Big Astronomy Community Day/Month (April 2023)
Big Astronomy has new resources coming out to support engagement with blind and visually impaired (BVI) and deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) persons. Please note that the Big Astronomy show, and some resources are available in English and Spanish. We hope you can help us out by planning a Big Astronomy showing and/or activity engagement event at your institution. Please share this with your colleagues and encourage them to participate as well.
Big Astronomy Community Day will take place on Astronomy Day, April 29, 2023, and we want you, your family, your friends, your colleagues, and your community to participate throughout the month of April 2023, we are encouraging individuals and organizations to hold events where the Big Astronomy film is shown, or related hands-on activities are being implemented.
The film is designed for planetariums, and a HD version for flat screens is also available, along with numerous hands-on activities, including new accessible activities for the blind and visually impaired and captioning for hearing-impaired persons.
Let us know your plans for showing Big Astronomy and tell us what happens at your event, so we can share your story. Organizations and individuals who host a Big Astronomy Community Day Event will have an opportunity to win one of three prizes:
- Celestron – NexStar 6SE Telescope (valued at $1100) – https://www.celestron.com/products/nexstar-6se-computerized-telescope
- Meade Coronado P.S.T Solar Telescope (valued at $850) – https://www.meade.com/solar-telescopes/coronado-personal-solar-telescope.pdp
- Radio Jove Complete 2.0 Kit – (valued at $400) – https://radiojove.gsfc.nasa.gov/
If you do not already show Big Astronomy: People, Places, Discoveries, what are you waiting for?
This award-winning planetarium show teaches about the diverse teams of people it takes to make astronomy and science happen around the world. Big Astronomy was funded by the National Science Foundation and is available for a free or very low cost. Download the film in your preferred format here: https://www.bigastronomy.org/show/
Planetarians, informal science educators, teachers, and amateur astronomers are welcome to participate in the Community Day. Please register your event here: https://forms.gle/ctWGLJ3XZbcR65p47
When you send us photos or video content of your event, you will be entered into the telescope prize drawing. Prizes will be drawn at random from all events held in the month of April 2023 and either shares the Big Astronomy show and/or use the Big Astronomy activities.
Use this form to submit your event and/or activity information before May 10, 2023. The drawing will occur on May 15 and winners will be contacted and listed on our website.
Please contact Tim Spuck at tspuck@aui.edu if you have any questions about Big Astronomy, the accompanying activities, and how you can participate.
Looking forward to hearing about your event and receiving your information.