Category Archives: Flagship 1

IAU OAD Supported Initiative Wins Europlanet Prize for Public Engagement

Red de Estudiantes Colombianos en Astronomía (RECA) Educación, a Colombian non-profit that brings science, astronomy and planetary science to schools and communities across Colombia has been awarded the 2025 Europlanet Prize for Public Engagement. The award was presented at the the Europlanet Science Congress and the American Astronomical Society’s Division for Planetary Science (EPSC–DPS) Joint […]

Astronomy Project Strengthens Science Capacity in 110 Rural Colombian Schools

Bringing Astronomy to Rural Communities of Colombia (BARCo) supported teachers in remote areas by providing hands-on astronomy resources designed for classrooms with limited infrastructure, often lacking labs, consistent electricity, or internet access. The project equipped educators with ready-to-use, engaging materials that make astronomy both accessible and exciting. By reaching historically underserved rural schools, including those […]

Indigenous Students Encounter the Cosmos at Lake Ballard, Australia

The Ballard project visited a remote area, dark-sky site that enabled a group of Aboriginal students, from Governor Stirling Senior High School (aged up to 16 yrs), to participate in a one-week journey (between 18-22 August 2025), to Lake Ballard and Morapoi Station. Lake Ballard is an important dark-sky remote-area landscape in Western Australia, located […]

OAD Participation at the IAU Symposium on Indigenous Astronomy in the Space Age

The International Astronomical Union’s Office of Astronomy for Development (OAD) participated in the ongoing IAU Symposium on Indigenous Astronomy in the Space Age, highlighting the role of astronomy in sustainable development through astrotourism initiatives. Dr. Joyful Mdhluli delivered a presentation on the OAD’s Astrotourism flagship project, outlining how astrotourism serves as a catalyst for local […]

“A Cosmos of Languages”

As part of their OAD funded project, “Australia’s Cultural Night Sky: Culture, Creativity and Community at Lake Ballard, Western Australia“, Dr John Goldsmith in collaboration with Koya Aboriginal Corporation developed a festival exhibit “A Cosmos of Languages”. The exhibit was presented as part of the Denmark Arts Festival, Western Australia’s longest running community arts festival. […]