.tifr.res.in/ncra/for-public/transit-of-venus and
http://transitofvenusncra.wordpress.com/ and http://astrocast.org/
I will put up notices as and when other language issues are ready,
mainly on facebook. If you would like an email about a particular
release, let me know. Or better still, join
https://www.facebook.com/groups/400912229952196/. Do also pass on this
message to anyone else who maybe interested.

2. From Jackie Faherty (NSF International Postdoctoral researcher)
On June 5th/6th Venus will make its rare appearance as a small dot
across the face of the Sun. To celebrate the event a number of
Astronomers from mainland Chile are flying to the remote Easter Island
to view the event and make a measurement of first contact with local
students. We are hoping to link these students with others around the
globe to make a measurement of the distance to the Sun. Most
importantly we are looking to inspire our next generation of
scientists by demonstrating the power and accessibility of scientific
measurements from astronomical phenomenon while linking together
school aged students from different countries, cultures, political
histories etc. If you or someone you know will be viewing the transit
with students, please see our webpage for details on how to join our
global group. http://www.das.uchile.cl/~drodrigu/easter/index_en.html

3. From Rosa Doran (GTTP):
Two opportunities that should be of interest to you
GHOU2012 in Morroco . https://sites.google.com/site/ghou2012/home
EPSC2012 in Madrid
http://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EPSC2012/sessionprogramme/OEP
Make sure you don't miss the deadlines and come share with us these
important times for public outreach and education.

--
Kevin Govender
IAU Office of Astronomy for Development
www.astro4dev.org

[Beyond IYA2009] News and Events #5

noreply@blogger.com (Thilina Heenatigala) — Mon, 14 May 2012 15:49:00 +0000

Greetings all

News and events below

Thanks to Thilina and Avivah, anyone can view the past news mailings at http://beyondiya2009.blogspot.com/

Send me your items for the next issue...

Regards

Kevin

1. Share your GAM2012 Event Reports:

Did you organize an event for Global Astronomy Month 2012 in April? Share your event with others around the world! Just log in to your account on the AWB web site, click on the Blog tab on your profile page and start posting. Be sure to tag the post with the "GAM2012 Report" tag.

More info: http://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/gam2012-events/submit-event-report.html Check all the reports around the world:http://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/community/member-blogs/tags/GAM2012-Report

2. Reach for the Stars - Afghanistan:

Reach for the Stars - Afghanistan is an Astronomers Without Borders project in collaboration with the Astronomical Association of Afghanistan. The primary goal is to establish Afghanistan's first astronomy curriculum for young children set in the context of Afghan culture, Islamic astronomical heritage and modern science. Educational resources will be delivered to schools, orphanages and refugee camps in the Kabul area, and establish training and educational programs based on those materials.

Once established in Kabul, Reach for the Stars - Afghanistan will expand to the rest of Afghanistan, and then beyond across Asia, the Middle East and Africa. A documentary film will be produced to tell the story of this project to a broader audience, raising awareness and support.

More info at: http://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/projects/reach-for-the-stars-afghanistan.html

Reach for the Stars relies on donations to succeed, top donate visit our website: www.indiegogo.com/reachforthestars

3. First meeting of South East Asian Young Astronomer Collaboration:

The South East Asian Young Astronomer Collaboration (SEAYAC) will have the 1st Southeast Asian Young Astronomers Meeting on November 5-9, 2012 at Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, Philippines. The aim of the meeting is to gather young astronomers (undergraduate, graduate and early post-docs) from Southeast Asia and nearby regions who are conducting research in astronomy, astrophysics, space science and related field and present their current researches. In addition, senior astronomers will also conduct lectures on specific topics during the meeting. The Meeting will be a venue to meet fellow young astronomers and get to know each other on both professional and personal level. Participants are requested to submit a 500-word abstract about their current research on or before July 31, 2012. Limited funding is available for presenters of accepted papers. For further information, please visit the SEAYAC website, http://www.seayac.org/ or contact Dr. Rogel Mari Sese (SOC and SEAYAC Chair) at rmdsese@gmail.com. Limited funding is available for students of Southeast Asian countries AND currently based in Southeast Asia.

