Regional Offices Activities: OCT – Dec 2024

Andean

  • Seeking funding for the next Astronomy Workshop in the Andes (September, 2025)
  • Working with tourism promoters and astronomers to develop bilateral projects related to astrotourism in our countries. Already have proposals with Colombian universities to develop a short course and a diploma in astrotourism.
  • Continue to support the proposal for a “dark skies” law in Colombia.
  • Working on a certification similar to “starlight” and for astronomy activities for our countries.
  • Developed various activities to promote astronomy in our countries.

East Africa

Participation in International Events

  • The EA-ROAD Director attended the 8th edition of the Oukaimeden International School for Astrophysics (OISA 2024) and the RR Lyrae and Cepheid Meeting 2024 held in Marrakech, Morocco, from November 18–30, 2024.

Projects and Events

  1. SciGirls Program
    • The second edition of SciGirls: Empowering Girls and Female Teachers in Science Through Astronomy, an OAD-funded project, was conducted in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from October 28–November 2, 2024.
  2. Ethiopian Data Science Regional Hackathon 2025
    • EA-ROAD along with the 10academy make preparation for next Regional Hackathon that will be held on Feb 2025
  3. IAU 100 hrs Astronomy project conducted
    • ESSS in collaboration with SSGI conducted 100 hrs. astronomy project in Ethiopia on October 2024

New Developments in the Region

  • SSGI Agreement for ETRSS-2 Development
    • The SSGI signed an agreement to develop Ethiopia’s second remote sensing satellite (ETRSS-2).
  • GNSS Station and Magnetometer Commissioning
    • In collaboration with the South African National Space Agency (SANSA) and SSGI, a GNSS station and a magnetometer were commissioned at the Entoto Observatory on October 15, 2024.
  • Ethiopian Team Discover Main Belt Asteroid 2023 SY20  participated under International Astronomical Search Collaboration (IASC) project
    • ESSS Citizen Science Project team the Ethio-Asteroid Hunters, under the supervision of SSGI and ESSS, for their provisional discovery of Main Belt asteroid 2023 SY20.

 

Europe

New coordinator: Kateryna Frantseva started as E-ROAD Coordinator in November 2024.

Governance development:

  • Working on establishing an effective governance structure tailored to the scope and size of the E-ROAD.

National representatives network:

  • Initiating the re-appointment of a network of National E-ROAD Representatives (NERs) through the European Astronomical Society (EAS) and affiliated national astronomical societies.
  • NERs will meet regularly online, promote E-ROAD’s strategic goals within their countries, and identify and monitor funding opportunities to support these actions.

Erasmus+ ICM implementation:

  • Progressing the implementation of the Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility (ICM) scheme this year between Leiden and partner countries: Armenia, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Colombia, Ukraine, and Georgia.

North America

  • Last week the NA-ROAD attended the AAS #245 annual meeting in Maryland, USA. During the meeting we had presentations about the 2024 WGAP, NA ROAD status and presentations in collaboration with the OAD, Kevin Govender and Charles Takalana.
  • During AAS #234 annual meeting NA ROAD was able to meet with different collaborators and partners such as: OAD, OAO, Heising Simons Foundation, NASA and others.
  • NA-ROAD has a new member, Desmond Wysenyuy. Desmond serves as the Program Coordinator where he coordinates projects, partnership development, fundraising, and communication strategies.
  • In the next month’s NA-ROAD will focus efforts on fundraising development plan to identify new funding opportunities for WGAP, AASA, and Zooniverse, is expected that proposals will be submitted during the next couple of months.
  • In the next month NA ROAD will determinate a new Advisory Board, letter of invitation will be sent by the end of February, we expected to have a board by the end of February, 2025.
  • If you want to learn more about our projects and work, please visit: https://naroad.astro4dev.org/

