Activities for Schools

Materials for Schools

Project Andromeda (DE) was developed in collaboration between the Argelander Institute for Astronomy and the European Space Education Resource Office (ESERO) Germany. We regularly use the project for pupil research internships and school visits, and continuously improve it based on feedback from students. Project Andromeda can also be used externally, for example by private individuals, as well as in school classrooms. It is published under a CC license (see Authors and Contact).

As part of an exhibit at the MS Wissenschaft in 2023, the website faszination.uni-bonn.de (DE) was created, which compiles short “research assignments” for students. Research assignments in the field of astronomy can also be found there. The research assignments were developed by researchers at the University of Bonn and are intended for use both individually and in groups or in the classroom. The research assignments were published under a CC license.

The European Space Education Research Office (ESERO) published a quiz on radio astronomy and interferometry (DE) in its collection of educational resources for schools (March 2026). Created by three young researchers from the Argelander Institute, this interactive quiz offers the opportunity to enrich lessons with exciting insights into radio astronomy and interferometry. It clearly explains key physical principles and addresses current scientific questions related to the exploration of the universe. The material is particularly suitable for use in 8th-grade physics classes in the areas of optics and astronomy, as well as for upper secondary school (grades 11–13) in the subjects of physics, astronomy, or technology. Through a combination of quiz questions, explanatory content, and further links, students can independently deepen their knowledge and set their own priorities. The quiz is suitable either as a compact lesson unit or as a longer-term learning sequence that can be paused, and supports both independent work and collaborative exploration of complex content in the classroom. The quiz was published under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

School Visits

The program "Astronomie vor Ort" (Astronomy on Site), which includes school visits, has been taken over by the Volkssternwarte Bonn. For more information, please visit the Volkssternwarte's official website: http://www.volkssternwarte-bonn.de/wordpress/avo/

If you are interested in visiting the Argelander-Institut with a school group, please feel free to get in touch.

Science Communication

Together with the Volkssternwarte Bonn, the Argelander-Institute offers a wide range of events designed specifically for the public. Additionally, Bonn astronomers participate in university events such as the youth university, science ralley and science night. More information on the events can be found on the website of the Volkssternwarte Bonn.

A particular focus is to make the AIfA's collection of historical sky images, with around 15,000 photographs of the night sky, accessible to the public through guided tours and lectures.