Join in on our spring contest In an Astronomer’s Shoes! Your class will step into the role of a true astronomer: writing a request for time on a telescope to observe an astronomical target of your choice!
What exactly does this contest entail?
There are lots of cool things to look at in space, but only so many telescopes available to observe them. A very important part of being an astronomer is writing requests to earn time on telescopes to look at the astronomical objects they want to study.
By taking part in this contest, your students will explore known exoplanets using our Exoplanets in the classroom activity, choose an exoplanet you want to observe, and then fill in a request for time on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Students will have to consider a few factors for their proposal, including what exoplanet they want to observe, why they want to observe it, and where and when it is visible in the sky. Note: no actual observation will take place, this is a mock-request only.
Please share our short info video below with your students for a quick intro to the contest!
Who can participate in the contest?
The overall activity is open to anyone who’d like to participate, whether whole classrooms, small school groups, or individual students. We recommend the activity for grades 4-12. The contest itself is only open to Canadian students, school groups, and classrooms.
Where does the contest take place?
The contest will be run fully online! All materials are available in the In an Astronomer’s Shoes activity document, and submissions will be accepted through an online form. To participate, please register on our website to receive more information, resources, and the final upload form.
When is the contest?
The contest will open March 17 and close on June 9, 2025. The activity should only take 1-2 classroom periods with your students, or can be assigned as a short take-home assignment.
How do I get involved?
It’s very easy to participate in the contest!
How do I sign up? Classroom teachers or interested students can register on our website. Registration ensures you’ll receive the link to the upload form, as well as follow-up resources, including a video interview with real JWST astronomers that you can share with your students!
How do I submit my students’ requests? After you register, we will email you a link to the upload form once the contest has opened.
How do I win? Students (individually or in teams) must thoroughly fill out every section of the request for observing time to be entered into the draw to win a prize!
Why should my class participate in the contest?
Aside from engaging in a fun and creative interdisciplinary activity, this short project will address the following learning objectives:
Model the work of astronomers and learn more about the profession.
Discover the diversity of exoplanets and their planetary systems, and their characteristics.
Reflect on the planetary conditions that favour the development or survival of life as we know it.
Familiarize themselves with their local night sky and the apparent motion of celestial objects in the sky.
Note: actual time for observation will not be allocated, this is a mock-application only. Prizes are to be announced at a future date, successful forms will be entered in a draw to win.
For more information, please register (details will be sent upon launch of the contest on March 17, 2025). Questions may be directed to Alicia Savelli alicia@discovertheuniverse.ca