The National Aeronautics and Space Administration/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency (NASA/ESA/CSA) James Webb Space Telescope launched on 25 December 2021. After investing $10 billion USD and two decades of construction and testing, all eyes were on the mission to see what it would reveal about the cosmos. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, serves as Webb's mission and science operations centre. As part of that role, STScI's Office of Public Outreach leads the public engagement efforts for the mission, which includes preparing news releases. This article describes the multi-disciplinary efforts by STScI that went into developing and disseminating Webb's first images and spectra.
This article focuses on developing feasible evaluation models for civic-led astronomy for development programmes in the Global South and, more specifically, astro-tourism initiatives. Using the case of the 3rd Astronomy Festival, implemented in Mexico by Tribu Cultura Astron & oacute;mica (Tribu) in 2023 and 2024. We will describe the methodological approach, methods and techniques used to develop an evaluation model that was feasible and adapted to local needs using the Theory of Change (ToC).
In this paper, we examine the exhibition of the Desert Stars VR, a component from the transmedia narrative Desert Stars, an outcome of the co-creation process between the Amanar project and the Saharawi community. The products of Desert Stars were developed as part of the Amanar astronomy outreach project that aims to support and inspire the Sahrawi community using astronomy. We focus particularly on the reception of this VR experience by the Sahrawi audience during the FiSahara International Film Festival. Our analysis delves into the feedback from the Sahrawi participants, examining how their reactions and interactions with the VR content reflect broader themes in scientific communication. We assess the successes and challenges encountered throughout this project, providing insights into how these experiences can inform future virtual reality applications in astronomy outreach. This discussion aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of how immersive technologies can be leveraged to enhance science communication and engage diverse audiences in meaningful ways.
The "Cascade Outreach Model in Astronomy Engagement" project, implemented during National Science Week 2023 in South Africa, was a collaborative initiative designed to ignite curiosity and foster a passion for astronomy among diverse communities, particularly the youth. The project also highlighted potential career paths in STEM fields. Through strategic partnerships with local education departments and the active involvement of dedicated outreach ambassadors-mostly astronomy postgraduate students-the initiative expanded its reach across six of South Africa's nine provinces.
Our relationship to the sky is complex and encompasses heritage interpretation, protecting environments and the dark skies agenda. Creating transformative experiences that communicate the emotional values that underpin this relationship often proves difficult. In particular, the qualities that make heritage sites excellent places to immerse oneself in its skyscape-at-risk or remote locations-limit the number of people who can experience it. Knowledge exchange between practitioners working at these sites and the public is essential for all stakeholders involved in astronomy communication as this fosters a wider understanding and appreciation of the cosmos.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers and science communicators experienced a rapid and unprecedented transformation from in-person to online science communication activities. One of the advantages of online activities is now considered to be the ability to include a broader range of people in scientific activities, including women and ethnic minorities. In this report, we quantify the impact of the in-person or online communication mode on the registrants' and attendees' demographics and discuss the potential of engaging a broader range of people at online science events. Hosting online public lectures and analysing survey results for the registrations and attendees, we find the age distribution of the attendees showcases a much higher fraction of teens and younger participants compared with an in-person case. The result also demonstrates that the fraction of female participants was higher in the online lectures. Our survey results suggest that an online public lecture allows us to reach more young people in their teens and twenties, as well as those underrepresented in STEM, such as women. We also found that providing the online recorded video was essential to sharing scientific stories with a broader audience.
Among many planetariums in Turkey, Istanbul University hosts the first planetarium in an astronomy department run by professional astronomers and graduate and undergraduate astronomy students. In this work, we present the design and some technical aspects of the planetarium, as well as our experiences since its opening in 2018.
Infini.to is a science center devoted to astronomy and space that contains a digital planetarium. Since its opening in September 2007, the planetarium has been one of the most essential tools for audience engagement and science communication at Infini.to. After more than fifteen years of trial and error, we have learned many lessons and identified several best practices, which we relay in this article.
