1. Engaging Communities with Live Space Data EUSEA Annual Conference 2012
Dr Niall Smith
Cork Institute of Technology Blackrock Castle Observatory

2. Blackrock Castle Observatory (Cork, Ireland)
Observatory and Science Centre operated by Cork City Council and Cork Institute of Technology
Particular interest in STEM education
Over 200,000 visitors to science centre in 5 years
Over 50,000 schoolchildren have availed of our workshops (at primary and secondary level)
Accredited to provide CPD to teachers to use “space” in the classroom
Significant feedback from a wide and varied cohort

3. Why Engage with Communities?
To increase interest in STEM related careers at a time when technology is increasingly commonplace in society
To develop innovative methods underpinned by inquiry-based education that can reach directly into existing educational systems
To improve the baseline understanding and acceptance of scientific methods amongst the general public
Students
Teachers
Communities

4. What is “Live Space Data”?
Optical
Spacecraft
Ground-Based Telescopes
Radio
Customised Web Interface
USER
Student Public Research
Primary / Secondary / Tertiary

5. Case Study I - Radio Telescope“
Send a message towards a known exoplanet via a small radiotelescope using a real radio signal
Watch live via a web interface
Messages can be tracked subsequently using a unique user id

6. Case Study I - Radio Telescope
Permanent live feed from another radio telescope

7. Case Study I - Radio Telescope
Deployment into schools in Cork in autumn
- curriculum links / resource packs / sensors
Sending a message to space provides a unique context for discussion
- what are stars and planets?
- how far away are the stars?
- how do you make a radio telescope?
- what might alien DNA look like?
transceiver
The same questions can be discussed according to the user level.
The complexity of the data you receive depends on the user level.
Hugely flexible and very cost-effective

8. Case Study II - Optical Telescope
Live imaging using telescope at Chabot Science Center in San Francisco
8 hour time difference
Acts as a catalyst for ideas, conversations, connections
Chabot at night
Art and Science
Images taken and processed by 5 schools

9. Next Phase – Optical Telescope Farms
Communities
Research
Centres of Excellence in Science Communication
Big Data
Cloud

10. Conclusion
Now technologically possible to bring live space data into the classroom, the science centre, etc.
Coordination by Centres of Excellence
Live space data can be customised to the target audience
Especially important for teenagers
The experience is centred around inquiry / debate / uniqueness
Encourages discussion across cultural and discipline boundaries

11. Thankyou