4. International Meteor Conference 2012:

The International Meteor Organization (IMO) will hold the 31st annual International Meteor Conference (IMC) in La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain, from 20 till 23 September, 2012. The conference will be organized by the Astro Travels agency in collaboration with the Cabildo of La Palma island authority which will sponsor this event.
This conference deals with all aspects of meteor observation as well as the underlying physics and is aimed at both amateurs and professionals.
The IMC 2012 will include an excursion to the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory (ORM) with a visit of three of its largest telescopes, among which the Gran Telescopio de Canarias (GTC) currently the largest optical telescope worldwide (10.4m diam). Given the beauty of La Isla Bonita, the organizers will offer up to seven optional extra days before the IMC to include some optional excursions in order to visit the most extraordinary places of La Palma.

More information: http://www.imo.net/imc2012/

5. GTTP session at COSPAR 2012:

There will be a special GTTP session during the next COSPAR (COMMITTEE ON SPACE RESEARCH) Assembly that will take place in Mysore from 15th to 22nd of July. This session is integrated in the scope of the COSPAR Panel of education sessions PE-1 and PE-2. The training session will take place in the framework of session PE-2.

More information and application forms at: http://www.site.galileoteachers.org/gttp-sessions/202-gttp-during-cospar-2012

6. GTTP session at EWSS 2012:

A GTTP training session will be held in Rome, on Friday, 6th of July 2012, at the Pontificia Università Lateranense during European Week of Astronomy and Space Science (EWASS).
The training session intend to introduce modern tools for science education such as: Planetaria Software, Image processing software, hands-on activities with readily available material, etc. Participants will have the opportunity to get in touch with the "Discover the Cosmos" tools and learn how they can be involved with this (EC FP7 funded project) that brings real research into classroom.

More information at: http://www.site.galileoteachers.org/gttp-sessions/204-gttp-at-ewass-2012

7. Safe Solar Viewers for the Venus Transit and Solar Eclipses:
Support Astronomers Without Borders global astronomy programs by purchasing safe solar viewers for the Venus transit and solar eclipses. Branded with the Astronomers Without Borders name, logo and motto, One People, One Sky. The backside is printed with safety information (English only). Volume discounts for 25 or more. Worldwide shipping.
http://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/support-awb/awb-merchandise.html

8. Free VenusTransit Phone App:
Owners of Apple and Android mobile devices can take part in the largest effort ever to reproduce the experiments of the 18th and 19th century to measure the scale of the solar system using the Venus transit. The free app was developed by Steven van Roode of the Transit of Venus Project in conjunction with Astronomers Without Borders.
http://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/projects/transit-of-venus/phone-app.html

9. Live webcast of the Venus Transit from Mount Wilson Observatory:
Astronomers Without Borders will webcast the Venus Transit live from Mount Wilson Observatory on June 5/6. The webcast will include interviews with experts and authors, vintage telescopes, and more. More details to come. http://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/projects/transit-of-venus.html

10. Behnoosh Meskoob from Iran is looking for collaborators for the Venus Transit. Details:

Behnoosh Meskoob

Student of Electrical Engineering, Dr Shariaty Technical University

Organizing Committee of "Venus Transit 2012 Project"- International Relations

National Point of Contact - I.R.Iran

behnoosh.meskoob@spacegeneration.org

11. Office of Astronomy for Development: Task Forces established!

The International Astronomical Union (IAU), through its Office of Astronomy for Development (OAD), has established the three Task Forces which will drive global activities using astronomy as a tool to stimulate development. These Task Forces are: (i) Astronomy for Universities and Research; (ii) Astronomy for Children and Schools; and (iii) Astronomy for the Public. The Task Forces are made of groups of experts in their field who give their time voluntarily to advise on and coordinate projects in the respective targeted areas of development. They are selected, as far as possible, on the basis of their skills, prior knowledge, experience, geographic locations and cultural diversity. After a lengthy nomination and selection process, approved by the Development Oversight Committee of the IAU, we are pleased to announce the names of the members of the three Task Forces. These individuals, together with the many passionate volunteers they will work with, will contribute to the vision of "Astronomy for a Better World!"

http://www.astro4dev.org/index.php/taskforces

Kevin Govender

IAU Office of Astronomy for Development

www.astro4dev.org

[Beyond IYA2009] News and Events #4

noreply@blogger.com (Thilina Heenatigala) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:18:00 +0000

Greetings all

I hope Global Astronomy Month is going well in your corners of the world!

