AGONY - AmazinG prOjects on future techNologY

Tags: engineering, physics, theoretical, sci-fi, sociology

Humans have been advancing their technology since there was any notion of humankind to speak of. And with our technological progress has come the improvement of living standards for all, as well as societal progress towards a more egalitarian and equal society.

In AGONY, we will look beyond our current state of development and imagine the future and how futuristic technologies (that are still grounded in the laws of physics of course) will shape our prospects and our society as a whole.

There will be a variety of projects for you to choose from, ranging from technical projects like examining the material requirements for building large habitats with artificial gravity in space, to examining the societies that might evolve in such isolated colonies. Maybe you want to explore the future energy sources that could fuel our growth and how we can harness the power of the sun with enormous satellite constellations or how we could extract resources from our star or even move the entire solar system around! While we will have to make many assumptions to discuss these futuristic ideas, all of the projects will be fundamentally possible within the laws of physics and many of them might even become achievable within our own lifetime.

Whether it’s simulating universes, exploring the galaxy or extracting resources and energy in space, there is an endless collection of topics you can explore in AGONY, and no matter your level of expertise or ambition, there will be something for you!

Joris

ASTERIX - Advanced Systems for Terrain Exploration by Rovers In eXtreme conditions

Tags: robotics, hardware, electronics, microcrontroller, programming

“My battery is low. And it’s getting dark.”

Those were the last few words of the Mars rover Opportunity before its life ended. Alone, in the red desert of Mars. Ok, maybe it wasn’t that dramatic. And maybe the last data set we received from Opportunity was very open to lyrical interpretation. But what is not up for interpretation is the fact that Opportunity, Spirit, Perseverance and all the other planetary rovers have made a huge impact on our understanding of planetary science. They have visited places no human has ever set foot on. And they have returned data that forced us to redraw maps, rewrite assumptions and rethink our understanding of life. These rovers have shown us landscapes, sunrises, water flows and views of our earth that no one has ever seen before. In ASTERIX we will build our own rover! We will design and build the frame, add wheels, a microcontroller and a few sensors and enable it to autonomously explore the surrounding terrain to collect data. Sounds amazing, right? It doesn’t matter if you have been part of the crew that landed Opportunity on Mars or if you have just stumbled across this working group and thought it sounded interesting. So, get ready for a lot of handcrafting, coding and chasing your rover across the floor when it decides to ignore all instructions and run for the horizon. I will meet you halfway with snacks, music and lots of sticky tape. See you in Spain!

Franzi

BEANS - Binaries, Eclipses ANd Stellar science

Tags: stars, astrophysics, data analysis, programming

What’s better than one star? Two stars!

Binary star systems are extremely useful tools for studying the formation and evolution of stars. How? Well, measuring the mass of a star is difficult… unless it’s in a binary and you can apply Kepler’s laws to the orbit! Measuring the radius of a star is also difficult… unless it’s in a binary and you can work it out by looking at the eclipses! In addition to giving us direct mass and radius measurements, you can find all kinds of interesting environments in binaries! On one hand, you can get extreme and exotic phenomena such as cataclysmic variables, heartbeat stars and type Ia supernovae. On the other hand, detached (non-interacting) binaries are excellent places to test the finer details of stellar astrophysics. You might also be surprised to learn that most stars exist in binary or multiple systems — our Sun is quite unusual.

In BEANS, we’ll work together by studying the same binary star(s), but with different techniques. You’ll use real data from space telescopes and professional observatories to measure everything you can — mass, age, distance, chemical composition, radius, temperature — and place the stars in the Galactic context. We’ll also take advantage of the clear night skies with a small observing side-project (maybe you can guess what it is, but you’ll have to wait until camp for me to spill the beans…).

There will be no shortage of things to learn, solve, code, break and fix in BEANS. So if you bring your curiosity and enthusiasm, I’ll bring resources, troubleshooting expertise, and a whole load of cookies.

See you in Spain!

Nikki

CLANKER - Computer LeArNing algorithms acquiring Knowledge to catEgoRize space

Tags: programming, machine learning, computer vision, image processing

Beep boop oil… is… low…

We currently live in an age where data for everything is abundant whether it be stars, galaxies, craters or anything you can imagine. But how does one parse through this data, understand the data, extract information from it. You could look at it yourself, but when there are thousands of images or thousands of entries in a CSV file each one with many data points, you start to wonder if there is a way of automating this process of extracting the information. This is where some cheeky data analysis and machine learning come into play!

Here in CLANKER we’ll use computational tools to bring some order to neverending data. Whether it’s classifying galaxies, identifying craters, or sifting through massive datasets, you’ll use algorithms to automatically—and more importantly—correctly infer useful information or patterns in the data. From building and training your own Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) to applying statistical models outlining outliers, we’ll be using machine learning to help us in this endeavour.

