Uploaded March 2023 | Updated September 2026, 3 days ago
Prof Eleri Pryce (Aberystwyth University
Extending Astronomy Outreach through Eisteddfodau in Wales
Wales has a very long and established heritage in music, poetry and the arts, with recognition for excellence in the National Eisteddfod of Wales and the Urdd National Eisteddfod. The two eisteddfodau are well-established major cultural festivals, with the National Eisteddfod for all ages and the Urdd targeting 8-25 year olds. Science has not historically featured prominently at the eisteddfodau, although its profile has increased since its introduction some 50 years ago. The RAS 200 Eisteddfodau project has played an important role in recent years, reaching out to audiences beyond that of traditional science outreach.
The well-established networks of the Eisteddfodau along with their enthusiasm for collaborating have been central to the success of the project to extend the reach of astronomy and geophysics in Wales. Through an inclusive series of activities, the project has aimed to inspire interest in astronomy and geophysics in the general community. Activities were led by experts in the arts who are familiar with communicating with diverse audiences, with information on the science given by A&G Fellows and others with expertise in the science. The role of professional communicators to engage the general audience was central. Examples of project activities are presented with their impact and potential legacy discussed.
Prof Andy Newsam (LJMU)
Access to the Universe for all
It is well-known that astronomy creates a sense of excitement and wonder in most students. The Schools’ Observatory (www.schoolsobservatory.org) taps into that interest to explore science, mathematics and technology. The Observatory was originally set up to provide a way for UK and Irish school pupils to take their own observations with the world’s largest fully-robotic telescope – the Liverpool Telescope in the Canary Islands - and for more than a decade it has been doing exactly that with over 200,000 observations requested by students of all ages. Now expanding to involve learners of all kinds internationally, the Schools' Observatory is opening up access to the universe for all.
Andy Newsam is Professor of Astronomy Education and Engagement at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU). After studying cosmology at Glasgow University, and working as an observational astronomer at the University of Southampton, he joined LJMU in 1998 to help set up the educational arm of the Liverpool Telescope, which later became the National Schools' Observatory, one of the largest astronomy education projects in the world. As well as astronomical research and education he is a keen science communicator, giving talks to many thousands of schoolchildren, amateur astronomers and the general public throughout the UK and beyond, as well as working with artists of all kinds on new ways - from show gardens to street theatre - to bring the delights of astronomy to as many people as possible.
Dr Ashley King, UK Fireball Alliance, Natural History Museum
The Fall, Recovery, and Analysis of the Winchcombe
In 2021, the Winchcombe meteorite became the first “rock from another world” to be recovered in the UK for 30 years. Guided by videos from the UK’s meteor and fireball camera networks, the main mass was discovered on a driveway in Gloucestershire only 12 hours after landing. Over 500 g of the Winchcombe meteorite are now being curated at the Natural History Museum (NHM), London, and it is both scientifically and culturally priceless; as a fresh carbonaceous chondrite fall it holds vital clues about our origins, while its rapid recovery and analysis is a shining example of international collaboration between scientists, citizen-science projects, and local communities.
Ashley King is a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow at the Natural History Museum, where he investigates the origins of the solar system and formation of planets through the laboratory analysis of meteorites and samples returned by space missions. Ashley is also the current lead of the UK Fireball Alliance (UKFAll), a collaboration between meteor camera networks that aims to recover freshly-fallen meteorites in the UK.
Prof Eleri Pryce (Aberystwyth University
Extending Astronomy Outreach through Eisteddfodau in Wales
Wales has a very long and established heritage in music, poetry and the arts, with recognition for excellence in the National Eisteddfod of Wales and the Urdd National Eisteddfod. The two eisteddfodau are well-established major cultural festivals, with the National Eisteddfod for all ages and the Urdd targeting 8-25 year olds. Science has not historically featured prominently at the eisteddfodau, although its profile has increased since its introduction some 50 years ago. The RAS 200 Eisteddfodau project has played an important role in recent years, reaching out to audiences beyond that of traditional science outreach.
The well-established networks of the Eisteddfodau along with their enthusiasm for collaborating have been central to the success of the project to extend the reach of astronomy and geophysics in Wales. Through an inclusive series of activities, the project has aimed to inspire interest in astronomy and geophysics in the general community. Activities were led by experts in the arts who are familiar with communicating with diverse audiences, with information on the science given by A&G Fellows and others with expertise in the science. The role of professional communicators to engage the general audience was central. Examples of project activities are presented with their impact and potential legacy discussed.
Prof Andy Newsam (LJMU)
Access to the Universe for all
It is well-known that astronomy creates a sense of excitement and wonder in most students. The Schools’ Observatory (www.schoolsobservatory.org) taps into that interest to explore science, mathematics and technology. The Observatory was originally set up to provide a way for UK and Irish school pupils to take their own observations with the world’s largest fully-robotic telescope – the Liverpool Telescope in the Canary Islands - and for more than a decade it has been doing exactly that with over 200,000 observations requested by students of all ages. Now expanding to involve learners of all kinds internationally, the Schools' Observatory is opening up access to the universe for all.
Andy Newsam is Professor of Astronomy Education and Engagement at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU). After studying cosmology at Glasgow University, and working as an observational astronomer at the University of Southampton, he joined LJMU in 1998 to help set up the educational arm of the Liverpool Telescope, which later became the National Schools' Observatory, one of the largest astronomy education projects in the world. As well as astronomical research and education he is a keen science communicator, giving talks to many thousands of schoolchildren, amateur astronomers and the general public throughout the UK and beyond, as well as working with artists of all kinds on new ways - from show gardens to street theatre - to bring the delights of astronomy to as many people as possible.
Dr Ashley King, UK Fireball Alliance, Natural History Museum
The Fall, Recovery, and Analysis of the Winchcombe
In 2021, the Winchcombe meteorite became the first “rock from another world” to be recovered in the UK for 30 years. Guided by videos from the UK’s meteor and fireball camera networks, the main mass was discovered on a driveway in Gloucestershire only 12 hours after landing. Over 500 g of the Winchcombe meteorite are now being curated at the Natural History Museum (NHM), London, and it is both scientifically and culturally priceless; as a fresh carbonaceous chondrite fall it holds vital clues about our origins, while its rapid recovery and analysis is a shining example of international collaboration between scientists, citizen-science projects, and local communities.
Ashley King is a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow at the Natural History Museum, where he investigates the origins of the solar system and formation of planets through the laboratory analysis of meteorites and samples returned by space missions. Ashley is also the current lead of the UK Fireball Alliance (UKFAll), a collaboration between meteor camera networks that aims to recover freshly-fallen meteorites in the UK.