Some news and events below:

1.Mark your calendar for the final week of Global Astronomy Month 2012
We are heading towards the final week of GAM 2012 packed with exciting programs such as cosmic musical performances, trip to the moon (and back), biggest Star Party, an online Messier marathon and many more. Save the dates and join in.
26 April Online Messier Marathon (remote observing event)

http://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/gam2012-programs/program-schedule/943.html

27 April Walking on the Moon (remote observing event)

http://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/gam2012-programs/program-schedule/1033.html

28 April Global Star Party

http://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/gam2012-programs/program-schedule/939.html

28 April Stars for All (remote observing event)

http://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/gam2012-programs/program-schedule/1034.html

28 April Opticks (live moonbounce event)

http://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/gam2012-programs/program-schedule/1034.html

29 April Cosmic Concert (live musical concert)

http://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/gam2012-programs/program-schedule/1071.html

30 April Write Your Name in The Sky (remote observing event)

http://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/gam2012-programs/program-schedule/938.html

2. Support Astronomers without Borders' Global Astronomy Programs

From now until the end of Global Astronomy Month on April 30 you can get a great price on the very popular SkySafari 3 apps for Apple and Android mobile devices and Mac OS X. During this special promotion, 30% of proceeds from all SkySafari 3 sales will be donated to Astronomers Without Borders to support Global Astronomy Month and other AWB global programs.
http://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/gam2012-news/latest-news/1136-skysafari-app-promotion.html

3. The Big Skype for the Transit, 5 June 2012

Astronomers around the world are invited to join us for our Big Skype event for the Transit of Venus. Groups coming together to take part at Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham include school and community astronomers from the West Midlands, Birmingham Astronomical Society, the University of Birmingham Space Research and AstroSoc, and the Planetary Society.
Andrew Lounds, astronomer, will introduce the Big Skype sessions and exchange of resources which may be booked in advance, at various times throughout the 5th of June.
Please send details of your group of local astronomers, location and projects you are interested to exchange through this unique day, or longer term with our groups in Birmingham, West Midlands and Dark Sky Discovery UK.
To Andy Lounds or Tony Fox, DSD WM Coordinator
cannonhillfriend@aol.com www.darkskydiscovery.org.uk West Midlands Region

4. Latest issue of Galileo Teacher Training Program newsletter is out. In the new issue you will find important announcements and amazing reports from GTTP friends around the globe. www.bit.ly/gttp-newsletter3

Regards

Kevin Govender

IAU Office of Astronomy for Development

www.astro4dev.org

[Beyond IYA2009] News and Events #3

noreply@blogger.com (Thilina Heenatigala) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 15:16:00 +0000

Greetings all

Your 2-weekly updates below:

1. GAM is for Everyone: Astronomy Resources for People with Disabilities: The sky belongs to everyone. The GAM 2012 People with Disabilities Working Group has created a list of resources to help you share the sky with the sight impaired. You'll be surprised how much can be done. There are materials to get you started with your own star party for the sight impaired as others have been doing. www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/gam2012-resources/links.html#People%20With%20Disabilities

2. Get Ready for the Global Star Party: April 28 sees GAM's ultimate observing event: the Global Star Party. Plan a star party to share the sky with the public and register it on the GAM 2012 website. Or find a star party to attend. Clubs will be holding events in countries around the world, showing how religious, national, cultural and political barriers fade into the darkness when we observe together, even at a distance. We are One People, One Sky. www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/gam2012-programs/program-schedule/939.html

3. GAM 2012 Partners with NASA and Astronomical Society of the Pacific: AWB is partnering with NASA's Night Sky Network and the Astronomical Society of the Pacific for GAM 2012 to promote and facilitate observing programs among more than 350 astronomy clubs across the United States. The Night Sky Network is a nationwide coalition of amateur astronomy clubs bringing the science, technology, and inspiration of NASA's missions to the general public. Its members share their time and telescopes to provide unique astronomy experiences at science museums, observatories, classrooms, and under the real night sky.

www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/gam2012-news/latest-news/1080-awb-partners-with-nasa-nsn-a-asp.html

