A summary of upcoming and past events organised by the ASB can be found below:
Biennial Conferences
Newcastle University, 25-26 April 2019 (information here)
ASB7: Habitability Beyond the Earth
Open University, 13-14 September 2017 (information here)
ASB6: The Origin, Distribution & Detection of Life in the Universe
University College London, 2–4 September 2015 (information here)
ASB5: Molecules & Life in Extremes
University of Edinburgh, 15–17 April 2013 (report here)
ASB4: Building Habitable Worlds
Royal Holloway University of London, 7–9 April 2010 (report here)
ASB3: The Living Universe
University of Glamorgan, 1–4 July 2008
ASB2: Life Here, There and Everywhere
University of Kent, 18–21 April 2006
ASB1
University of Cambridge, 2003
Summer Schools
UK Centre for Astrobiology, University of Edinburgh, 2–6 September 2018 (details here)
3rd STFC-UKSA Postgraduate Summer School in Astrobiology
University of Leeds, 11–16 September 2011 (report here)
2nd STFC Postgraduate Summer School in Astrobiology
University of Kent, 6–11 September 2009
1st STFC Postgraduate Summer School in Astrobiology
The Open University, September 2007
Discussion Meetings
University of Leeds, 28 November 2013
Mars, Life and Curiosity
The Open University, 23 October 2012
Is the Earth Special?
Royal Astronomical Society, 9 December 2011 (report here)
STARS: Space TARgets Science
The STARS project aims to promote Tim Peake’s Principia mission to the International Space Station in 2015, particularly through fostering engagement with key-stage 2 (KS2; yrs 7-11) and key-stage 4 (14-16) pupils across the UK.
The logo of the Principia mission, the winning entry out of 3000 submitted to a competition organised by Blue Peter (ESA).
STARS is intended to be, the first instance, a community-based outreach project driven by members of the ASB, and at present we have a cadre of 12+ members signed up to play a role in delivering the STARS project, several of whom have considerable and varied experience in delivering outreach activities to schools.
We hope to inspire pupils at KS2 & 4 to engage with STEM subjects, to provide role-models through face-to-face interaction with practising space scientists and astrobiologists and to positively impact pupils’ perceptions about science.
Engagement:
The STARS Project involves three elements of engagement:
1. Pre-ISS (In-School Session) Resources Pack: A teacher’s pack will be made available to the liaising teacher outlining the various ISS event seminars and post-ISS activities that are available (at both KS2 & 4 levels), and they will be invited to select the package they wish to use.
2. An ISS visit by an ASB member: An ASB member will deliver the STARS talk and activity, in-school session. Dates and times will be arranged by the STARS Project coordinators, and travel expenses will be covered by the ASB member.
3. A Post-ISS Activity Project: If the session is set to be at KS2, the ASB member delivering the ISS will also coordinate an activity as part of their ISS. Full details for these activities will be part of the teachers resource-pack which will outline any materials and associated expense that, in preparing their pupils for the ISS. If the session is at the KS4 level, then the ISS will be followed by an activity; either of a project nature or possibly on-line support resource or competition. All activities, whether part of the ISS (KS2) or post-ISS (KS4) will be designed to dove-tail where possible with curricular issues.
Getting involved:
If you would like your school to be involved in the STARS Project, please get in touch via email: stars@astrobiologysociety.org. We will take applications for visits until mid-November 2015, with the sessions to begin in January 2016.
A flyer advertising the STARS Project can be downloaded below (right click, ‘save image’):
