Stargazing Oxfordshire: University Researchers and Community Astronomers bringing Space Science to the Public
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Oxford
Department Name: Oxford Physics
Abstract
Our aims are:
1. To educate and inspire audiences from diverse backgrounds via access to the night sky with large and small telescopes;
2. To promote and demystify current astronomical research and the scientific method;
3. To support public involvement in observational astronomy, via their local community astronomy groups;
4. To bring together teachers, pupils and youth groups with graduate researchers;
5. To establish a community astronomy network, with the observatories in Oxford and Marlborough as central nodes.
The project will directly impact over 2000 people, most of which do not normally feel the benefit of living near a top-ranked research university. This direct impact will be in the form of science education, introducing them to the methods and results of scientific research, and allowing them to explore these concepts via hands-on activities. In particular, our central theme is astronomical observing. The sense of wonderment at the night sky is shared by all people: for us, it is a hook, allowing us to show how progress can be made through rational enquiry in the face of the unknown. The majority of the people we impact in this way will be schoolchildren of all ages, either on schools visits or attending open events with their families. Our impact is in illustrating, complementing and reinforcing concepts taught in schools by placing them in the context of astronomical exploration.
The project will indirectly impact many more people beyond these 2000. Those who attend our events, and absorb some of the messages outlined above, will propagate those messages in their own informal social networks. We see evidence of this via our online social network which simply reflects this process in miniature: the total reach of our web postings is approximately a factor of 5 greater than the number of people appearing as regular followers.
1. To educate and inspire audiences from diverse backgrounds via access to the night sky with large and small telescopes;
2. To promote and demystify current astronomical research and the scientific method;
3. To support public involvement in observational astronomy, via their local community astronomy groups;
4. To bring together teachers, pupils and youth groups with graduate researchers;
5. To establish a community astronomy network, with the observatories in Oxford and Marlborough as central nodes.
The project will directly impact over 2000 people, most of which do not normally feel the benefit of living near a top-ranked research university. This direct impact will be in the form of science education, introducing them to the methods and results of scientific research, and allowing them to explore these concepts via hands-on activities. In particular, our central theme is astronomical observing. The sense of wonderment at the night sky is shared by all people: for us, it is a hook, allowing us to show how progress can be made through rational enquiry in the face of the unknown. The majority of the people we impact in this way will be schoolchildren of all ages, either on schools visits or attending open events with their families. Our impact is in illustrating, complementing and reinforcing concepts taught in schools by placing them in the context of astronomical exploration.
The project will indirectly impact many more people beyond these 2000. Those who attend our events, and absorb some of the messages outlined above, will propagate those messages in their own informal social networks. We see evidence of this via our online social network which simply reflects this process in miniature: the total reach of our web postings is approximately a factor of 5 greater than the number of people appearing as regular followers.
Planned Impact
Active community websites play a vital role in keeping the local community involved in Astronomy in the region. These include the Oxford Astrophysics blog and facebook page (maintained by project personnel and others at Oxford Physics), the Blackett Observatory webpages, and the Abingdon, Chipping Norton, Science Oxford and RAL Dark Sky websites, all advertised to the wider community via facebook. This is our primary way for reporting our activities to a wider community of scientists, educators and outreach practitioners. We will explore improving the connectedness of this network in various ways, in order to raise the profile of each participating local group: one possibility is a central project website hosting documentation of all our activities, as well as listing information about local observing opportunities to observe the sky and learn about astronomy research.
Reports of events will also be carried out by BBC South TV (for the Stargazing Oxford festival) , BBC radio (Oxford and Wiltshire) and other local radio stations (eg Jack FM). Posters can be produced at Oxford Physics and distributed to the other groups. Events are and will be advertised in local newspapers and magazines both online and in print. Beyond the proposed collaborative local events, we will participate in a range of high visibility, independently organised local and national events, including Oxfordshire Science Festival, BBC Stargazing Live and Dark Sky Discovery events at RAL, the Wilderness Festival, and others. We will also continue to give talks at Cafe Scientifique, Oxford college events, Science Oxford, and in schools.
We will maintain and improve our schools network via the schools evenings at Oxford and MCBO, and by participation in workshops for teachers. Awareness of the programme in the astronomy and science outreach communities will be raised through articles in 'Astronomy Now', and 'Physics Education' magazines, and various other web-based magazines and blogs. Talks at Royal Astronomical Society Open Meetings and the National Astronomy Meeting will also be given. We also have experience on the international stage, giving talks at Symposia for Education in Astronomy (for example, CEB's talk at JENAM in Vienna as a member of IAU Commission 46).
Reports of events will also be carried out by BBC South TV (for the Stargazing Oxford festival) , BBC radio (Oxford and Wiltshire) and other local radio stations (eg Jack FM). Posters can be produced at Oxford Physics and distributed to the other groups. Events are and will be advertised in local newspapers and magazines both online and in print. Beyond the proposed collaborative local events, we will participate in a range of high visibility, independently organised local and national events, including Oxfordshire Science Festival, BBC Stargazing Live and Dark Sky Discovery events at RAL, the Wilderness Festival, and others. We will also continue to give talks at Cafe Scientifique, Oxford college events, Science Oxford, and in schools.
We will maintain and improve our schools network via the schools evenings at Oxford and MCBO, and by participation in workshops for teachers. Awareness of the programme in the astronomy and science outreach communities will be raised through articles in 'Astronomy Now', and 'Physics Education' magazines, and various other web-based magazines and blogs. Talks at Royal Astronomical Society Open Meetings and the National Astronomy Meeting will also be given. We also have experience on the international stage, giving talks at Symposia for Education in Astronomy (for example, CEB's talk at JENAM in Vienna as a member of IAU Commission 46).
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Fraser Clarke (Principal Investigator) | |
| Roger Davies (Co-Investigator) |