The document describes a public outreach exhibit for small EU heliophysics projects. It details a hands-on tabletop exhibit developed for the HESPE and HELIO projects that uses interactive modules to engage visitors in solar science. The goal is to communicate difficult science through diverse formats and a constructivist learning approach. The exhibit includes real solar data from various instruments in flexible boxes to spark discussions and connections for a wide audience.

1. PUBLIC OUTREACH
FOR EU-PROJECTS
IN HELIOPHYSICS
HESPE –High Energy Solar Physics Data in Europe
Third year mid-term meeting, Paris, July 9-10 2013
hanna.sathiapal(at)fhnw.ch

2. PUBLIC OUTREACH
FOR EU-PROJECTS IN HELIOPHYSICS
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The goal: a public outreach programme
that works for small and difficult to communicate
research projects.
The strategy: developing a stock of flexible and compatible
outreach resources module by module.
HESPE –High Energy Solar Physics Data in Europe
Third year mid-term meeting, Paris, July 9-10 2013
hanna.sathiapal@fhnw.ch

3. PUBLIC OUTREACH
FOR EU-PROJECTS IN HELIOPHYSICS
________________________________________________
The heliophysics outreach modules include
a variety of communication formats
suited for diverse audiences.
The module presented here is a
mobile hands-on table top exhibit on solar science,
developed in the context of the EU-FP7 projects HELIO and HESPE.
We used it, among others, for the EU-Open Doors in Brussels,
May 4th 2013, a public event that attracted 10 000 visitors.
HESPE –High Energy Solar Physics Data in Europe
Third year mid-term meeting, Paris, July 9-10 2013
hanna.sathiapal@fhnw.ch

4. PUBLIC OUTREACH FOR HESPE
________________________________________________
The goal of the exhibit unit is to provide an overview over current
solar science and embed difficult-to-communicate science
such as high-energy solar physics into a context
that facilitates comprehension.
The focus of the exhibit unit lies on visitor-scientist interactions.
A constructivist approach to learning has been used.
The underlying assumption is that people construct knowledge
based on their previous knowledge and experiences
by adding new parts they actively choose
according to what makes sense to them.
HESPE –High Energy Solar Physics Data in Europe
Third year mid-term meeting, Paris, July 9-10 2013
hanna.sathiapal@fhnw.ch

5. PUBLIC OUTREACH FOR HESPE
at EU-Open Doors Brussels, May 4th 2013
________________________________________________
Table top exhibit
Near real-time
solar images
More educational
materials
Solar data
flipbook activity

6. PUBLIC OUTREACH FOR HESPE
Hands-on table top exhibit of current solar science
__________________________________________________
The table top exhibit consists of:
•!Sun, earth, space weather
•!Space- and earth-based solar observatories
•!Data-boxes
The data in the boxes come from:
•!Kanzelhoehe Observatory (Sunspot drawings)
•!RHESSI (spectrogram)
•!GOES (x-ray flux)
•!HINODE (soft x-ray)
•!SDO (AIA 304)
•!STEREO (EUVI 196)
•!TRACE (171A)
•!SOHO (Lasco II)
•!Auroras (amateur photos)
•!Voyagers (particles)
The data represent the following contents:
1.! The most spectacular images (wow-images)
2.! A solar event by all missions (Aug 4th, 2011,
broadest possible range of data)
3.! The 11-years solar cycle
•! one typical image per year
•! same dates for all missions
Hanna Sathiapal

7. PUBLIC OUTREACH FOR HESPE
The visitors
Hanna Sathiapal
•!all ages
•!diverse experiences, interests and backgrounds
•!families!
!!Criteria for choosing images:
to provide many different links for diverse people to connect

8. PUBLIC OUTREACH FOR HESPE
Engaging visitors by choosing some of the data so as to provide
many links for personal connections and to trigger discussions.
Spectacular and
intuitively readable
Beautiful - just like art Unexpected sights Problems – solutions?
Personal connection - I
could have seen that myself
Something went wrong Something is strange An activity that always
works: watching 3D images

9. PUBLIC OUTREACH FOR HESPE
Choosing data: not only ‚pretty images‘.
Science is not always spectacular but requires
serious studies and hard work.
Multi-wavelength images help explaining
x-ray heliophysics.
Have visitors see x-ray data
even if they don’t understand all of it.
It is part of science, and science is complicated.

10. PUBLIC OUTREACH FOR HESPE
Visitor-scientist interactions:
Scientists tend to attract visitors similar to themselves.
In order to serve a diverse public it takes diverse scientists.

11. PUBLIC OUTREACH FOR HESPE
Visitor-scientist interaction:
It is as much about listening that about explaining.

12. PUBLIC OUTREACH
Flipbooks from solar data
Currently, three flipbooks are available
for download at www.fingertip.ch
-!Sunspots
-!Solar eruptions
-!Solar storms

13. PUBLIC OUTREACH FOR SOLAR SCIENCE
more activities