The Hands-On Universe Project

• Main Authors: Ferlet, Roger, Pennypacker, Carlton R.
• Other Authors: Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris (IAP), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2023
• Subjects: [SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics]; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-04111554; https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-4056-3_20

International audience Hands-On Universe (HOU) is a slowly but steadily growing international endeavor that teaches students and teachers modern astronomy through the acquisition, measurement, and analysis of real images from either the International Virtual Observatory or a developing network of small robotic telescopes. This intrinsically global effort shares data, teachers, scientists, students, telescope sites, lesson plans, teacher training strategies, software, collaborative tools, and other resources. Such resources can be spread both ubiquitously and effectively through modern web-based technologies and traditional means. Astronomy has proven to be a superb mechanism to engender and support worldwide collaboration and cooperation; global HOU currently has embraced collaborators from six continents, and is endeavoring to build telescope resources in Antarctica. HOUer's want to work together and find more and more reasons — as the technology becomes congruent — to be optimistic about the future. An underlying raison d'être of HOU is that students can effectively learn science by actually doing science in "real-world" situations — skills of data analysis, experiment planning, collaboration and cooperation. Such skills are necessary for the future well being of students all over the world.