In recent years, mainly in developed countries, there has been a significant increase in healthy lifespans as a result of advances in healthcare. For older adults, learning is important in improving their quality of life. However, previous research on lifelong learning for older adults has not covered science subjects, including astronomy, as learning subjects. Thus, this study investigates the contribution of astronomy to the needs of today's older adult learners. Based on the findings, and contrary to classical studies about learning for older adults based on research in the 1970s, present older adult learners who focus on astronomy are: 1) not looking for practical benefits from their learning; 2) not attempting to make new friends or reflecting on their past lives; and 3) simply enjoying learning itself and aiming to broaden their perspectives through learning. These findings imply that the community of astronomy communication should contribute to older adult learners by adapting various strategies to their needs and characteristics.
Contemporary assessments reveal the widespread repercussions of light pollution, impacting 99% of the population in the United States and Europe (Falchi et al., 2016). In Pakistan, a study employing satellite remote sensing and GIS techniques exposed the challenges posed by artificial light sources, impeding the nation's potential to establish Dark Sky Places (Butt, 2012). Over the seven-year period from 2012 to 2019, the city of Lahore witnessed a nearly 25% escalation in light pollution, affecting more than 50% of the city, emphasising the importance of government and public initiatives for mitigation (Nisar et al., 2022). This article asserts the critical need for effective measures to mitigate light pollution, positioning Pakistan as a distinguished destination for Dark Sky Places. Regrettably, a deficiency in awareness exacerbates light pollution in the region (Stare, 2022). Urgent and robust awareness initiatives are imperative to underscore the value of preserving natural darkness. This interdisciplinary examination delves into methodologies fostering public awareness of dark sky protection, emphasising their substantial impact on conveying the severity of light pollution, engaging diverse audiences, and garnering support for policies safeguarding the dark sky (e.g., Sleigh & Craske, 2017).
The rising tide of misinformation is compromising civic discourse, and the pervasiveness of pseudoscience threatens rational decision-making on scientific issues. This paper uses Google Books and Google Trends data to report on several types of astronomical pseudoscience in English language books since 1800 and English language online searches since 2004, with a particular focus on the United States regarding Internet searches. These tools can be unreliable for diagnosing subtle or short-term trends, but they are robust for major trends over long timescales. Astrology, UFO and related terms have increased in occurrence in books over the past half-century and in web searches since 2004. In the 21st century, there is a striking rise in the occurrence of the word horoscope in books and its use in web searches. Mention of UFO has increased steadily in books since 1950, and spikes in web searches in the 21st-century track with a national UFO reporting database. Three aspects of the "culture" of UFOs have appeared much more frequently in books since the 1990s: alien abduction, crop circle, and ancient astronauts. For web searches since 2004, the first two dominate, with the search peaks generally correlated with the release of related movies. By all these measures, pseudoscience is on the rise.
Exhibition booths provide a platform for organisations to showcase their specialities but are often limited by space and prohibitive costs for transporting large or fragile equipment. To address this, we developed a three-dimensional virtual exhibit that allows visitors to explore the technology and research behind the ASKAP radio telescope through interactive models of antennas and other components of the telescope array, including 360-degree visuals and animations. People can meet inside the virtual space regardless of their physical location to tour the exhibit and engage in discussions. The exhibition can be accessed through nearly any internet-accessible device, including a virtual reality (VR) headset, computer, or smartphone. The virtual exhibit was demonstrated at three in-person conferences by using a VR headset to access the exhibit from a conference booth, with both in-person and online team members to support the space. Participants were markedly impressed by the sense of presence in the 3D space and the ability to meet with experts who were not attending the conference. Such virtual spaces can be constructed relatively simply and have the potential to bridge online and in-person participants, as well as demonstrate facilities impossible to carry to event locations.
The International Astronomical Union National Outreach Coordinators (IAU NOCs) serve a vital role in their communities. As the tie between the IAU and local public engagement activities, they are responsible for disseminating materials and resources into their communities, broadening the IAU's reach, and leveraging astronomy communication to move toward a better and more equitable future. The NOCs and their teams truly embody the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach motto- Astronomy for Everyone. In 2024, the OAO is excited to join the rest of the IAU community at the XXXII IAU General Assembly in Cape Town, South Africa. In celebration of this event, we asked the IAU NOCs from across the African continent to describe their work, demonstrating the diversity of astronomy communication taking place in these communities.