Portuguese Language

  • Coordinate online meetings in October, November and December.
  • Rosa, Joana and Kevin discussed priorities in PLOAD action in an online meeting on the 27th of November
  • A training course in astronomy and planetarium software was conducted at the Luanda Science Centre (CCL) in Angola on the 3rd and 10th October 2024. The course was led by Vinicius Oliveira, with seven members of the staff participating.
  • PLOAD co-organized a Portuguese session at the Shaw-IAU Workshop on Astronomy for Education, dedicated to Pathways to Development and Peace, this year in alignment with the celebration of World Science Day for Peace and Development (11th November). This activity took place on 14th November and comprised participants from Angola, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Mozambique and Portugal. It constituted the global component of the 2nd edition of the Lusophone Constellation project, which took place on the aforementioned date. Further information can be found here, in Portuguese.

      GHOU PLOAD panel is now available on the PLOAD YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/92SDxtirvS4 (in Portuguese)

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South West And Central Asia

  • Astronomy School Teachers Training Workshop 2024 (TTP), participation of 25 teachers; in collaboration with IAU OAE, NASE and GTTP
  • BAO UNESCO Centre Opening ceremony, presentation of BAO UNESCO documentary heritage Markarian Survey
  • Scientific (Astro) Tourism 15th anniversary meeting 
  • Cosmic Tree event at BAO in collaboration with Armenian Tree Project (ATP)
  • School Teachers Training (TTP) “Pale Blue Dot” (PBD) event in collaboration with IAU OAE
  • Astronomical Data Analysis Software and Systems (ADASS) XXXIV Meeting
  • IVOA Interoperability meeting and IVOA Executive Committee meetings
  • Erasmus+ between E-ROAD and SWCA ROAD (Leiden-Byurakan), 3 visits to Leiden Observatory, Netherlands (July 2024)
  • Astronomical School Lectures “From School to Space” (April 2024)
  • 10th Byurakan Science Camp (10BSC) (June 2024) 
  • 9th Byurakan International Summer School (9BISS) (Sep 2024)
  • IAU SWCA 4th Regional Astronomical Workshop (4RAW) (Sep 2024)
  • Erasmus+ between E-ROAD and SWCA ROAD (Leiden-Byurakan), 2 visits to Byurakan, Armenia (May 2025) and 5 visits to Leiden Observatory, Netherlands (June 2025)
  • UNESCO Conference “Astronomical Heritage of the Middle East 2” (AHME-2) in Oct 2025

Southern Africa

  • Participated in world space week. One highlight was the visit of the ESA Astronaut Prof. Christer Fuglesang. He visited under FAST4Future project which ran in both SAROAD and WAROAD regions. He opened the launch of World Space Week  on 4th October 2024 in Botswana at Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) and closed on 10th October 2024 in Zambia at University of Zambia (UNZA). There was a special session with the minister of technology and science in Zambia after the Astronault visited the newly opened Ground Receiving Station (GRS).
  • The office is currently undergoing self-assessment in preparation for the renewal of hosting SAROAD at the Copperbelt University.
  • DARA has awarded Masters, Postdoc positions and Sabbaticals to its partner countries in SAROAD, EAROAD and WAROAD. These will be offered within the DARA partner institutions in the 8 SKA partner countries. The other set of Masters have been awarded to be offered in the UK.

Plans for the 1st Quarter

  • SAROAD regional meeting first week of February 2025
  • SAROAD is undergoing self assessment and we are winding up to allow for the  review process to begin in the second quarter of 2025.
  • SAROAD plan to add a member to the secretariat team who will coordinate communication and dissemination in our region.
  • Consolidate the  Cultural Astronomy activities and document them from all SAROAD countries. This is ongoing currently.
  • SAROAD will host Astrolab in August 2025 at Sol Plague University in South Africa. The preparations are ongoing currently. 
  • TART telescope installation has been planned for the remaining SKA countries starting from February to June 2025. 
  • PAPSSN is coming to an end and we are now working on version 2 of PAPSSN which three regions are involved.