The field of astronomy education has grown significantly over the last few decades, with an increasing number of research articles having been published by a growing number of academic and practitioner groups. Despite this, there has been no regular international conference for astronomy education researchers and practitioners around the world to convene and discuss their work in the field.

On the 16–18th September 2019, ESO will be hosting the first of a regular, biennial, Astronomy Education Conference with an aim to increase the quality, quantity, community and impact of astronomy education research and practice.

This conference, which will take place in the new ESO Supernova Planetarium & Visitor Centre aims to bring together astronomers, astronomy education researchers and education practitioners to communicate, discuss and tackle common issues. The conference will also provide an opportunity for the community to discuss the results in astronomy education stemming from the IAU Strategic Plan 2010–2020 and discuss the requirements for meeting the next IAU Strategic Plan goals regarding astronomy education.

The three key topics span traditional and practical research exploring:

• Astronomy Education Research
• Astronomy Education Standards, Curriculum and Instruction
• Primary and Secondary Teacher Education

More details can be found on the AstroEdu 2019 website.

The AstroEdu 2019 conference is organised by the IAU Commission C1: Astronomy Development and Education, in cooperation with the Leiden University, and hosted at the ESO Headquarters in Garching.

More Information

The IAU is the international astronomical organisation that brings together more than 13 500 professional astronomers from more than 100 countries worldwide. Its mission is to promote and safeguard astronomy in all its aspects, including research, communication, education and development, through international cooperation. The IAU also serves as the internationally recognised authority for assigning designations to celestial bodies and the surface features on them. Founded in 1919, the IAU is the world's largest professional body for astronomers.

International Astronomical Union (IAU) / Commission C1 — Astronomy Development and Education

The IAU Commission C1 is a Commission within Division C of the IAU. This Commission seeks to further the development and improvement of astronomical education at all levels throughout the world through various projects developed and maintained by the Commission and by disseminating information concerning astronomy education.

The ESO Supernova Planetarium & Visitor Centre

The ESO Supernova Planetarium & Visitor Centre is a cutting-edge astronomy centre for the public and an educational facility, located at the site of the ESO Headquarters in Garching bei München. The centre hosts the largest tilted planetarium in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and an interactive exhibition, sharing the fascinating world of astronomy and ESO to inspire coming generations to appreciate and understand the Universe around us. For more details visit: supernova.eso.org

The ESO Supernova Planetarium & Visitor Centre is a cooperation between the European Southern Observatory (ESO) and the Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies (HITS). The building is a donation from the Klaus Tschira Stiftung (KTS), a German foundation, and ESO runs the facility.

ESO Supernova is proudly supported by: LOR Foundation, Evans & Sutherland, Sky-Skan and Energie-Wende-Garching.

Links

• Registration
• Abstract Submission
• AstroEdu 2019 Conference website
• Conference mailing list
• Conference Twitter
• IAU Commission C1
• AstroEdu project

Contacts

Paulo Bretones, SOC co-chair
Email: bretones@mpc.com.br

Urban Eriksson, SOC co-chair
Email: urban.eriksson@fysik.lu.se

Pedro Russo , SOC co-chair
Email: russo@strw.leidenuniv.nl

Lars Lindberg Christensen
IAU Press Officer
Garching bei München, Germany
Tel: +49 89 320 06 761
Cell: +49 173 38 72 621
Email: lars@eso.org