The International Astronomical UnionPrograms for supporting the

teaching of astronomyin developing countries

Thailand and Laos January 2007

John HearnshawUniversity of Canterbury, New Zealand

Chair of IAU Comm. 46Program Group for

the Worldwide Development of Astronomy

Mt John location – where are we?

• On the SW shore of Lake Tekapo• Mackenzie basin• The geometrical centre of the South Island

• Latitude 43º 59.2' S• Longitude 170º 27.9' E• Altitude 1032 m above sea level

The observatory from the air

Mt John as seen from a hang-glider, looking north over LakeAlexandrina. The 1-m telescope is in the foreground.

The McLellan 1-m reflector

The McLellan telescope’s dome is 8 min diameter. The telescope was installed in 1986.

The McLellan 1-metre telescope

Testing on campus 1985 After installation MJ 1986

MOAtel completed – October 2004

MOAtel – the telescope onopening day, 1 December 2004

IAU: International Astronomical Union

Founded 1919Head office/secretariat in Paris

Holds General Assemblies every three yearsSponsors other conferences:• regional meetings• symposia• colloquia

Orion nebula

IAU members:

• 65 adhering countries (incl. Thailand from 2006)• about 9100 individual members

The adhering countries pay membership duesfrom their national academies to the IAU, depending on country size and number ofastronomers.Individual membership is free, but restrictedto professional astronomers (normally about3 years since PhD and active in research/teaching)

spiral galaxy NG

C 1232

IAU executive committee

The committee comprises:President: Catherine Cesarsky (France, ESO)General Secretary: Karel van der Hucht (Netherlands)President-elect: Robert Williams (USA)Assistant general secretary: Ian Corbett (Germany, ESO)Six vice presidents (from Brazil, China, Netherlands,Italy, South Africa, USA)Two advisors (from Australia and Norway)

north polar star trails

The IAU has 12 Scientific Divisions: Division I: Fundamental Astronomy Division II: Sun and Heliosphere Division III: Planetary Systems Sciences Division IV: Stars Division V: Variable Stars Division VI: Interstellar Matter Division VII: Galactic System Division VIII: Galaxies and the Universe Division IX: Optical and Infrared Techniques Division X: Radio Astronomy Division XI: Space and High Energy Astrophysics Division XII: Union-Wide Activities

IAU DivisionsM

t John Observatory, N

ew Z

ealand1-m

etre telescope

Commissions and workinggroups (or program groups)

• The IAU has 37 specialized commissions.• Several commissions are grouped together in each Division.• Each covers one particular branch of astronomy• The commissions may have working groups or program groups responsible for particular tasks within that branch of astronomy.

60-cm telescope at Mt John, New Zealand

IAU Commission 46:Astronomy Education

and DevelopmentCommision 46 is within Division XII for Union-wide matters.Comm. 46 president: Magda Stavinschi (Romania)Commission 46 has nine program groups• World-wide Development of Astronomy (WWDA)• Teaching Astronomy for Development (TAD)• Collaborative programs (CP)• International School for Young Astronomers (ISYA)• Exchange of Astronomers (EA)• Exchange of books and journals (EBJ)• Newsletter• Public education during solar eclipses• National liaisons

infrared image of

the Galactic centre (E

SO

)

Some IAU Comm. 46 officers, at General Assembly in Sydney, Australia, in July 2003. Left to right: J. Fierro (Mexico), J. Pasachoff (USA), S. Isobe (Japan), J. Percy (Canada), D. McNally (UK)

The Program Group for the World-wide Development

of Astronomy

• PGWWDA chairperson: John Hearnshaw (New Zealand) • PGWWDA identifies countries with the potential to develop astronomy education and research.• PGWWDA visits countries interested in increasing contact with IAU and reports back to IAU EC and to Commission 46 president• PGWWDA will encourage follow up with work of TAD, ISYA, EA Milky Way in infrared at 12, 25

and 60 μm with IRAS satellite

30 Doradus nebula in LMC

Program Group Teaching Astronomy for Development

• TAD chairpersons: Larry Marschall & Ed Guinan (USA)• TAD assists developing countries with astronomy education and research at university level• TAD sends visiting lecturers, and provides travel funds for graduate students and visiting scientists• During 2000-2006 TAD was active in Central America, Vietnam, Morocco, Philippines, Nigeria• TAD is planning support for Vietnam, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Philippines from 2007