4. Save the Night Sky! Join the worldwide dark skies awareness programs and activities during GAM and help preserve the night sky. Events include podcasts, day-long activities for children and adults, campaigns that measure light pollution, a photo contest, and a year-round program to preserve dark-sky observing sites. Partners include the US National Optical Astronomical Observatory, Globe at Night, the International Dark-sky Association, International Dark Sky Week, Starlight Initiative, and OneStar at a Time.

www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/gam2012-programs/dark-skies-awareness.html

5. The Classroom Astronomer Magazine presents a To Teach The Stars Workshop and Annular Eclipse Tour, May 18-21, 2012

Workshop On The Edge – A Ring of Fire at the Valley of Fire

Date: May 18-21, 2012. Location: La Quinta North Airport Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV, the Planetarium at the College of Southern Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, and near the Valley of Fire, NV. Saturday workshop topics will include observing the Sun, astronomy pedagogy, and eclipse observing, aimed at teachers, informal or formal, any age level. Sunday will include a bus tour thru the Valley of Fire geological zone at the southern limit of annularity, the eclipse viewing itself, a BBQ and night sky workshops. Why on the edge of annularity? Because we hope to view some eclipse effects longer, using observations to answer such questions as "Do shadow bands change direction as the solar crescent moves around the Moon's edge?"

Workshop leaders will include: Dr. Larry Krumenaker, Publisher, The Classroom Astronomer magazine, Dr. Kristine Larsen, Central Connecticut State University. and others.

For more info and registration, go to http://workshops.toteachthestars.net/VFTour.html .

6. Submit your Astropoetry to Olympicosmopoetriada - The Romanian Society for Meteors and Astronomy (SARM) brings us a new mulitimensional program of astropoetry. Learn how to become part of this new initiative. www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/gam2012-programs/program-schedule/1030.html

7. Do you work with children or school students?

Here's an excellent opportunity -- We are partnering with NASA MicroObservatory for the second consecutive year to bring an astrophotography contest for Global Astronomy Month 2012 (GAM2012). Participants get to use the MicroObservatory telescopes, process the images and submit to win!

More info: http://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/gam2012-programs/program-schedule/1054.html

GAM 2012: http://www.gam-awb.org

Spread the word!

8. Purchase and donate safe solar viewing glasses for the Venus transit and eclipses: Astronomers Without Borders is selling safe solar viewing glasses to support its global astronomy programs. Glasses can also be purchased for donation to clubs and schools in developing countries. The Venus transit will be seen by millions. You can help other astronomers and educators while supporting year-round global astronomy programs through your purchases and donations. http://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/support-awb/awb-merchandise.html

If you don't see the donation option on the order page, just mention your intention in the Note field. Or contact us directly, as well as for questions, at http://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/general-inquiries.html

9. JOIN THE 2012 HUBBLE'S HIDDEN TREASURES COMPETITION

Over two decades in orbit, the Hubble Space Telescope has made a huge

number of observations. Every week, we publish new images on the ESA/Hubble

website.

But hidden in Hubble's huge data archives are still some truly breathtaking

images that have never been seen in public. We call them Hubble's Hidden

Treasures -- and we're looking for your help to bring them to light.

We're inviting the public into Hubble's vast science archive to dig out the

best unseen Hubble images. Find a great dataset in the Hubble Legacy

Archive (http://hla.stsci.edu/), adjust the contrast and colors using the

simple online tools and submit to our Hubble's Hidden Treasures Contest

Flickr group (http://www.flickr.com/groups/hubblehiddentreasures), and you

could win an iPod Touch in our Hubble's Hidden Treasures Competition.

For an extra challenge, why not try using the same software that the

professionals use to turn the Hubble data into breath-taking images?

Download the data from the Hubble Legacy Archive (http://hla.stsci.edu/),

process using powerful open-source software such as the ESO/ESA/NASA FITS

Liberator (http://www.spacetelescope.org/projects/fits_liberator/) and make

a beautiful image for our Hubble's Hidden Treasures Image Processing

Contest Flickr group (

http://www.flickr.com/groups/hubblehiddentreasures_advanced). And you'll be

in with a chance to win an iPad.

Both parts of the Hubble's Hidden Treasures competition close on 31 May

2012.

The best datasets that you identify will also be featured as future

pictures of the week and photo releases on spacetelescope.org.

