COVID-19 precautions for public astronomy education sessions

Abstract

This paper suggests possible futures for astronomy activities in a post-COVID environment. A corpus of video recordings of astronomy education sessions held in different settings allowed the authors to analyse how sessions are achieved, with inclusive focus on the astronomers, the public attending sessions, and people looking through telescopes. Videos were recorded in Portugal in 2019 and the beginning of 2020. From these video data, and experience as science educators, the authors identify practices that are characteristic of astronomy education—some of these will no longer be safe procedures while living with COVID-19. With planning, both indoor and outdoor astronomy education sessions can continue safely without sacrificing the excitement of seeing objects in the sky. There is more to astronomy than looking through a telescope.