Whether you’re brand new to coding or a seasoned veteran, bring your rubber ducks to vent at when the code isn’t quite working. I’ll bring some snacks and coffee to help with that.

See you in Spain!

Dylan

IRN-BRU - Images are Really Nice and oBserving is Really fUn

Tags: observing, images, photography, telescopes, data processing

The human race has been looking up since the beginning of time to gaze in wonder at the night sky and wondering how we can possibly capture its beauty. Through time we have done this through drawings, paintings, and more recently through digital images.

In IRN-BRU we’re going to get hands on with astronomical images and learn more about observing, capturing images, and how these pictures can help us do important science! But we’ll also be thinking about how our techniques for capturing images have changed over time and revolutionised the way we do research.

Whether you want to get hands-on with a telescope to study some of the faintest objects in the sky, have a go at stacking and processing images to unveil the secrets of deep-sky objects, or want to go back to basics and see how we used to map the stars before we had all our modern gadgets, I can promise a project for you! From capturing speedy satellites as they pass by overhead, to exploring the details of our neighbouring planets, to creating stunning startrails, whatever image you want to capture, we’ll be delving into the science behind it - all while producing a stunning visual. Don’t worry if you’ve never observed before - no better way to learn than to try!

Bring along your creativity and willingness to fight with a telescope mount, and I’ll provide the snacks and good vibes, and let’s crack open a fresh cool drink of the cosmos and capture some phenomenal images together!

See you in Spain!

Sarah

POETS SOCIETY - Poetry Only Enters The Soul by Surging Openly; it's Contained In Everything That You know

Tags: poetry, creative writing, applications to scientifc writing, philosophical astronomy

“We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race.”

— N.H. Kleinbaum, Dead Poets Society

Have you ever read something and felt as though the author reached their finger through space and time to point at the unspoken truths of your being? Does the cold vastness of the universe fill you with awe? Have you ever written poetry in your notes app? If so, POETS SOCIETY awaits you!

In POETS SOCIETY, you’ll have the opportunity to grow as a creative writer. Tell me—what’s more poetic than a dying star? Or than the infinitesimal space between atoms, that means we never really touch anything? Drawing inspiration from science, the natural world, and personal experiences, you’ll be able to forge unique and imaginative pieces. Over the course of three weeks, you’ll develop your craft and explore the beauty of words and imagery. Above all: by the end, you’ll have found your very own poetic voice, while looking up at the stars.

Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just starting out, this working group is the chance to not only learn about poetry, but also to discover facets of yourself. What do you have to say that nobody else could voice except for you? Everyone—yes, everyone—has a story that only their minds could write. I can’t wait to read yours!

Bring your enthusiasm, favorite poems, and an open mind—I’ll meet you halfway with snacks, vibey playlists, and all the support you’ll need in your creative journey through deep space (camp)!

“Carpe Diem. Seize the day […]. Make your lives extraordinary.”

— John Keating, Dead Poets Society

Dara

SIGMA - Stellar Investigators Got Mad Accuracy

Tags: observing, practical, observational, telescopes, positional astronomy

You may have let your inner alpha out under the light of a full moon. What will arise from within us under the darkness of a total solar eclipse? Our observational skills, of course.

In SIGMA, we’re going to our primal roots in astronomy, before we relied on Google to tell us when the next transit happened, before GPS could tell us which direction to go. How did ancient astronomers predict eclipses with such accuracy? Why did Galileo know where to look when he first turned his telescope to the sky? And if any of us were dropped in the middle of a Dutch forest with nothing but a compass, would we be able to make our way out? Using our own observations, we will extract astronomical insights like this by hand.

Our projects will involve geometric calculations using our own observational data, collected by the naked eye, telescopes, or even hand-built instruments like sextants or sundials. Calculate the precise timing and sky position of the eclipse by tracing the paths of the sun and the moon. Find our latitude and track which constellations will be visible at each time of the year, or swap the unknown variable and determine the precise time of day based on what is visible in the night sky at the moment. Measure the positions of planets against background stars through the telescope to predict later transit events. Together we’ll get on our GRINDSET: Geometrically Reveal Insights, Navigate Dark Skies, and Employ Telescopes. Awoooo!

Zooey

SPACE BUGS - Searching for Past And Current Evidence of Biological Units on Geological Systems

Tags: astrobiology, geosciences, space exploration, mission design

“Where is everybody?” - Enrico Fermi

Are you interested in the biological side of space exploration? Have you given much thought to the age-old question of if we’re really alone in this vast expanse of space? Have you spent time imagining what alien forms of life may look like? While the concept of little green men in flying saucers isn’t all too convincing, how about the presence of microbes or otherworldly bugs? We may not even have to look beyond our own solar system to find evidence of extraterrestrial life!

