Space and astronomy a hit with pupils as 1000 schools get free telescopes

School pupils at the Glasgow Science Centre
Credit:

From next year pupils in 1 in 4 secondary schools will get close up views of the Moon, planets and the stars, in one of the largest astronomy outreach projects ever seen in the UK. The Society for Popular Astronomy (SPA), Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) and Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) have teamed up to give free telescopes to 1000 secondary schools from early in 2009.

This landmark project - Telescopes for Schools - is just part of the global effort to celebrate the International Year of Astronomy (IYA 2009), which commemorates the 400th anniversary of Galileo's first use of the telescope for astronomy, work that led to a scientific revolution. Professor Ian Robson, who heads up the IYA2009 activities in the UK said "The UK is a world leader in astronomy and we aim to use IYA2009 to provide a launch pad to stimulate public interest in astronomy and the night sky and to encourage the take-up of science and technology in schools. The launch of this project is tremendously exciting and I look forward to the excitement it will generate.

Four centuries later, astronomers hope to achieve a different kind of revolution in UK schools - using the 1000 telescopes to enthuse students about science. The project aims to attract them to astronomy and space science, which pupils are consistently excited about as well as the underpinning subjects like physics and mathematics.

The RAS sees 'Telescopes for Schools' as just the beginning. RAS President Professor Andy Fabian backs the project wholeheartedly and believes every school should have a telescope. "The beauty of the night sky inspired me to take up a career as an astronomer. I want a new generation to have the chance to answer the 'big questions' that astronomers and space scientists think about every day. With Telescopes for Schools you can follow in Galileo's footsteps and look at craters on the Moon or the satellites of Jupiter or decide to look at more distant objects. Either way, the telescopes will give you a better understanding of the wider Universe."

The participating schools will receive a DVD with clips explaining how to use their telescope and what they can look at. Today marks the launch of the Moonwatch section of the SPA website, developed to support the Telescopes for Schools project. This will show teachers what they can observe on a clear night and it will have links to other resources and websites, including resources specifically identified by the RAS for use in schools.

Space scientist and SPA President Dr Helen Walker sees this as a great way to liven up science in schools. "The UK has a flourishing community of amateur and professional astronomers. Through Telescopes for Schools they can share their enthusiasm with our young people - we hope to reach tens of thousands of pupils each year. We think every pupil should have the chance to look through a telescope, an experience they will remember for the rest of their lives."

The STFC is the UK's funding agency for astronomy and space science and actively builds links with teachers and schools to capitalize on the inspiration of these research areas. Dr Robin Clegg, Head of the STFC Science in Society Programme, said "We are using astronomy as a way to interest pupils in science areas and to help teachers give them starting skills in this area. This is part of our wider programme of supporting teachers and students and helping to recruit the next generation of scientists and engineers in the UK." STFC offer a wider range of support for teachers including visits, funding, print and web resources and access to researchers.

Notes for Editors

Images

A high-resolution image can be downloaded from the Royal Astonomical Society website

Caption: Children at the Glasgow Science Centre enjoying a first look through one of 1000 free telescopes set to be delivered to UK schools. Image: International Year of Astronomy 2009 - UK

Contacts

• Julia Maddock
  STFC Press Office
  Tel: +44 (0)1793 442 094
  Mob: +44 (0)7901 514 975
  
  
• Dr Helen Walker
  President, Society for Popular Astronomy
  Space Science and Technology Department
  STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
  Tel: +44 (0)1235 446490
  Mob: +44 (0)7870 977 018
  
  
• Professor Ian Robson
  UK Chair, IYA 2009
  UK Astronomy Technology Centre
  Tel: +44 (0)131 668 8264
  Mob: +44 (0)7919 398 610
  
  
• Steve Owens
  UK Co-ordinator of IYA 2009
  c/o Glasgow Science Centre
  Tel: +44 (0)141 420 5010 x.299
  Mob: +44 (0)787 905 8120
  
  
• Professor Andy Fabian
  President of Royal Astronomical Society
  Tel: +44 (0)1223 337509
  
  
• Joe Winters
  Press Officer
  Institute of Physics
  Tel: +44 (0)20 7470 4815
  Mob: +44 (0)7946 321 473
  
  

Telescopes for Schools

The Telescopes for Schools project (link opens in a new window) aims to deliver 1000 telescopes to schools across the UK. Schools will receive the telescope, a DVD which explains how to use it and what to look at, plus other material. There will be interviews with enthusiastic astronomers and support materials for teachers on the DVD. The schools are encouraged to find a local astronomer to help them use the telescope, but if the school does not know any local astronomers, the SPA has undertaken to try and find one from the communities of amateur and professional astronomers. Queries 

The telescopes supplied are 70-mm refractors, meaning they collect light using a lens 70 mm across. This will let pupils see craters on the Moon, the rings of Saturn and the satellites of Jupiter. They should also get a good view of the brighter clouds of gas and dust (nebulae), star clusters and even other galaxies.

The International Year of Astronomy 2009

The International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA 2009) (link opens in a new window) will be a global celebration of astronomy and its contributions to society and culture. It is intended to stimulate worldwide interest not only in astronomy, but in science in general, with a particular slant towards young people.IYA 2009 will mark the 400th anniversary of the monumental leap forward that followed Galileo Galilei's first use of the telescope for astronomical observations. In the UK the chair of IYA2009 is Professor Ian Robson, director of the UK Astronomy Technology Centre in Edinburgh, and the co-ordinator for IYA 2009 activities is Steve Owens, also a UKATC employee.

The Society for Popular Astronomy

The Society for Popular Astronomy (link opens in a new window) (SPA), founded in 1953, is one of the UK's leading national astronomical societies, bringing together stargazers of all ages, from eight to over eighty. It has nine special interest sections and a dedicated section for young stargazers. It holds regular meetings and activities (including weekend courses), publishes magazines and newsletters, and circulates an electronic news bulletin to alert amateur astronomers to new astronomical phenomena such as comets and supernovae.

The Royal Astronomical Society

The Royal Astronomical Society (link opens in a new window) (RAS), founded in 1820, encourages and promotes the study of astronomy, solar-system science, geophysics and closely related branches of science. The RAS organizes scientific meetings, publishes international research and review journals, recognizes outstanding achievements by the award of medals and prizes, maintains an extensive library, supports education through grants and outreach activities and represents UK astronomy nationally and internationally. Its more than 3000 members (Fellows), a third based overseas, include scientific researchers in universities, observatories and laboratories as well as historians of astronomy and others.

The Institute of Physics

The Institute of Physics (link opens in a new window) (IoP) is a scientific membership organisation devoted to increasing the understanding and application of physics. It has an extensive worldwide membership (currently around 34000) and is a leading communicator of physics with all audiences from specialists through government to the general public. Its publishing company, IOP Publishing, is a world leader in scientific publishing and the electronic dissemination of physics.

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