Pleiades star cluster

Program Group: The International School

for Young Astronomers (ISYA)• ISYA chairperson: Michele Gerbaldi (France)• Each school brings together some dozens (30-40; > 33% foreign) of astronomy graduate students (MSc, PhD level) for lectures and practical work• Language used is English• Recent ISYA held in Cuba (1989), Malaysia (1990), Morocco (1990, 2004), China (1992), India (1994), Egypt (1994), Brazil (1995), Iran (1997), Romania (1999), Thailand (2001), Argentina (2002), Mexico (2005), Malaysia (March 2007)T

rifi

d ne

bula

, M20

globular cluster, 47 Tuc

Program Group for the Exchange of Astronomers (EA)

• EA chairpersons: John Percy (Canada), Kam Ching Leung (USA)• EA awards air fares for visiting astronomers to work in other countries for visits of at least 3 months• EA does not pay living costs• EA has recently supported exchanges for astronomers from India, Korea, Nigeria, Egypt, San Salvador, Argentina, Russia, Australia etc.• Recent host countries have been China, USA, Mexico, Canada, India, several European countriessp

iral

gal

axy

in A

ndro

med

a, M

31

The importance of astronomy education (courtesy of Fraknoi and Percy)

Astronomy education is important because:• Astronomy has influenced our history and culture through its practical applications and its philosophical and religious implications.• Astronomy has practical applications to navigation, timekeeping, calendars, climate.• Astronomy has advanced mathematics, science and technology.• Astronomy deals with our place in time and space; with cosmic roots, and the origins of Earth and life.• Astronomy reveals a vast, varied and beautiful universe.

The importance of astronomy education (continued)

• Astronomy harnesses curiosity, imagination and a sense of shared exploration and discovery.• Astronomy is the ultimate interdisciplinary subject.• Astronomy attracts young people to science and technology and can promote public understanding of science.• Astronomy (unlike many sciences) can be enjoyed as a hobby.• Astronomy puts our planet into perspective – especially issues of the environment and overpopulation.• Astronomy education promotes an awareness of the history of ideas in science. 1.8-m Japan-NZ alt-az

telescope at Mt John, NZ

The Astronomy Education Review is an electronic journal/website that provides a meeting place for all who are engaged in astronomy and space science education, in either formal or informal settings.

Other astronomy linksfor astronomy teachers

• Astronomy Education Review (http://aer.noao.edu)

United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (http://www.oosa.unvienna.org/)

• The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) is the United Nations office responsible for promoting international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space. • Assists developing countries in space technology and development.• Head office in Vienna, Austria

United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs

Astronomical Society of the Pacific

• http://www.astrosociety.org• Founded 1899• Head office in San Francisco• Supplies many educational maerials to teachers (slides, CDs, video tapes, posters) from Astroshop• Publishes Mercury magazine• Publishes many IAU publications, including IAU symposia, IAU Transactions

Astronomy picture of the day

Astronomy picture of the day(http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html)

• Website with excellent new pictures every day• Many pictures from NASA, and Hubble Space Telescope• Every picture has a brief explanation• Ideal resource for teachers and educators

Rosette nebula, N

GC

2237

Hubble Space Telescope website

• http://hubblesite.org/• Latest news, picture gallery and discoveries from the Hubble Space Telescope

Amazing space website

• http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/• Hubble website run by Space Telescope Science Institute• The Formal Education Group of the Space Telescope Science Institute's Office of Public Outreach• Promotes the science and majestic beauty of the universe for use in the classroom

Hubble S

pace telescope deep field: about 1500galaxies to m

ag. ~30, some over 10

10 yr old.E

xposure time 10 days

THE ENDη

Car

Hor

sehe

adne

bula

Cra

bne

bula

M51

Tri

fid

nebu

la