In SPACE BUGS, you’ll work in teams to design missions of astrobiological interest from conception to oral pitch to written proposal. You’ll learn the basics of habitability to assess what chemical signals and geophysical properties show promise of life, either preserved from the past or alive in the present. You’ll get to choose any (exo)planet or moon of interest to be your target, but choose wisely. You’ll experience the ins and outs of mission design, including the struggles of staying within a given budget, projecting a reasonable timeline, and balancing risk with reward to create the ultimate space mission proposal. Bring your big ideas and competitive spirit, because only one mission can be chosen to receive the (fictional) €1 billion in funding.

Whether or not you’re fond of Earth bugs, SPACE BUGS will entertain your astrobiological curiosities, encourage your drive for discovery, and put your mission design skills to the test. I’ll be sure to support you along the way with plenty of learning materials, groovy tunes, and as many bug facts as your heart desires.

See you, space cowboy…

Parker (PJ)

eSPARKLE - lEt's SPeculate: constellAtions oveR the night sKy, mythoLogy and sciencE

Tags: mythology, cultural astronomy, sociology, rudimentary science, star chart

“We used to look up at the sky and wonder about at our place in the stars” - Joseph Cooper

When the sun goes down and luminosity fades, sparks of light from really far away begin to appear. Since the beginning of time, humans have been astonished by its beauty, staring up at the breathtaking celestial vault. Night after night, they looked up, wondering about its meaning. During those long hours contemplating the immensity of the universe, their stories and the night sky fused together. Through the years, civilizations have engraved their stories in the firmament, one on top of another.

Have you ever wondered how different cultures understood the cosmos? How does its mythology remain among the night sky? How different civilizations understood the stars and drew their own lines with their own meanings? Or how did they understand astronomical events as novae, eclipses, or the beginning of the universe itself? How did they try to explain phenomena as stunning as complete darkness in the middle of the daylight? If any of these questions have ever come to your mind, then eSPARKLE is for you!

We will travel to the past by reading and exploring different cultures’ mythology, so we can give an answer to these questions. We will try to sort out this tangled mess of cultures and constellations through their beliefs, captured in myths. Would they be more connected than we imagined, even though they were spaced in space and time? Let’s discover it!

I will provide coffee, tea, biscuits and plenty of enthusiasm and laughs to enjoy the best three weeks of summer!

See you in Spain!

Laura

NAP - Non-Astronomical Program

When you start feeling like the Spanish heat is frying your body and your challenging project is frying your brain… it’s time for NAP!

At IAYC we take many siestas, but not during the Non-Astronomical Program: this is the time to get the whole camp together and have some fun! There is nothing better than a little bit of laughter to help you relax and have an “Eureka!” moment that will unstuck your project. Every day will be a little bit different: we’ll run around, play fun games, read some poetry, play music and splash some water.

I will not only be the game master, but also the time lord. I’ll be in charge of organising the camp’s busy schedule: I’ll fit talks, presentations, workshops, competitions and any other activities you can think of, your imagination is the limit!. Whether you want to present your school project, give a dance workshop or have a chess competition, I’m the guy you should talk to. I will also provide you with supplies if you’re feeling crafty during your free time, plastic cups if you need some water and sticky tape to fix mistakes.

Working hard and having fun are not mutually exclusive, that’s what I’ll try to remind you every day. Bring your isomats, some sunscreen and your best laugh, I’ll do the rest!

See you very soon in Spain,

María

GEN - General Coordinator

Picture this: it’s nearly midnight, your brain is steaming from hours of working, you go to the canteen for your midnight meal and… There’s nothing to be found! Worry not— It is my duty, my pride, and my joy to lay my life in the prevention of such nightmarish scenes.

Every brave Frodo needs a caring Samwise, and every IAYC needs a GEN! As general coordinator, I am in charge of worrying so you don’t have to. I’ll make sure everything runs smoothly so that you can focus on being as astronomey as your joints allow for. This means being in constant contact with the accommodation staff to make sure we cover everyone’s dietary needs, ensuring that the fridge is always fully stocked, and bribing the weather report station to give us clear skies. You are unlikely to see much of me during working group hours, but you will probably catch me running around organising transportation, trying to work out why the toilet isn’t flushing, finding books for you to use as bibliography, or reminding people to shower regularly!

Part boss, part handyman, I won’t have a working group like in previous years, but in a way, you will all be part of my working group! Any issues you have, you can come to me, and I will do my best to see it sorted.

See you in Spain!

Andrés