ASTRONOMY EDUCATION THROUGH DIGITAL MEDIA

Abstract

In order to bring astronomical content to pupils all across Serbia, which is not part of regular school curricula, and to increase their interest in astronomy, we organized an astrophotography competition called ”Take a Photo of the night sky”. The com- petition was intended for primary and high school pupils, whom we invited to submit one photo taken with a mobile device in teams of no more than 5 pupils, under the supervision of a teacher. As part of the competition, professional training was orga- nized for registered teams on how to make successful astrophotography using a mobile device (phone or tablet). A total of 184 teams from all over Serbia participated in the astrophotography competition, including more than 1,400 pupils and 200 teach- ers from all over the country. The astrophotography competition was organized by NAEC Team Serbia (National Astronomy Education Committee at the International Astronomical Union). Four of the most important astronomical institutions in Serbia were behind the competition: the Society of Astronomers of Serbia, the University of Belgrade - Faculty of Mathematics, the Astronomical Observatory in Belgrade, the Mathematical Institute of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, and the research and development center United Cloud and EPSON Serbia as partners from the private sector.