Big Astronomy Day – Community Event
It takes big teams of diverse people from around the world to enable big discoveries and make big astronomy work. On Astronomy Day 2023, will you participate in our community event? Sign up here!
How to Participate
Show the Big Astronomy Film at your facility on April 29, 2023 – or for that weekend, or for the month of April! But most of all we would love to see lots of folks showing the film on Astronomy Day.
- The film is free or very inexpensive to license, and available in English, Spanish, German, and French. Get it here
- You can show the fulldome film, or screen the HD flat screen version
- The film is available for you to show any time
Support the film showing with additional activities!
- We are working to coordinate speakers who have visited the observatories in the film. These speakers may be able to speak at your facility in person, or could do a virtual talk on April 29
- If you have requested a speaker, you will be notified by March 1 if one is available for you
- Use the tabletop activities in the Big Astronomy kit for additional learning opportunities that day
- Work with your local astronomy club to provide activities! We have a map showing clubs that already have the Big Astronomy kit. Maybe one is near you.
Big Astronomy is Accessible
- If you work with visitors who are blind or low-vision, sign up to get a toolkit of accessible astronomy related activities today!
Let us know you will participate
Throughout the month of April 2023, we are encouraging individuals and organizations to hold events where the Big Astronomy film is shown or related hands-on activities are being implemented. We would like to hear about plans as well as have you share your story about what happens at the event itself. Organizations and individuals who host a Big Astronomy Community Day Event will have an opportunity to win one of three prizes:
- Celestron – NexStar 6SE Telescope (valued at $1100) – https://www.celestron.com/
products/nexstar-6se- computerized-telescope - Meade Coronado P.S.T Solar Telescope (valued at $850) – https://www.meade.com/solar-
telescopes/coronado-personal- solar-telescope.pdp - Radio Jove Complete 2.0 Kit – (valued at $400) – https://radiojove.gsfc.nasa.
gov/
Fill out this form to let us know you will participate, and if you would like our help in finding a guest speaker. After you host your event, fill out this form to share pictures with us! Prizes will be drawn at random from all events held in the month of April 2023 and either share the Big Astronomy show and/or use the Big Astronomy activities.The drawing will occur on May 15 and winners will be contacted and listed on our website. Participants who live around the world are eligible to win prizes, however Big Astronomy will not pay any import fees to countries outside the United States.
Post photos on social media of your event that day with the hashtag #BigAstronomyDay
Thank you for helping people understand the many diverse STEM careers available at observatories, and participating in our community event!