Just over a month ago, we announced the Amateur Observers’ Society of New York as the winner of Astronomy’s 2009 Out-of-this-World Award for public outreach. As Astronomy Editor David J. Eicher said, though, it was “a very difficult decision,” and I wanted to highlight some of the other groups who reached our final round and made that decision difficult.
Astronomy Club of Tulsa
Formally trained teachers and veteran amateur astronomers have made the Astronomy Club of Tulsa a fount of astronomical outreach for 72 years. Their well-run, informative, and fun outreach events include star parties, school trips, and Boy and Girl Scout troop events; a local university will even partner with them for some 2010 events.
Bangalore Astronomical Society
The Bangalore Astronomy Association has conducted various outreach programs over its 3.5-year existence, including 15 public night-sky observation sessions, six public observation sessions for major celestial events, 40 nights of sidewalk astronomy, five star parties, and numerous workshops, contests, astrophotography sessions, and guest lectures. They worked particularly hard during the International Year of Astronomy 2009, encouraging more than 10,200 people to look through a telescope over the course of the year.
Custer Institute and Observatory
For more than 80 years, the Custer Institute and Observatory in Long Island, New York, has provided a path to the skies for anyone who’d like to take it; in fact, their recent 25-inch Dobsonian reflector is the largest public telescope on Long Island. They also host school field trips, Girl and Boy Scout troops, public lectures and seminars, and a variety of other events to help make the transition from uninterested citizen to astronomy fan as smooth as possible.
Giraffe ‘n’ Ant Productions
An “edutainment” company working to make learning more enjoyable in small town festivals and events, Giraffe ‘n’ Ant Productions blends foreign cultures and scientific achievements in a process they call StarryTelling. The Washington D.C.-area group has recorded more than 50 tales, poems, raps, stories, reminisces, and scientific explanations, all done not by adults, but naturally curious local children.
Minnesota Planetarium Society
Since 2006, the Minnesota Planetarium Society has worked to bring the wonders of the universe to everyone, serving more than 45,000 school children and 18,000 adults in that time. Its program features Uniview technology, which contains all the known imagery of the universe displayed inside an inflatable planetarium, dubbed “The ExploraDome,” creating a truly memorable experience.