More information, watch Hubblecast 53, and visit the Hidden Treasures

webpage:

http://www.spacetelescope.org/hiddentreasures

[Beyond IYA2009] News and Events #2

noreply@blogger.com (Thilina Heenatigala) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 15:15:00 +0000

Greetings all

News and events below - please send me your short paragraph and link if you would like to post something here.

Regards

Kevin

1. A National Meeting on Science Education and Communication Tucson, Arizona, Aug. 4 - 8, 2012 (Andrew Fraknoi)

The Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP), in partnership with the American Geophysical Union and the National Optical Astronomy Observatories, is delighted to open the registration for
its 124th Annual Meeting and its national conference on "Communicating Science." Hundreds of education and outreach professionals, scientists, authors of print and on-line materials, journalists, public information officers, twitterers, and other involved in communicating science will be gathering at the air-conditioned DoubleTree Tucson hotel for panels, workshops, talks, posters, exhibits, and discussions. The conference web site has more detailed information and is now accepting registration and abstract submissions at: http://www.astrosociety.org/2012meeting

2. Royal Astronomical Society - IAU Office of Astronomy for Development Visiting Experts programme: Programme aims to support experts based in the UK travelling to developing countries to support astronomy for development. Call for proposals and details for travel grants at http://www.astro4dev.org/index.php/oadprogrammes/rasoadexperts.

3. UNESCO Astronomy and World Heritage Initiative: The project team is pleased to announce the launch of The UNESCO AWHI's Portal to the Heritage of Astronomy, sponsored by the RAS and IAU, at the UK-Germany National Astronomy Meeting NAM2012 in Manchester, United Kingdom. The launch (for astronomy and heritage professionals) will be communicated during the meeting's OUT1: Public Astronomy session on Wednesday 28th 10:00-11:15 (Talk 'Outstanding Universal Value' and UNESCO's new Astronomical Heritage Web Portal).

Link to the „Portal to the Heritage of Astronomy": www.astronomicalheritage.net

6. Take part in an international star party to promote peace during Global Astronomy Month in April. StarPeace and Astronomers Without Borders have partnered for 30 days of StarPeace. Simultaneous events, some with online interaction between clubs in different countries, will circle the globe through 10 segments of longitude. Beginning in Oceania during the first three days of April, the event sweeps eastward to cover the world by month's end. For more information see www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/gam2012-programs/program-schedule/1064.html.

7. How about a little trip to the Moon? Teaching and learning about science today is very exciting. The opportunities are various and one more exciting than the other. Well, here is another fun opportunity, Moonbounce your pictures or drawings. With the support of art and radio astronomy artist Daniela de Paulis together with a team of radio amateurs at Dwingeloo radio telescope in Holland, we will have the opportunity to MoonBounce images produced by schools. The campaign will take place during the Global Astronomy Month 2012. To know more about this project : http://www.site.galileoteachers.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=193:how-about-a-little-trip-to-the-moon&catid=1:announcements&Itemid=28

8. GTTP Training Opportunities:In 2012 we have a vast number of training opportunities for you.

· GTTP Training session during COSPAR 2012 in Mysore - India (look for Panel P – Scientific Event PE 2) - http://www.cospar-assembly.org/

· GTTP Training session in Beijing (August 2012) – link to be announced soon

· GTTP Training Session during EWAS2012 (July 2012 in Rome) - http://www.ifsi-roma.inaf.it/ewass2012/?page_id=546 (A special fee for teachers)

· GHOU/GTTP2012 – July 2012 – Morroco - https://sites.google.com/site/ghou2012/

· GTTP Comenius/Gruntvig Training Events in Portugal – (Fall 2012) - http://tiny.cc/e22ibw (Funding available via Comenius Agencies in Europe)

· EUHOU Comenius / Gruntvig Training Events in France and Greece (Fall 2012) – www.euhou.net (Funding available via Comenius Agencies in Europe)

· Discover the Cosmos Summer School – July 2012 – Crete – http://www.discoverthecosmos.eu/

9. Deadline for the submission of abstracts for the International Astronomical Union General Assembly in Beijing has been extended to 30th March 2012 (www.astronomy2012.org)

[Beyond IYA2009] Beyond IYA News and Events #1

noreply@blogger.com (Thilina Heenatigala) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 15:08:00 +0000

Greetings all

I've decided to start numbering these emails in the subject for convenience - let's call this #1.

