Discover OpenSpace at the 245th American Astronomical Society (AAS) meeting in National Harbor, MD! Be sure to check out these sessions on OpenSpace! Times are listed in Eastern Standard Time (EST).

Sunday, January 12

STEM Learning and Public Engagement with NASA’s Science Activation Program Workshop

Join us for a workshop to engage with NASA teams working to meet the needs of learners and science experts, explore how you can become involved, and walk away with NASA resources that you can use in your own outreach efforts.

We will share resources, tackle select challenges, and connect with programs looking for expert volunteers to help deliver current, accurate, and exciting NASA astrophysics content to audiences across the country. We will explore current astrophysics themes, programs, and resources for working with different audiences.

These resources are developed by NASA’s Science Activation program. NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) has funded a cooperative network of competitively-selected teams to connect NASA’s science, data, and science experts with learners of all ages in a way that activates minds and promotes deeper understanding of our world and beyond. Together this network of funded projects is called the Science Activation Collective (science.nasa.gov/learners).

• Room: National Harbor 11
• Time: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
• Registration required

Effective Astronomy Visualizations for Engagement, Learning, and Research Workshop

Clear and powerful visualizations are a critical component of science communications whether the audience is the general public, students, or researchers. Today’s astronomy visualizations comprise an ever-expanding collection of disciplines that include traditional fields of image processing, data presentation, and illustration, as well as emerging technologies like data sonification, 3D printing, virtual/augmented reality experiences, and the rapidly-growing applications of AI.

The goal of this workshop is to connect the many communities represented within the AAS (including students, educators, communicators, developers, and researchers) interested in the many areas of astronomy visualization. Presenters will share lessons learned through discussions of best practices for a variety of audiences. They will survey a wide range of visualization techniques and address their advantages and accessibility for different styles of learning. Case studies of effective visualizations will showcase how to communicate both knowledge and wonder via inspiring graphics.

Workshop participants will experience an overview of the current state of astronomy visualization including planning, creation, and delivery phases of the process. They will gain an enhanced appreciation for the selection of visualization-appropriate topics and datasets, the efforts and expertise required to achieve quality products, and the storytelling methods to reach learners of diverse backgrounds. Participants will have opportunities to engage with presenters and one another to explore specific challenges and areas of interest.

This workshop is facilitated by NASA’s Universe of Learning (www.universe-of-learning.org) with the goal of contributing to an expanding community of practice for those engaged in the many aspects of astronomy visualization, or “AstroViz.”

• Room: Chesapeake D/E
• Time: 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM ET
• Registration required

Wednesday, January 15

Our Dynamic Solar Neighborhood on the NASA Hyperwall

Join Dr. Jackie Faherty and Dr. Mark Popinchalk on a flight around the solar neighborhood using NASA's OpenSpace software. The tour will explore young stars and brown dwarfs, clusters, molecular clouds and highlight how they interact with each other. See the full NASA Hyperwall schedule here.

• Room: Exhibit Hall (Booth #505)
• Time: 2:45 PM - 3:00 PM