In a joint effort to expand our understanding of the cosmos and inspire global cooperation, the SETI Institute, UNISTELLAR, Astronomers Without Borders (AWB), and AstroSandbox have partnered up to provide smart telescopes to astronomy advocates across the globe. These collaborations aim to unite the expertise of SETI's renowned scientists with extensive networks of amateur astronomers and outreach programs, creating a synergy that will push the boundaries of space exploration and education.
The SETI Institute and UNISTELLAR have already donated four UNISTELLAR telescopes to AWB National Coordinators in Brazil, Colombia, Kosovo, and Nepal to help empower their outreach efforts. More donations of EQUINOX 1 telescopes are already in preparation while current recipients are already seeing the effects.
“The donation of the Unistellar telescope made by the SETI Institute and Unistellar through a recommendation from Astronomers without Borders completely changed our teaching, research and popularization of Astronomy projects. It is a modern and fantastic resource that makes it possible to observe celestial objects in an innovative way,” says Marcel Souza of the Louis Cruls Astronomy Club in Campos Dos Goytacazes, Brazil. ”It was very difficult to imagine just a few years ago that we would have access to such sophisticated equipment.
Recipients of the telescopes will also help foster citizen science in their local communities under the guidance of SETI Institute astronomers, an important aspect to the SETI Institute & UNISTELLAR Network since many scientific observations can only be made from certain locations on Earth.
The collaborating AWB National Coordinators, including Suhel Ahmeti (@suhelahmeti) of the Astronomy Club of Kosovo (@astroclubkosovo), have already started making observations. “This powerful telescope has opened up a new world of discovery, allowing us to observe distant galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters with unprecedented clarity,” says Suhel. “It’s an incredible feeling to contribute to citizen science and support the SETI Institute’s mission. Through these observations, we not only deepen our understanding of the cosmos but also inspire future generations to reach for the stars.”
AWB has been fostering a global community of stargazers, bridging cultural and geographical divides through a shared passion for astronomy. Their mission of cultivating community through astronomy will not only enhance SETI Institute and UNISTELLAR citizen science research efforts, but will also democratize access to astronomical knowledge. In this way, the SETI Institute can better empower individuals from all walks of life to participate in the grand adventure of space exploration.
The SETI Institute is also supporting this stellar outreach elsewhere by working with organizations like AstroSandbox, a student and teacher-led initiative in Ukraine that helps astro-inclined youth to reach for the stars. Thanks to generous donations from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, four UNISTELLAR telescopes have already arrived in Ukraine at Kryvyi Rih State Pedagogical University (KDPU), Kyiv National University, Odessa National University, and the National University of Lviv. Taisiia Karasova, the founder of AstroSandbox and a current student at MIT, worked with Dr. Franck Marchis, Director of Citizen Science at the SETI Institute and Chief Science Officer at UNISTELLAR, to deliver the telescopes in service of these Ukrainian communities.
“The UNISTELLAR EVSCOPE 2 telescope is a new generation digital device… easy to use, we together with the students put it together quick and easy. And this is despite the great distance that the telescope has traveled,” says Svitlana Malchenko of KDPU. ”The telescope can be used to perform its own observations, which will be transformed into future scientific work, so I invite interested students to participate!”
“We partnered with AWB and AstroSandbox to expand the mission of the UNISTELLAR Network, striving to return the splendor of the dark sky to people everywhere. This initiative allows individuals to marvel at the cosmos and engage in meaningful scientific observations inspired by the SETI Institute’s citizen science program,” stated Dr. Marchis. “From Kosovo to Brazil to Ukraine, our network connects star-gazers worldwide, reminding us that despite our differences, we all share one planet under one sky.”
