Engagement & EDI Initiatives

Audio Universe: Tour of the Solar System

On December 7th 2021 we released our new show - Audio Universe: Tour of the Solar System. This takes viewers on a tour like never before, where the objects in space are represented with sound as well as the traditional visuals. It is designed to be accessible to people with all sight levels and is released for both planetariums (full dome) and for home viewing (flat screen) - in English, Spanish and Italian. Our specialist tour guide - Dr Nic Bonne - is a blind astronomer and explains how we do not have to rely on sight to study space. This show was built in collaboration with a large and diverse group of people include members of the blind and vision impaired community, a composer, scientists and more. 

The trailer is below. We are now taking this show, plus other educational and multi-sensory activities into schools.  For more information and to watch it is in full, check out the website www.audiouniverse.org . 

Below you can view both a trailer for the show.

Accessible Astronomy Through Sound

As part of Audio Universe we are working with people across the world to explore how we can use sound to make astronomy more accessible to people who are blind or vision impaired. This includes for education, outreach and scientific research. We are collating information about all of these international efforts. The next steps will be to consolidate these efforts and improve dissemination. We will then work towards rigorous research practises to optimise sonification and create international standards. You can watch my short summary talk on this topic below that I gave at Newcastle University. I also gave a similar talk to the general public as part of the Institute of Physics Highlight Talk Series, with Dr Nic Bonne, available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqzA5v9gJjw, for the Open University's Space Society and Palace of Science.  

This was a pre-cursor to the wider Audio Universe project. We produced a pilot astronomy show for people who are blind or vision impaired. This is in collaboration with Nic Bonne and the Tactile Universe project,  BMW (manufactory 3D models) and global engineering company Arup , who used their acoustic-consulting team and Sydney-based SoundLab . Read their blog about the  project here. Furthermore, the composer James Reevell provided music and musical impressions of astrophysical concepts. The primary goal is to engage the visually impaired community with astronomy; however, we hope to create a whole new way for everyone to experience the wonders of the Universe.  Images of the tactile models can be seen in the image above. A preview of the sounds from the show can be listened to below. 

This premiered at the British Science Festival 2019 and detailed in announcements by ESO and by Portsmouth University (where the 3D models can be seen and examples of sonifications can be listened to). We also had a slot on BBC Coventry and Warwickshire and articles in the Express, Amed Post, astrobites and  Newz Hook (India’s 1st Accessible News Channel).  Locally to Newcastle we have presented to school groups and adult groups of people with a visual impairment in partnership with the Great North Museum planetarium. 

Elements from the show have now been used across the world. In collaboration with BMW  we were shortlisted for two industrial awards for the innovative use of 3D printing / additive technologies: TCT Awards 2019 (Creative Application) and Purmundus Challenge 2019. By invitation, we also exhibited the models in Sofia (Bulgaria) at Additive Days 2020. The technological side of this project also caught the interest of Imperica magazine. 

In 2018, in collaboration with Fabrizio Arrigoni Battaia, I designed, won funding for and initiated the "ESO Science Ambassadors" project.  This is now an on-going project at ESO. For this I received additional funding from ESO and from the IAU. This project has three main goals to carry out mostly across Europe (but also now including Chile, Ethiopia and Brazil) to:  (1) provide education resources based on telescope engineering and astronomy to key educational centres; (2) raise awareness of ESO and its activities and (3) promote the studentship and fellowship programmes.  The events we have attended include science festivals, physics teacher training days and scientific conferences. This includes events specifically for minority and under-represented groups.

Whilst I created this scheme I trained and co-ordinated 25 ESO postdoctoral researchers and students who visited their home countries in order to deliver a variety of talks, exhibitions and workshops. I have trained an additional 78 people (teachers, students and volunteers) outside of ESO to deliver activities. Additionally we donated educational materials and trained local educators such that they can then continue to deliver the activities after our visits.  A summary of the activities from the first year (2018) is published in Harrison et al. 2019. A 2019 highlight was going to Ethiopia where we visited a school, worked with vision impaired children, and also trained 40 teachers/scientists from across Africa to run activities for children and students. The materials we donated toured on their "Astro Bus" around Ethiopia visiting 1000s of children in rural communities.  As of 2020 activities are continuing and we have now reached over 14000 people all over the world.

Whilst at ESO I spent some of my time working for the ESO Supernova Visitor Centre & Planetarium. I created the two educational planetarium shows that are currently showing: "A Tour of the Solar System'' and "The Skies Above Us". Combined, in the first year (2018) these shows had a total of 7 showings per week during school term time, reaching ~500-600 people each week. I also co-developed the hands-on educational workshops for 11-19 year old students which continue to be used both inside and outside of the centre and I gave scientific guidance for the exhibition text. I also presented planetarium shows as well as training new planetarium presenters. 

I co-led the development and design of the ``Galaxy Makers'' exhibition, first presented at the Royal Society's Summer Science Exhibition in 2016 by Durham University. I created the branding and initiated the underlying concept of creating ``holographic'' universes and galaxies. I designed the ``Galaxy Maker" where participants create their own galaxies using various ingredients and learn about the different types of galaxies. This machine promotes accessibility by including feeling and sound into the learning experience.

The exhibition has now been toured to numerous events across the UK. Furthermore, my Galaxy Maker design has since been adapted to be a permanent exhibition in Leiden's Old Observatory. 

I also supervised a masters student who made an online version of the exhibition, which enabled participants to re-engage with us after the exhibition and has even been used for undergraduate teaching in the US! The website also served as an effective way of quantifying the reach and impact of the exhibition. 

The exhibition contents and results of the online component are summarised in Borrow & Harrison 2017.