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<p>Dear IVOA colleagues,</p>
<p>You may interested in the event coordinated by IVOA and our
partners, the IAU OAD, AAS and CAS.</p>
<p>Cheers,</p>
<p>Chenzhou<br>
</p>
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<th valign="BASELINE" nowrap="nowrap" align="RIGHT">Subject:
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<td>WorldWide Telescope Tours Contest</td>
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<th valign="BASELINE" nowrap="nowrap" align="RIGHT">Date: </th>
<td>Thu, 22 Apr 2021 10:32:26 +0200</td>
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<th valign="BASELINE" nowrap="nowrap" align="RIGHT">From: </th>
<td>Kevin Govender <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:kg@astro4dev.org"><kg@astro4dev.org></a></td>
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<th valign="BASELINE" nowrap="nowrap" align="RIGHT">To: </th>
<td>OAD Regions <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:regions@astro4dev.org"><regions@astro4dev.org></a></td>
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<th valign="BASELINE" nowrap="nowrap" align="RIGHT">CC: </th>
<td>Li Shanshan <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:lishanshan@nao.cas.cn"><lishanshan@nao.cas.cn></a>, Chenzhou CUI
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:ccz@bao.ac.cn"><ccz@bao.ac.cn></a></td>
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<br>
<div dir="ltr">Dear colleagues
<div><br>
<div>I hope this email finds you well.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Please find attached (and copied below) information about
an upcoming contest using WorldWide Telescope, coordinated
by our partner, the International Virtual Observatory
Alliance (IVOA). I'm copying our IVOA colleagues here in
case you have any specific questions, but if you are
interested in staying informed please complete the form at
the link below. Please spread the word to relevant people in
your regions...</div>
<div><br>
</div>
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<p class="MsoNormal"
style="margin:0cm;text-align:justify;font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><b><span
lang="EN-US">INTERNATIONAL WORLDWIDE TELESCOPE GUIDED
TOUR CONTEST</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="margin:0cm;text-align:justify;font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span
lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="margin:0cm;font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"
align="left"><b><span lang="EN-US">OVERVIEW:</span></b><span
lang="EN-US"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="margin:0cm;font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"
align="left"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="margin:0cm;font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"
align="left"><span lang="EN-US">WorldWide
Telescope (WWT) is a tool that uses real observational
data and simulation data
for many purposes, such as the demonstration of
scientific research results or
interactive STEAM education. It has a web portal and a
Windows-PC client (recommended
for contest use). The worldwide telescope concept
originated in 2001; the
platform with the same name was launched by Microsoft
Research in 2008 and
open-sourced in 2015. The management of WWT was
transferred to the American
Astronomical Society (AAS) in 2016. Learn more and try
WWT at <a href="http://www.worldwidetelescope.org"
style="color:blue" target="_blank"
moz-do-not-send="true">http://www.worldwidetelescope.org</a>.
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="margin:0cm;font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"
align="left"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="margin:0cm;font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"
align="left"><span lang="EN-US">WWT Guided Tour Contest
(WGTC) is a contest encouraging students,
amateur astronomers and anyone interested in astronomy,
geography or other related
science, to use astronomical and other scientific data
through the platform
provided by WWT to create Guided Tours. A WWT Guided
Tour can cover all topics
related to astronomy and other science, including
concept teaching, interpretation
of science knowledge, data analysis and visualization,
storytelling, science
fiction and so on. You can see what a WWT looks like at
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/c/AASWorldWideTelescope"
style="color:blue" target="_blank"
moz-do-not-send="true">http://www.youtube.com/c/AASWorldWideTelescope</a>.
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="margin:0cm;font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"
align="left"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="margin:0cm;font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"
align="left"><span lang="EN-US">This international
contest is based on the successful national contest
experiences from China and the
United States. In China, a national contest is held
every two to three years
and has been held successfully four times. The
participants increased from 22
students to 254, and more than 120 tours have been
uploaded in the 4<sup>th</sup>
contest. The contest and related activities provide a
new platform for
astronomy education and public outreach. It pushes the
potential social
influence of astronomy and astronomical data, stimulates
scientific interest
and technological innovation of students, and cultivates
the cooperation and
team-spirit of teenagers.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="margin:0cm;font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"
align="left"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="margin:0cm;font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"
align="left"><b><span lang="EN-US">CALL
TO ACTION:</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="margin:0cm;font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"
align="left"><b><span lang="EN-US"> </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="margin:0cm;text-align:justify;font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span
lang="EN-US">The first International WorldWide Telescope
(WWT) Guided Tour Contest will kick off in the second
half of 2021, and the
award ceremony is planned in August 2022. The
International Astronomical
Union’s Office of Astronomy for Development,
International Virtual Observatory
Alliance (IVOA), American Astronomical Society (AAS) and
Chinese Astronomical
Society (CAS) will be the host organizers of the
contest. This international
contest will need regional organizers or a committee to
collect tours and
select a certain number of excellent tours to submit to
the international
organizing committee. If you are interested in
collaborating on this project,
please fill the following form: <a
href="https://si3aja0mia0.typeform.com/to/dVo33ju7"
style="color:blue" target="_blank"
moz-do-not-send="true">https://si3aja0mia0.typeform.com/to/dVo33ju7</a></span></p>
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<div><br clear="all">
<div><br>
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-- <br>
<div dir="ltr" data-smartmail="gmail_signature">Kevin
Govender<br>
IAU Office of Astronomy for Development<br>
<a href="http://www.astro4dev.org" target="_blank"
moz-do-not-send="true">www.astro4dev.org</a><br>
<br>
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