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A Radio Astronomical Star Party for those “On The Verge”(page 06)
Eva S. Wirström, Robert J. Cumming

Key Words
Public Outreach, Radio Astronomy, Non-traditional Event, Informal Education

Summary

Here we describe the Onsala Stjärnträff (Onsala Star Party), an unconventional outreach event that was held during Sweden’s inaugural Day and Night of Astronomy in October 2012. The target group consisted of individuals who are “on the verge” of discovering astronomy; individuals who have a spark of enthusiasm for astronomy, but who have not yet taken this passive interest to the next level. For the event, we adapted the concept of a star party to provide insight, inspiration, hands-on experience and networking opportunities for the participants. Furthermore, the Onsala Space Observatory’s radio telescopes allowed us to compensate for poor weather and to fulfil our role in communicating radio astronomy to a wider public.