IAU Online Astronomy@Home Awards

[Eli]

As many of us turn online to stay connected with our communities through astronomy, we wish to recognize the incredible and inspiring efforts various event organizers worldwide are carrying out during the upcoming months.

We are asking outreach professionals, educators, amateur and professional astronomers, and astronomy enthusiasts to develop and participate in astronomy activities online. People from all backgrounds and levels of experience are encouraged to organize online events using astronomy as an engagement tool to connect online with their communities. From one person streaming their night sky through a telescope at their window; astronomers holding virtual meetups; educators sharing fun activities to DIY at home; to planetariums broadcasting live remote shows; online astronomy challenges, we’re already seeing creative and engaging activities all around!

We hope to keep this momentum going, by recognizing the various event organizers worldwide through the Online Astronomy@Home Awards. The five categories for the awards are:

1) Most Innovative Event: Where organizers have come up with an imaginative or unusual approach to enthusing the public about astronomy with and online event or campaign.

2) Best Family Event: For those at home with their families, what astronomy activity they come up with (together with their family members, remotely or that are in the same house) and inspiring others along the way.

3) Outstanding Online Event: Engaging with the public isn't necessarily the number of attendees or the scale of the event, but the quality of the experience. This award recognizes the excellence of an engaging and fully online outreach experience.

4) Largest Number of Registered Online Events Held by a Single Group: Where an organizing group has made an effort to take astronomy above and beyond from their own homes to the community-at-large.

5) Community Engagement: For the most interesting event that garnered participation with communities that aren't focused on astronomy, or made efforts to connect to non-astronomy-enthusiasts.

Prizes
First Prize: 600 euros (one first prize per category award)
Second Prize: 300 euros (one second prize per category award)
Top ten: A four-year subscription to the printed version of the CAPjournal.
All organizers will receive a Certificate of Participation.

Timeline
1 April 2020 to 31 July 2020

Eligibility
Activities must be registered on the Event Form and implemented between 1 April and 31 July 2020. Events and content that sells products or services are not eligible for these awards.

How can you apply?
1) Plan your online astronomy activities, events, talks, meetups for engaging with your community online;
2) Register your event or activity on the IAU Global Outreach Events registration form:
3) Implement your astronomy outreach activities online between 1 April and 31 July 2020;
4) Tell us about your activity by filling out this form by 15 August 2020.

As always feedback is much appreciated.
With all our best,
Lina & Izumi