Narrowing the gap
Club is on a mission to expand access to astronomy in Vietnam
By DANG TUAN DUY
Guest Contributor
Vietnam is a developing country and on its way of economic development . However , astronomy is still not being much noticed in Vietnam , even its significant impact on the awareness and imagination of human . Therefore , our club , since the date of establishment , always focuses on the two main objectives . First , we aim to build up a coherent , unique online website to coordinate activities of astronomy enthusiasts in Vietnam and to spread out astronomical news and knowledge in a more organized way . Secondly , we organize various observing nights and hands-on activities in Ho Chi Minh city , the south of Vietnam , and remote provinces to increase awareness of people about astronomy . In response to our goals , Ho Chi Minh City Amateur Astronomy Club ( HAAC ) continues to pass this information along through our basic astronomy programs developed for children , students and astronomy enthusiasts . Our organizations offers special workshops and seminars covering fundamental subjects like observing the sky , Solar System , Black Holes , Kepler ’ s Laws , Stellar Evolution and many others . The club also partners with teachers at the local high schools by conducting practical astronomy and astrophysics sessions . We also found that there will be more impacts if there are some professional astronomers / lecturers who could join us and talk to the audience about their own experiences . We wouldn ’ t be where we are today without their help . So , for enhancing activities of Vietnamese amateur astronomy clubs , the most important target is communicating with local teachers , parents , and especially local students and children . During these activities , the club adds that right now the priority is to learn more about sky phenomena like eclipses , conjunctions , meteor showers and transits so we can be ready for the events . All the events are planned to consist of : workshops on astronomy themed science talks ; astronomy for public outreach ; astronomical knowledge dissemination for students and children ; international networking and cooperating in astronomy ; and sky parties , for sure . For local connections , the club run lots of monthly meetings , astronomical camps , observations and specific projects such as : Eratosthenes project for measuring Earth ’ s circumference for students and teachers , “ Annual Volunteer Young Intellectuals ” held by Ho Chi Minh city
COURTESY OF HAAC
Ho Chi Minh City Amateur Astronomy Club members conduct public observation sessions with a telescope donated by “ Telescopes for All ”.
Youth Union , Ho Chi Minh City Water Rocket Challenge , series of talks and contests ( egg-drop ) at high schools / Culture House of Youth / Children House , astronomical popularization at SOS village or orphanages , etc . For international projects , HAAC continuously showed great efforts to join a global network based on common interest by connecting with astronomy enthusiasts all around the world . For Astronomers Without Borders , Ho Chi Minh City Astronomy Club was one of the first affiliates to join back in 2008 .” The club had participated in IYA 2009 activities such as 100 Hours of Astronomy and Galileo Nights , Globe at Nights , Space Scoop , annual GAM events , partnering with other groups for the “ 30 Days of Star Peace ” program , and acting as National Coordinator for World Space Week and Universe Awareness program . The club also acted as an alternative contact , IAU ( International Astronomical Union ) - Office of Astronomy for Development project in Vietnam ( 2013 Phase 1 “ Bringing Astronomy to Remote Areas in Vietnam ” and 2014 Phase 2 “ Coordinating Astronomy for Public Outreach in Viet Nam ( Phase 2 ): Uniting Amateur
36