Planet Doodle
Lead Research Organisation:
University College London
Department Name: Mullard Space Science Laboratory
Abstract
Planet Doodle is a project to present the science of the planets and space to the general public, primarily through the medium of cartoons. Every two weeks, a Planet Doodle comic strip will be released on a dedicated website that will provide what's hoped will be an explanation of some aspect of current Solar System scientific research. This can be a summary of a particular planet or moon, a concept in space physics, a mission and its aims, or an explanation of how a particular instrument is used to learn more about planets and space science. During the three years of the project, over 70 comic strips will be produced. These will be available to the public on a dedicated website, and can be downloaded as pdf files for easy printing. These will be free to use for educational purposes.
The Planet Doodle comic strip will be produced by Geraint Jones, who will complement his drawing activities with public talks which will make full use of the Planet Doodle cartoons. The talks will be aimed at a range of audiences, from primary school to undergraduate levels.
The final aspect of the Planet Doodle project is sonification. This is a technique to make space science topics more accessible. Pictures of planet and moons are easy to understand, but many instruments on spacecraft record information that it more difficult to interpret, such as the energies of ions and electrons that are encountered by a spacecraft. It has already been demonstrated by others that by converting these less accessible data sets into sounds, they become more accessible, and, hopefully, will help the general public better understand the importance of the information sent back by various spacecraft instruments.
Through cartoons, talks, and weird space sounds, Planet Doodle will bring to many, varied audiences the excitement of our studies of planets, moons, and comets.
The Planet Doodle comic strip will be produced by Geraint Jones, who will complement his drawing activities with public talks which will make full use of the Planet Doodle cartoons. The talks will be aimed at a range of audiences, from primary school to undergraduate levels.
The final aspect of the Planet Doodle project is sonification. This is a technique to make space science topics more accessible. Pictures of planet and moons are easy to understand, but many instruments on spacecraft record information that it more difficult to interpret, such as the energies of ions and electrons that are encountered by a spacecraft. It has already been demonstrated by others that by converting these less accessible data sets into sounds, they become more accessible, and, hopefully, will help the general public better understand the importance of the information sent back by various spacecraft instruments.
Through cartoons, talks, and weird space sounds, Planet Doodle will bring to many, varied audiences the excitement of our studies of planets, moons, and comets.
| Description | There are several legacy outputs associated with this aware. The astrojots.com website has been kept live since the end of the award period, and continues to be accessed by members of the public. A Welsh-language version of some cartoon strips were created during 2022, and placed online at the website gofota.cymru . |
| Exploitation Route | https://gofota.cymru also to be included in the field above (form only allows one URL) This was a standalone project, but it could be used as a model for similar projects by others. |
| Sectors | Education,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| URL | https://astrojots.com |
| Description | The primary outcome of the Planet Doodle fellowship was the website astrojots.com It is on this site that many cartoons describing space and astronomical topics are hosted, and provided in the form of downloadable pdf files that are suitable for mass printing for use in schools, personal use, etc. [Astrojots has been used instead of the grant name Planet Doodle due to a clash with a Canadian company's name.] As was the original aim of the project, this website provides resources that hopefully educate and inspire children and adults of all ages. It is planned that the website will be maintained well into the future to maximize the benefits from this extremely valuable award. I continue to provide more content on this website as time allows, using personal resources; the resources have been downloaded over 700 times in the 2020-21 period, during lockdown. In-person outreach-related activities were unfortunately put on hold in late March 2020 onwards due to Coronavirus. The funding for the grant ended at that time too. The website continues to be maintained, and visitors to the site continue to download the comic strips. A Welsh-language version of the website is in the process of being developed in my own time. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2016 |
| Sector | Other |
| Impact Types | Cultural,Societal |
| Description | "Anturiaethau Cassini yng Nghysawd y Blaned Sadwrn 2004-2017" (Cassini's adventures in the Saturn System, 2004-2017) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Talk given to Gwynedd Scientific Society (Cymdeithas Wyddonol Gwynedd), Bangor, 13 November 2017. Extensive discussions with the audience at the end. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Astrojots Twitter feed |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Astrojots twitter account and associated facebook page reports on Astrojots strips, linking them to current stories in science and technology news in the areas of space science and astronomy. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016,2017,2018,2019,2020 |
| URL | https://twitter.com/astrojots |
| Description | Astrojots Website and Cartoons |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Astrojots educational cartoon strips are produced and posted on astrojots.com. The cartoons are free of copyright, and free for educators and members of the public to print out and distribute. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016,2017,2018,2019,2020 |
| URL | http://astrojots.com |
| Description | BBC Radio 4 Sound Places project |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Interview on the crossing of Comet Hyakutake's tail, and the sonification of the relevant data. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | BBC Radio Cymru interview in Welsh on Cassini mission end |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Extended interview explaining the significance of the Cassini Huygens mission. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | BBC Radio Wales Science Cafe interview on the history of spaceflight, 3 October 2017. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Extended interview on history of spaceflight |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | BBC World News TV interview on the Cassini mission. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Interview on Cassini/Huygens mission, 5 May 2017. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Comet Interceptor talk at European Astrofest meeting |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A talk given to the annual European Astrofest meeting, Kensington, on February 1, 2020. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://europeanastrofest.com/ |
