News: The session takes place from 13.15 to 14.45 in room Boole 2.

Solar eclipses are some of the most awe-inspiring celestial phenomena and their rarity makes them exceptional tools to engage the general public with the wonders of the cosmos as well as the scientific process trying to make sense of the Universe we live in.

The "evergreen" outreach power of these events is demonstrated by the global sensation around the recent solar eclipses that crossed the American continent in 2023 and 2024. The buzz of a total eclipse can be leveraged to extend engagement into areas where the eclipse is only partial too - making the number of people covered much much bigger.

In coming years, two total eclipses of the Sun will cross different portions of Europe, in 2026 and 2027, offering a great opportunity for coordinated public engagement campaigns across the continent.

This session aims at presenting existing and planned activities, resources and material to engage the public with the science of eclipses, as well as discussing best practices and lessons learnt for future efforts. We also wish to start an international collaboration and plan outreach activities across the continent in view of the upcoming "eclipse season".

Programme

• Astronomers as eclipse communicators
• Using eclipses as catalysts for longer term astronomy engagement
• Eclipses that inspire science and society: yesterday, today and tomorrow
• Eclipse livestreaming and opportunities for astro-tourism

Invited speakers

• Joana Marques (University of Coimbra) Emotions in observations of the sky: contributions from research

Scientific organisers

Co-chairs: Claudia Mignone & Federico Di Giacomo (INAF, Italy - IAU NOC Italy)

Helen Usher (Open University, British Astronomical Association, UK)
Graham Jones (timeanddate.com)
Anne Buckle (timeanddate.com)
Niall Smith (Blackrock Castle Observatory, Ireland)
Alan Giltinan (Blackrock Castle Observatory, Ireland - IAU NOC Ireland)
David Galadí Enríquez (University of Córdoba, Spain - IAU NOC Spain)
Nayra Rodríguez Eugenio (Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, Spain - IAU NAEC Spain)

Contact