School of Astronomy Open Day

Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences

November 2024

One of the main science outreach activities at the school of Astronomy is to inspire high school students to pursue academic studies and research in astronomy. To achieve this, students need to become familiar with professional astronomy. Many students hear about the names of global observatories, both ground-based and space-based, through science news, documentaries, and online programs. However, they may not know that astronomers worldwide collaborate remotely on projects using data from these observatories. The nature of modern research using cutting-edge observatories differs significantly from the observational activities carried out by amateur astronomers. In Iran, numerous science popularization programs focus on amateur astronomy. While these programs sometimes spark students' interest in the field, they often discover upon entering university that professional astronomy and its research are vastly different from amateur activities. To address this gap, the school of Astronomy Science Outreach Division developed an initiative aimed at encouraging students to explore professional astronomy. The goal was to introduce modern observatories and provide an opportunity to engage students with the research environment at the school of Astronomy.

The event, titled "School of Astronomy Open Day," was a half-day program designed and executed by faculty members, postdoctoral researchers, PhD students, and administrative staff. The activities were thoughtfully planned to give students a comprehensive introduction to various areas of astronomy, including research with data from space telescopes, radio astronomy, optical astronomy, cosmology, and the Iranian National Observatory. The event began with a public seminar that offered an overview of professional astronomy. This was followed by visits to interactive stations where students learned about different branches of astronomy. At each station, researchers used simple language and visual aids, such as posters and videos, to explain their work. The researchers shared findings from their studies of stars, galaxies, nebulae, and black holes. The stations also introduced various international observatories including ground-based facilities like the Isaac Newton Telescope, UKIRT, IRSF, and the Iranian National Observatory; radio observatories such as SKA and IRAM; and space-based observatories, including Spitzer, Hubble, and James Webb telescopes. The event included models of several space telescopes to provide a tangible understanding of these advanced facilities. Virtual tours of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio observatory were also available, giving students a closer look at the world’s largest radio astronomy projects. In addition to showcasing observatories, the event highlighted international citizen-science projects like Zooniverse, enabling students to collaborate with professional researchers. They were shown how to use their smartphones or computers to participate in projects such as identifying specific galaxies within astronomical images. This hands-on experience offered students a sense of contributing to significant global research efforts.

The Open Day was held on the morning of November 18th and involved the collaboration of around 40 members of the school of Astronomy. Approximately 200 students from grades 9 to 11, representing seven schools, attended the event. Schools had registered in advance, and the students were divided into eight groups, each led by a researcher. As they visited various stations, students interacted directly with researchers, asking questions and gaining insights into the research activities. At the end of the event, each student received a booklet introducing the school of Astronomy along with a small souvenir featuring celestial objects.