Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of illustrations
- Preface
- Introduction
- Part I Astronomy in the curriculum around the world
- Part II Astronomy education research
- Part III Educating students
- Part IV Educating teachers
- Part V Astronomy and pseudoscience
- Part VI Astronomy and culture
- Part VII Astronomy in developing countries
- Part VIII Public outreach in astronomy
- Introduction
- 17 What makes informal education programs successful? (Total Solar Eclipse 2001 – live from Africa)
- 18 The role of science centers and planetariums
- 19 Science education for the new century – a European perspective
- 20 Communicating astronomy to the public
- Poster highlights
- Part IX The education programs of the International Astronomical Union
- Part X Conclusions
- Author index
- Subject index
20 - Communicating astronomy to the public
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 18 May 2010
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of illustrations
- Preface
- Introduction
- Part I Astronomy in the curriculum around the world
- Part II Astronomy education research
- Part III Educating students
- Part IV Educating teachers
- Part V Astronomy and pseudoscience
- Part VI Astronomy and culture
- Part VII Astronomy in developing countries
- Part VIII Public outreach in astronomy
- Introduction
- 17 What makes informal education programs successful? (Total Solar Eclipse 2001 – live from Africa)
- 18 The role of science centers and planetariums
- 19 Science education for the new century – a European perspective
- 20 Communicating astronomy to the public
- Poster highlights
- Part IX The education programs of the International Astronomical Union
- Part X Conclusions
- Author index
- Subject index
Summary
Abstract: Increased interest among education and public outreach specialists in coordinating the task of “Communicating Astronomy to the Public” led to a conference of that name in Washington DC, following an earlier conference in Tenerife the previous year. One outcome of the conference was the Washington Charter, which is to help foster such public education through statements of principles of action for funding agencies, professional astronomical societies, universities/laboratories/research-organizations, and individual researchers, respectively. Another outcome was the formation of a Working Group on the subject within the Union-wide Activities Division of the International Astronomical Union. Information about both outcomes can be found at http://www.communicatingastronomy.org.
Editors' Note: This paper was solicited by the editors in March 2004.
Nearly 250 outreach professionals in the astronomical community gathered in Washington, DC, on October 1–3, 2003, to attend the “Conference on Communicating Astronomy to the Public.” This three-day conference attracted public information officers, astronomers, educators, and members of the entertainment and news media to explore the gaps in outreach, the current and emerging demands of the public, the needs of the astronomical community, and to work on methods to answer these needs. “Education and Public Outreach,” now often abbreviated as “E/PO,” was the overall subject.
The conference was organized by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), for which I am a public information officer, and hosted by the US National Research Council. The morning sessions of this conference were based on a series of panel discussions, addressing such topics as astronomy in entertainment, image repositories, best practices, and underdeveloped audiences.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Teaching and Learning AstronomyEffective Strategies for Educators Worldwide, pp. 235 - 237Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2005