Dark skies are not only a scientific resource, but a social, cultural, environmental, and economic asset. They are living heritage – essential to ecosystems, deeply woven into cultural identities, and increasingly recognised as catalysts for sustainable livelihoods through responsible tourism. Artificial light at night continues to increase globally, washing out the stars and disrupting natural […]
Category Archives: Flagship 1
2025, Australasia + Oceania, Australia’s Cultural Night Sky: Culture
Video: Australia’s Cultural Night Sky
08
Dec
Dec
Koya Aboriginal Corporation and Dr John Goldsmith / Celestial Visions have released a film of their project, “Australia’s Cultural Night Sky: Culture, Creativity and Community at Lake Ballard, Western Australia”. The video documents the journey and activities of 12 Aboriginal high-school students, visiting the remote, dark-sky location of Lake Ballard, in the Goldfields region of […]
BARCo: Bringing Astronomy to Rural Communities of Colombia., News, Press releases
IAU OAD Supported Initiative Wins Europlanet Prize for Public Engagement
15
Oct
Oct
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 […]
2024, BARCo: Bringing Astronomy to Rural Communities of Colombia., Latin America + Caribbean
Astronomy Project Strengthens Science Capacity in 110 Rural Colombian Schools
23
Sep
Sep
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 […]
2025, Australia’s Cultural Night Sky: Culture
Indigenous Students Encounter the Cosmos at Lake Ballard, Australia
10
Sep
Sep
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 […]
