To acknowledge and support the outstanding efforts of event organisers and the enthusiasm of participants of the 100 Hours of Astronomy global event, the IAU100 Secretariat established various prize packages.

 

Here is a description of the events that have been selected for these prizes:

 

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Astronomy for All Prize

 

First Place: Astronomy for All Event in Baku, Azerbaijan

Organised by Famil Mustafa, NOC of Azerbaijan with support from The Republican Children and Youth Development Center of The Ministry Of  Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Tusi-Bohm Planetarium, Azercosmos OJSC, N.Tusi. Shamakhy Astrophysical Observatory

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This event engaged local schools and the greater community in an audience of thousands to celebrate the 100 Hours of Astronomy. Four days of organized events were conducted including school visits to the planetarium, a public night sky observation, daytime solar observations, lectures for girls in several universities, and a special visit for orphaned and disabled children to the planetarium, and a featured space costume contest that was attended by all Baku city schools. The activities were widely shared on social media and local news channels. Special attention was made throughout all event activities to include all audiences, with particular consideration for inclusiveness, diversity and equity.

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100 Hours of Astronomy event in Baku, Azerbaijan. Credit: Famil Mustafa

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Second Place: Los Pipitos Pedagogic Medical Institute Activity in Managua, Nicaragua

Organised by Ligia Areas with support from the "Los Pipitos" Pedagogic Medical Institute and the UNAN Managua Astronomical Observatory

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The Pedagogical Medical Institute "Los Pipitos" (IMPP) is an institution that provides specialized care to the children, adolescents and young people with various deficiencies and/or disabilities. The Institute was visited by the Astronomical Observatory of UNAN-Managua for the 100 Hours of Astronomy, where activities included the us of practical models about eclipses and the Solar System. The Sun was also observed by solar projection and glasses filters.

 

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Most Innovative Prize

 

First Place: Chandranomy for Tribal Students Activity in Pune, India

Organised by Shweta Kulkarni with support from Astronera, Astron-SHK Trust, Tribal Development Department, and the Tribal Research and Training Institute

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Chandra means the Moon In the native language of the tribal children in Pune district. The 100 Hours of Astronomy Chandranomy event allowed tribal students at Rajpur Govt. Residential Tribal school to take their first step into the field of astronomy. The students enjoyed watching the cratered beauty of the moon through a telescope and were introduced to the constellations while greek and indian mythological stories were narrated. The importance of the skies and the issue of light pollution was also discussed to highlight the importance of preserving the cultural heritage of dark skies, such as those in Pune, India. This activity not only generating interest in astronomy, but also supported scientific interest in the tribal students.

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100 Hours of Astronomy event in Pune, India. Credit: Shweta Kulkami

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Second Place: Program Celik Falak (Islamic Astronomy Awareness Programme) in Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Organised by Othman Zainon with support from the Geomatic Innovation Research Group, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia,

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The Celik Falak program sought to develop awareness and interest of Islamic Astronomy among three hundred children of a religious Islamic school in Johore, Malaysia. A workshop on the operation and construction of sundials was conducted, followed by a dedicated talk on Islamic Astronomy awareness was given by Dr. Othman Zainon of the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.

 

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Biggest Turnout Prize

 

First Place: Gelecek Uzayda Event in Turkey

Organised by Dr. Selcuk Topal with support from the Ministry of National Education, Data Processing Office and Aysenur Ozdemir

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An online talk was organised and involved the participation of 82 locations across 32 cities in Turkey as a dedicated activity for the 100 Hours of Astronomy. A chat room was provided by the Ministry of National Education. We recorded the talk and made it available for anyone interested in astronomy. The talk sought to promote astronomy and space sciences among the general public, particularly among younger audiences, and was recorded for all audiences to view and share following the event. Topics of discussion included general astronomy, space science and technologies, space tourism, past and future space missions, the benefits of space technologies in daily life and more. The activity engaged more than 5000 participants across Turkey.

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Participants engaging in the online Gelecek Uzayda Event in Turkey. Credit: Dr. Selcuk Topal

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Second Place: 100th Anniversary (IAU 100) Celebration in Nanning, China

Organised by Jiang Hong with the support of the Guangxi Science and Technology Museum and the Guangxi Association of Natural Science Museums

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Various activities took place throughout the 100 Hours of Astronomy that sought to promote astronomical science popularization activities with specific Guangxi characteristics and to enhance the public interest in astronomy. Activities conducted included a opening ceremony of the IAU100 activities in Guangxi, China that featured the history of astronomy and telescopes, movie viewings, telescope construction and observations, special cultural dances, science popularisation activities for teenagrs, astronomical lectures, handmade activities, and the signing of Happy Birthday to celebrate the IAU’s 100th anniversary. In total, the event harnessed the participation and enthusiasm of more than 20,000 visitors.

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Activities during the 100 Hours of Astronomy in Nanning, China. Credit: Guangxi Science and Technology Museum

 

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Social Media Prize 

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Social media prize winners were Adrian Diaz (Peru) and Parshati Patel (Canada) who were active participants throughout the 100 Hours of AStronomy event and were randomly selected for the prize by using the hashtags #IAU100 and #100HoursOfAstronomy.

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