IAU 2025 Pro-Am Workshop: Building relationships and research collaborations between professional and amateur astronomers
October 20 - 22, 2025
The IAU 2025 Pro-Am Workshop is a joint initiative between the International Astronomical Union's Professional-Amateur Relations in Astronomy Working Group and the Oil Region Astronomical Society.
Throughout history, amateur astronomers have made significant discoveries and contributions to the field of professional astronomy. While many amateurs are observers using smaller optical telescopes to image the night sky directly with CCD detectors, others are engaged in making radio observations or designing and building their own instruments. Some amateur astronomers collect data on solar eclipses and aurorae or are making astrometric and photometric observations of asteroids and comets and reporting them to the Minor Planet Center, while others are engaged in the precise timing of stellar occultations by bodies in our solar system. The upcoming workshop will harness this knowledge base and interest to create a win-win for astronomy professionals, amateurs, educators and students.
Throughout history, amateur astronomers have made significant discoveries and contributions to the field of professional astronomy. While many amateurs are observers using smaller optical telescopes to image the night sky directly with CCD detectors, others are engaged in making radio observations or designing and building their own instruments. Some amateur astronomers collect data on solar eclipses and aurorae or are making astrometric and photometric observations of asteroids and comets and reporting them to the Minor Planet Center, while others are engaged in the precise timing of stellar occultations by bodies in our solar system. The upcoming workshop will harness this knowledge base and interest to create a win-win for astronomy professionals, amateurs, educators and students.
Location: The Workshop will take place at the Oil Region Astronomy Learning Center and Camp Coffman located in NW Pennsylvania in the United States.
Getting Here: Individuals arriving by air should plan to fly into Pittsburgh International Airport, or Cleveland International Airport, or DuBois Regional Airport ). We are working to provide limited transportation from these airports to the site, we would arrange transportation via bus or van. You may also want to rent you own vehicle once you arrive at the airport and drive to the site.
Possible Travel Support: At this time we are working to secure funding to support onsite lodging at Camp Coffman and provide meals during the Workshop for attendees. We will have confirmation on this shortly. However, we do not anticipate we will have funding to support air travel, rental cars, etc. for individuals.
Who Should Attend: Professional astronomers, amateur astronomers, astronomy educators, and learners of all ages interested in engaging in astronomy research collaborations.
Planned Activities: While an agenda has not yet been finalized, planned activities include lightning talks and traditional presentations on exemplar programs and practices in pro-am collaboration, mini workshops featuring tools and techniques, networking opportunities, opportunities to brainstorm and develop new collaborations, dark sky observing at the Bedow Memorial Observatory and more!
Submitting a Presentation/Workshop Abstract for Consideration: Registration and abstracts submission portal will open soon.
NOTE: The Pro-Am Workshop will immediately follow the ASTROBLAST 2025 Star Party which will take place from October 14-19 at the same location. Please consider arriving early for the Star Party and staying for the Workshop!
Getting Here: Individuals arriving by air should plan to fly into Pittsburgh International Airport, or Cleveland International Airport, or DuBois Regional Airport ). We are working to provide limited transportation from these airports to the site, we would arrange transportation via bus or van. You may also want to rent you own vehicle once you arrive at the airport and drive to the site.
Possible Travel Support: At this time we are working to secure funding to support onsite lodging at Camp Coffman and provide meals during the Workshop for attendees. We will have confirmation on this shortly. However, we do not anticipate we will have funding to support air travel, rental cars, etc. for individuals.
Who Should Attend: Professional astronomers, amateur astronomers, astronomy educators, and learners of all ages interested in engaging in astronomy research collaborations.
Planned Activities: While an agenda has not yet been finalized, planned activities include lightning talks and traditional presentations on exemplar programs and practices in pro-am collaboration, mini workshops featuring tools and techniques, networking opportunities, opportunities to brainstorm and develop new collaborations, dark sky observing at the Bedow Memorial Observatory and more!
Submitting a Presentation/Workshop Abstract for Consideration: Registration and abstracts submission portal will open soon.
NOTE: The Pro-Am Workshop will immediately follow the ASTROBLAST 2025 Star Party which will take place from October 14-19 at the same location. Please consider arriving early for the Star Party and staying for the Workshop!
More Information will be posted soon!
Please direct questions and comments to any member of the Organizing Committee listed below:
Clementina Sasso
Mayra E. Lebron Santos
Tim Spuck
Fatemeh Zahra Majidi
Suresh Bhattarai
Lan Nguyen Quynh
Isa Mohammed
Abbas Mokhtarzadeh
Tejpreet Kaur