100 Hours of Astronomy

100 Hours of Astronomy - 100 Hours Under One Sky

Weds 2 - SAT 5 October 2024

This is the project webpage - go to Event Organiser webpage for downloadable resources

The public-facing website is 100hours.online. The official event is over but the activity is still functional.

LATEST UPDATES

07/10/2024: Event completed! Overall, 316 stargazers submitted 851 challenges from 226 very widely-spread locations, with 1,747 people accessing the website during that time. Data from the event will be analysed, with a project report produced and published here. The website is still functional for anyone late to the party.

07/09/2024: The preview/evaluation period has now ended. Thanks to everyone who pointed out things we could improve - we have already fixed most of the issues you flagged up and will be making further changes before launch.

28/08/2024: On this date we ran a pre-event Zoom call to answer questions about the project. If you have further questions, please ask these by email.

18/08/2024: Event Organiser resources and information are now available on the Event Organiser webpage. Resources include marketing materials for astronomy communicators who aren’t running events but would like to help promote 100 Hours, using this opportunity to draw attention to their organisation.

Our vision

We in the IAU OAO National Outreach Coordinator (NOC) team for the UK wanted to do something to increase the profile of 100 Hours of Astronomy in the UK, while reaching new audiences. And rather than the usual national-event model of branding up events that probably would have happened anyway, we wanted to do something genuinely innovative and new.

We came up with the idea of an online event that people could join from wherever they happened to be, publicised through social media to catch the attention of people who were not already thinking about astronomy. And making it something that could be used at outreach events too.

We have strong project partners in the Royal Astronomical Society and Go Stargazing!, and funding from the Federation of Astronomical Societies and British Astronomical Association. So let’s do this thing!

100 Hours of Astronomy is a global, mass-participation event led by the International Astronomical Union’s Office of Astronomy Outreach (IAU OAO) with the goal of making astronomy accessible to everyone. Every year, people in over 60 countries all around the world participate by doing astronomy activities during the event. Much of this activity is coordinated by the local National Outreach Coordinators.

To support this event in the UK, we are offering new, total-beginner-level astronomy activities that can be integrated into stargazing events with very little effort and/or be offered to audiences as an at-home activity. Even if you don’t run your own event, you can support the event by sharing our social media posts and resources.

This year our event is UK-only, but we plan to do a UK/Ireland event next year, and there is no reason why we can’t grow to cover the whole world.

Our aims

To give beginner stargazers feelings of personal success and achievement in astronomy
To reach people in their own territory - on social media and on their mobile phones
To give people the feeling of being part of a community of participants across the UK
To offer stargazing event organisers a cheap, simple way to take advantage of our activities
To create activities that can be incorporated into World Space Week celebrations (World Space Week is 4-10 October)

Our target audiences

Primary audience: UK-based adults aged 18 - 35 years who are not particularly into science and have not previously participated in astronomy activities
Secondary audience: any children of the above
Extended audience: anyone else in the UK who wants to join in!
We are keen to reach people who experience barriers in attending outreach events and activities due to their location, accessibility, or other factors
Other audiences: people attending stargazing events run by amateur astronomical societies, science centres, and other science communicators

So What Are We Actually Doing?

Our new project is called 100 Hours Under One Sky. The core element is a mobile-friendly, app-like website which offers simple, low-barrier astronomy challenges. These involve spotting bright star patterns and Saturn in the night sky. It has a simple user interface with nice graphics, there isn’t a lot of reading required, and include Instagram-style video explanations of each challenge.

User data is saved in a local cookie. This includes the name of a chosen village/town/city to which their achievements will be added, their choice of map marker, and an automated unique iD. We do not collect detailed locations, email address, or require any form of registration.

Completing each challenge wins the user a special animation and an attractive virtual badge, which they are prompted to share on social media. Achievements are marked on a dynamic UK map which will light up with markers during the 100-hour period as people in different locations participate in the project.

The website includes absolute-beginners’ stargazing advice to help anyone who isn’t sure where to start, with links to further information. It also takes the opportunity to gently point users toward local/regional astronomy events.

This website will be marketed through social media (especially through sponsored Instagram posts), and through Science Communication partner organisations - can you help spread our message?

We are applying for funding to extend the project to include Ireland in 2025 (collaborating with the Irish IAU OAO NOC) and to run associated community events, and then to grow internationally through collaboration with other NOCs. Our long-term vision is to connect everyone involved in 100 Hours within one worldwide community. Imagine a globe slowly lighting up with dots as people go outside and look up.

Resources for Event organisers

The Event Organiser webpage is now live! This webpage also has resources for people who are not running events but want to help promote 100 Hours.

If you are running a stargazing event, it’s really easy to link up to our 100 Hours event. All you need to do is to display a webpage specially designed for events. This webpage will show a large version of the map - zoom in on your area and click your location to see the achievement markers earned by your attendees! It will also include a QR-code/url to direct people to our website, where they can do the self-led activities. All you need do is to project or display this webpage for your attendees to participate and feel part of something bigger.

But! If you want to do more, we will also offer a pack of cheap hands-on activities you can use with families. Together we can create a community of people enjoying our shared night sky.

To help publicise your event, we offer downloadable packs including posters, social media resources and press releases. We will also be sending out printed flyers (to distribute before the event) and stickers (for use during the event). If you would like some flyers or stickers, or know somewhere we can send them to be distributed to a number of outreach groups at one time, please get in touch!

Public event organisers are encouraged to register their events at Go Stargazing! and flag it as a 100 Hours event (nb this functionality is not yet live). This will let us know you are participating (making it easier to get more funding), and will make your event visible to the large numbers of people who use Go Stargazing!'s popular site to search for things to do.

There will be an preview/evaluation period 1-7 September and a pre-preview Zoom call at 7.30pm on 28 August where you can find out more about 100 Hours and ask any questions you might have. The Zoom link will be advertised here and on the AstroMailbox email list on the day of the call, and the preview link will be shared in the same places.

Who are we?

This project has been developed by the IAU Office of Astronomy Outreach National Outreach Coordinator team (all volunteers), partnered with the Royal Astronomical Society and Go Stargazing! (who are providing the technical wizardry), supported by funding from the Federation of Astronomical Societies and the British Astronomical Association.

Further details

Updates will be posted on the AstroMailbox email list and through other networks.

Invitations to see the interactive website during its evaluation period will be posted on AstroMailbox; if you are not on this list but would like to participate, please get in touch.

Meanwhile if you would like to partner with us, or if you have any other ideas for ways in which you could support 100 Hours Under One Sky, we'd love to hear from you.

Dr Jenny Shipway - IAU OAO National Outreach Coordinator
Gemma Kerr - IAU OAO Assistant National Outreach Coordinator
James Fawcett - IAU OAO Assistant National Outreach Coordinator