Description
Organisers: Robert Massey, Andy Newsam, Lucinda Offer
40 years ago the Royal Society published its seminal report on what was then described as the โPublic Understanding of Scienceโ. Scientists moved first to public engagement, and more recently invited leadership from underserved communities, for example in the RAS 200: Sky and Earth and STFC Wonders schemes.
Few researchers now doubt the importance of public engagement. One slightly crude metric of its success is the popularity of astronomy undergraduate courses, with the number of students accepting places on these programmes growing from 581 in 2007 to 1795 in 2022.
On the other hand the field still has huge challenges in diversity. The 2023 Survey of the Demographics and Research Interests of the UK Astronomy and Geophysics Communities notes that women made up around 27% of lecturers in both astronomy and physics as a whole, for example, and just 4% of British academic staff were from minority ethnic groups.
So is it time to take a harder look at the effectiveness of the plethora of schemes to engage the โpublicโ with our science? Is the pressure for success preventing us from challenging ourselves to deliver change?
The session will include invited and contributed talks, and at least one panel discussion, thinking about how we can best draw on the incredible new astronomical facilities and space missions either under construction or expected to be operational in the years ahead.
This session will be organised by RAS staff and members of the RAS Education and Outreach Committee.
A look at some the tools, methodologies and the support available for those engaging the public with astronomy.
In this talk Adam Boal Public Engagement Officer at the Royal Astronomical Society will go through some of the steps to consider when your developing engagement activity. How to craft and tailor engagement activity to your audiences. Share top tips and how to avoid common...
Wynyard Planetarium and Observatory is located close to Stockton on Tees. This place exists since about 25 years and it was originally operated by paid staff within the local council. Due to a funding crisis the place had been threatened by closure, but local amateurs managed to take this place over after forming the TASC (Teesside Astronomical Science Centre) charity. This presentation...
The Jodcast is the UKโs longest running (and one of the worldโs longest running) astrophysics podcasts. The podcast has been produced by PhD students and staff from Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics for nearly 20 years and currently reaches a monthly audience of approximately 900 listeners. Its success lies in making advanced concepts from cutting-edge astrophysics research more accessible...
In astronomy outreach, 2D visual aids are traditionally used to explain astronomical topics, but these can fail to effectively convey complex ideas and engage a young audience. To address this, we created an interactive workshop series for under-served lower secondary school children (ages 11-14) in South Wales to explain star formation using 3D films. The visuals of our films are generated...
The Astronomy through the Herschels workshops foster social inclusion and raise aspirations, particularly among Wonder Communitiesโthose who may feel science isnโt for them or who have historically lacked equitable access to STEM opportunities. Part of the Explore Your Universe โ Valuing Inclusion project, supported by ASDC and STFC, the programme focused on three outcomes: developing a...
The University of Manchester Astronomy Society (AstroSoc) has been running for seven years. Established in 2017, it has been a platform for students to engage with astronomy and get hands on with the basics while having fun. As part of its activities, the society organised an observing session of the partial solar eclipse on Saturday 29 March 2025 in person with solar eclipse glasses,...
Over the last two decades, emerging methods of outreach have arisen. They have expanded outreach beyond public lectures, articles and science centre demonstrations to include dedicated television programs, astronomy videos (on platforms like YouTube, TikTok and Instagram) and podcasts. This phenomenon has been widening access to various publics.
In this workshop, we look at how to...
During the pandemic, and particularly during lockdowns, many youth groups struggled to keep meetings going and to keep their members engaged. Girlguiding was no exception, with leaders finding it incredibly challenging to adapt to online meetings, and girls losing interest as a result. The Girlguiding programme had recently undergone a major overhaul: one of the badges updated, in...
The Pan-African Citizen Science e-Lab (PACS e-Lab) is a nonprofit online platform dedicated to advancing STEM education through hands-on astronomy and space science activities across Africa, including North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa.
We run five main projects: exoplanet observations, asteroid searches, astrophotography, double star research, and radio communication with astronauts...
This presentation shares our approach to delivering astronomy education through both traditional and alternative pathways in UK secondary schools. It outlines the success of our GCSE Astronomy programme in London, with a focus on supporting students from low socio-economic backgrounds through targeted outreach and in-school visits to boost retention. We also highlight our transition to HPQ...
Solar eclipses offer unparalleled opportunities for public engagement in astronomy, as large groups of people often gather to view them. The affordability and flexibility of tools for viewing the Sun during an eclipse also make eclipses among the most inclusive and accessible of astronomical events. One unique way to view an eclipse that has recently become popular is the disco ball. These...