| Description | Ice Worlds public talk, Swindon |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Talk given on "Ice Worlds" to members of the general public on the topic of "Ice Worlds", i.e. the frozen solid bodies of the outer solar system. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Made at UCL presentation and display |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Made at UCL event, 5/10/19 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | NASA media release on Comets' Dust Tails |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Report on research supervised and guided by Geraint Jones, where the solar wind's effects on comets' tails has been clearly seen for the first time. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/12900 |
| Description | Nova Hreod Academy, Swindon, talk on Landing on Other Worlds. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | A talk to pupils of Nova Hreod Academy, Swindon, on space exploration, especially moon landings. 16/7/20. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Poster and Talk on Astrojots project at AGU meeting, San Francisco. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Talk primarily to fellow scientists involved in outreach at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting 2019. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm19/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/623950 |
| Description | Poster presentation on Astrojots at European Planetary Science Congress, Geneva |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Poster on the Astrojots projects, funded by an STFC public engagement fellowship. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EPSC-DPS2019/EPSC-DPS2019-1710-1.pdf |
| Description | Pubic talk, Swindon, on topic of Landing on Other Worlds |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A talk at Commonweal School, Swindon, on topic of "Landing on Other Worlds". 16/7/20. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Public talk on landing on other worlds, Orpington astronomical society |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Talk on "Landing on Other Worlds", 24 May 2017. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Q&A with American International School Dhaka, Bangladesh |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Interviewed by schoolchildren on various space-related topics, via Skype. 6 March 2017. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Radio interview on Gravitational Waves, in Welsh |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | BBC Radio Cymru interview, 24 October 2017 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Radio interview on Solar Orbiter |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Interview on BBC Radio Cymru in Welsh on the Solar Orbiter mission. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Radio interview on black holes |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Radio interview on black holes, in Welsh, on BBC Radio Cymru. 12.4.20. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Radio interview on planetary rovers |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A radio interview on rovers, in Welsh on BBC Radio Cymru. 17/10/19. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Radio interview on space debris |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Interview on BBC Radio Cymru in Welsh on space debris. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Radio interview on space exploration |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Radio interview on space exploration, in Welsh on BBC Radio Cymru. 15/7/19 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Radio interview on space junk, in Welsh |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Interview on the hazards of space junk and the efforts made to control it. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Robert Le Kyng Primary School, Swindon visit |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Visit to Robert Le Kyng Primary School, Swindon, talking about the Solar System with around 120 pupils total over four 30 minute sessions. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | School visit (Amlwch) - Talk and discussion on careers in the space industry and academia with sixth-form pupils. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Ysgol Syr Thomas Jones, Amlwch; discussion with pupils about careers in science afterwards. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | School visit (London) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Talk in Welsh to primary school pupils in Key stage 2 on the topic of space and space travel. London Welsh School, Hanwell. 12 November 2017. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Secondary School Visit (Porthaethwy) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Talk and discussion on careers in the space industry and academia with GCSE and sixth-form pupils. Lots of discussion with the audience afterwards. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Secondary School talk, New College, Swindon |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Talk given to GCSE and A-level students on the Cassini mission, plus career advice. Talk given at New College, Swindon. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Talk and activities at Oaktree Primary School, Swindon |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | A talk to pupils of Oaktree Primary School, Swindon, on space exploration, especially moon landings, together with hand-on activities. 16/7/20. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Talk to Whiston Society, Clare College, Cambridge University, on The Cassini Mission |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | One hour talk given to around 50 science students students. Many questions answered afterwards. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Talk to the Friends of the RAS on comets |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Talk to the Friends of the Royal Astronomical Society on comets, including the Comet Interceptor mission. 27/11/19 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Welsh language website gofota.cymru |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Several Welsh-language cartoon strips were posted on the new website gofota.cymru |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://gofota.cymru |