Kottamia Observatory: A Lighthouse for Astronomy Enthusiasts

Kottamia Observatory: A Lighthouse for Astronomy Enthusiasts

Presenter: Ola Ali and Mohamed F. Aboushelib, National Research Institute of Astronomy & Geophysics, Egypt

This was a poster presented at the 4th Shaw-IAU Workshop on Astronomy for Education, organised by the IAU Office of Astronomy for Education (OAE, http//astro4edu.org).

The National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (NRIAG), and its observatory “Kottamia astronomical Observatory” (KAO) have been leading the astronomical research in Egypt. Besides scientific research, NRIAG offers training courses to teachers, pupils, and university students, alongside field trips for astronomy enthusiasts. Almost every week, KAO welcomes organised visits from the public with different ages and backgrounds. Visitors get to learn about astronomy, KAO’s 74-inch telescope, and how it works. They also get to enjoy the clear sky and observe different celestial objects with naked-eyes and through small telescopes. We offer special programs for pupils to incorporate their experience with what they learn at school and to expand their frontiers.

About the 4th Shaw-IAU Workshop:

The topic for this year’s Shaw-IAU Workshop on Astronomy for Education is ‘Leveraging the potential of astronomy in formal education’ and is scheduled to run 15 to 17 November 2022 as a fully virtual event on Hopin as in previous years. This year’s Shaw-IAU Workshop focuses on the role of astronomy in the core regions of formal, primary and secondary, education: How do we teach astronomy as its own subject? What is the role of astronomy in teaching physics or chemistry – or in communicating such a central future topic as climate change? In sessions marked with a * we aim to hear specifically from teachers. We also address the question of how to approach those who set the framework for teaching: How can you get your administration, or at a much higher level: your education ministry, to listen to you? Last but not least we look at how to bridge the divide between the fundamentals that are commonly taught in school and results from cutting-edge research, which tend to be fascinating to students and the general public alike. he workshop was organised by the IAU Office of Astronomy for Education (http://astro4edu.org). More details can be found on: https://astro4edu.org/shaw-iau/4th-shaw-iau-workshop/

Keep up to date with future Shaw-IAU Workshops and other opportunities at the IAU Office of Astronomy for Education by joining our mailing list https://astro4edu.org/mailing-list/ Follow the IAU OAE on Twitter and Facebook under @astro4edu