Brief news and events below - please send me short descriptions and links for items you would like to post.

This email will be sent every 2 weeks unless (as in this case) there's a need to send it earlier due to events taking place.

Regards

Kevin

www.astro4dev.org

1. IAU General Assembly (Connie Walker): A Special Session on Light Pollution, SpS17, wil; take place August 29-31 at the International Astronomical Union General Assembly in Beijing. Abstracts deadline has been extended to March 17, 2012. For schedule and more information http://docs.darksky.org/PR/IAUAbstract.pdf. For more information on the IAU General Assembly and to view other sessions visit www.astronomy2012.org

2. Conjunction of Glory (Thilina Heenatigala): In collaboration with Amateur Astronomers Association of Kurdistan & Opportunity Astronomical Observatory (Iraq), presents"Beauty without Borders: Conjunction of Glory". Venus and Jupiter, the two brightest planets in the sky, will be within 3 degrees of each other in the evening sky of 15 March 2012 at 10:37:46 UTC. This will be quite a spectacle, as both planets are very bright—and this will be a fantastic visual and photographic opportunity, as it's not often that you get the brightest planets in our Solar System so close together. We are calling all the amateur/professional groups out there to get together to enjoy the beautiful views. Event page: http://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/projects/observing-activities/beauty-without-borders/1049.html; Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/events/307475112650751/; Conversation on Twitter: #VenusJupiter @awb_org

3. Safe Solar Viewing Glasses an International Fundraiser (Mike Simmons): Astronomers Without Borders (AWB) is selling certified safe solar viewing glasses for naked eye viewing of the upcoming Venus transit and solar eclipses. Sales proceeds go 100% to AWB global programs that connect astronomy enthusiasts worldwide. The glasses feature the NGO's motto, One People, One Sky, with instructions printed on the reverse side (English only). Volume pricing and international shipping are available. More at http://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/support-awb/awb-merchandise.html

4. Buy a Telescope and Donate a Second One (Mike Simmons): A new Astronomers Without Borders (AWB) program lets buyers of small, high-quality telescopes donate a second identical telescope to an astronomy club or school in a developing country for outreach and education for just 20 USD more. More at http://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/projects/telescope-donation.html

5. Venus Transit Phone App (Mike Simmons): A new app for Apple and Android devices allows users to make observations of the upcoming Venus transit and contribute to a central database in a recreation of historic experiments of the past. Though supplanted by other modern methods in the 20th century, this rare celestial phenomenon was the first method used to measure the scale of the solar system, prompting worldwide expeditions in the 18th and 19th centuries. The app, which is free to download and use, includes information on the Venus transit and a simulation for practicing the timing observations. More at http://transitofvenus.nl/wp/getting-involved/phone-app/

6. Information on UNOOSA (Hans Haubold): Since 1971, the United Nations is implementing an international Programme on Space Applications http://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/sapidx.html that is also, since 1991, focusing on the world wide development of astronomy and planetary exploration through the United Nations Basic Space Science Initiative (UNBSSI) http://www.iaucomm46.org/content/united-nations-basic-space-science-initiative-unbssi-1991-2012. Since the 1990's, the Programme on Space Applications has been extended to the regions through UN-affiliated Regional Centres for Space Science and Technology Education, located for Africa in Morocco and Nigeria http://www.enssup.gov.ma/craste/, http://www.arcsstee.org/; for Asia and the Pacific in India http://www.cssteap.org/; for Latin America and the Caribbean in Brazil and Mexico http://www.crectealc.org/. The Programme and the Regional Centres are organizing short and long term activities and projects in the disciplines of GNSS, space and atmospheric science, remote sensing, satellite meteorology, and satellite communications. It is substatially supported through the Centre for Basic Space Science (CBSS) in Nigeria: http://www.cbssonline.com/; Centre for Mathematical Sciences (CMS) in India: http://www.cmsintl.org/; International Centre for Space Weather Science and Education (ICSWSE) in Japan: http://www.serc.kyushu-u.ac.jp/index_e.html. Currently, the Programme is pursuing the inauguration of a Regional Centre for Western Asia, located in Jordan, and the development of an International Centre for GNSS Science, Technology, and Education, located in China. The Programme, Regional Centres, and specialized Centres have established long term cooperation in all disciplines of space science and technology and can be contacted for further information through their webpages.