In celebration of the planetarium's 100th anniversary, this article offers a case study of the Sheikh Abdullah Al Salem Cultural Center Planetarium. The planetarium emerges as a paramount symbol of the enduring significance of these celestial learning centres, uniquely positioned to champion astronomy education and the preservation of the pristine night sky. Through innovative initiatives and immersive experiences, this planetarium inspires the next generation of scientists and illuminates the path to a future shaped by scientific curiosity and cosmic exploration.
Accessibility in the planetarium requires architectural accommodations for differently abled people and careful preparation of accessible content. Noreen Grice has worked in content accessibility for astronomy in the dome and publications with NASA and other organisations for many years. This interview encapsulates her work and experiences.
This paper will examine how a simple archival research project in a planetarium can uncover competing narratives and forgotten figures. We set out to uncover how a Goto "Mars" projector was selected for the Armagh Planetarium in 1965 by looking at the remaining archival material from the period. The projector was the centrepiece of a new planetarium that had been in the planning stages for over twenty years when the first stones were laid. The projector would occupy a pivotal place in the mythology of the Armagh Planetarium, and its short seven-year reign saw the establishment of an institution that would survive significant internal and external turmoil. Contrasting the narrative and mythology around this central piece of equipment with the evidence uncovered in the archive reveals important considerations for how planetariums can research their own history.
Planetariums are usually known as non-formal learning spaces and an incredible way to communicate astronomical and scientific knowledge. However, this potential increases when we build a planetarium because we add knowledge and fun to the space. In this project, we report on constructing a planetarium for this innovative and stimulating learning environment. Currently, there are several models of planetariums, some simpler and others quite complex; however, they are almost always places of passive interaction. Here, we propose to build a cardboard planetarium, which allows a remarkable application of the STEAM strategy in a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) project that can actively involve children from age 12 directly in the construction process. We have designed and built a cardboard planetarium, 4 metres in diameter, with a capacity to host up to 20 children or 10 adults per session. The planetarium is composed of a dome and a base for support; both are constructed from cardboard with different thicknesses due to the individual function of each one. A pilot planetarium was successfully exhibited during a science festival in Portugal. There are plans to build other DIY planetariums in countries across Europe.
The Netherlands Research School for Astronomy (NOVA) has operated a Mobile Planetarium for over 14 years. Between 2009-2023, the project reached more than 400,000 learners and their teachers across the Netherlands. The project has been popular with schools since the beginning but continues to grow and reach increasing numbers of learners and schools each year. A project like the Mobile Planetarium does not continue growing this way without developing key ingredients or best practices. In this article, we describe the NOVA Mobile Planetarium project in detail and the challenges faced over the last 14 years. Reflection on the different aspects of the project has led to 10 best practices which have been critical to the continued success of this project. In this article, we aim to share our experiences to help other mobile planetarium projects around the world.
Because storytelling is a powerful communication tool, many advocate for its use for communicating science. However, astronomical storytelling is not so straightforward for those starting out in the planetarium field who might not know how to create a story from scratch. In this article, I will review the evidence for the effectiveness of storytelling, how stories have been defined in media, and the various types of storytelling frameworks that have been advocated for use in communicating science. I show how the And-But-Therefore (ABT) framework can describe most types of stories, including fulldome videos, and can be used to create compelling content for planetarium presentations. I give example story outlines and present a general guide on converting any science account into the ABT story form.
Audio Universe: Tour of the Solar System is an audio-visual show for planetariums and flatscreen viewing. It is designed in collaboration with members of the blind and vision impaired (BVI) community, BVI specialist teachers and their pupils. It aims to be suitable for audiences with all sight levels by representing key concepts through sound and using a carefully constructed narration. We present results from 291 audience evaluations from online viewers and audience members of several planetarium showings in the UK and Italy. We find a strong appreciation from BVI and non-BVI audiences, with similar to 90% scoring 4 or 5 (out of 5) for both how useful and enjoyable the sounds are. We also present results from surveying planetariums and communication leaders known to have downloaded the show. We find international success for special events, for BVI audiences and for those with other special educational needs and disabilities (SEND; including sensory needs and learning difficulties). Feedback suggests this is due to its multi-sensory, clearly narrated, and low sensory load (calm) production. However, we also describe limitations identified during this evaluation exercise, including the show's limited incorporation into regular (non-special) planetarium programmes. This highlights an ongoing challenge of creating a fully inclusive planetarium experience.
