About the IAYC 2014

IAYC 2014
International Astronomical Youth Camp
First Info Booklet
Weyer, Austria
July 20th – August 9th, 2014
Supporters of the IAYC
The International Workshop for Astronomy e.V. (IWA)
wishes to thank the people, organisations, institutes
and companies that supported the IAYC 2013:
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Argelander-Institut für Astronomie, Universität Bonn, Germany
Deutsche Raumfahrtausstellung, Morgenröthe-Rautenkranz
European Southern Observatory (ESO)
Fördergemeinschaft für naturwissenschaftliche
Jugendarbeit e.V., Berlin, Germany (FNJ)
IAYC: The International
Astronomical Youth Camp
The International Astronomical Youth Camp
(IAYC) is a three-week long summer camp
aiming to promote knowledge of astronomy
and astronomy related sciences in a unique
international atmosphere. Every year the IAYC
takes place somewhere in Europe. About
seventy people from a wide range of different
countries live together for three weeks.
Participants are between 16 and 24 years old
and share a common interest: Astronomy.
The IAYC is different from most other
astronomical camps for two reasons: the
international character and the fact that you
will have the chance to carry out your own
small research project. You will not just accept
facts, but you will discover them yourself
while working together with other people.
The IAYC is therefore not like staying in a hotel
and attending a summer school.
Every participant, with his or her own cultural
background, forms an integral piece in the
complex puzzle that is camp life. Therefore
the success of the camp will also depend on
your contribution!
IWA – The Organisation Participants
behind the IAYC
To participate in the IAYC you must be
The IAYCs are organised by an international team of students and young
scientists. They are all volunteers who
started as participants and were then
asked to join “The International
Workshop for Astronomy” – IWA for short
– as leaders. As the association
responsible for organising the IAYC, IWA
has almost 4 decades of experience with
the camp. IWA is registered as a nonprofit organisation in Germany and
therefore has no interest in any
commercial gain from the IAYC.
between 16 and 24 years old. As all the
participants come from many different
countries, English is the camp language.
Therefore you will need to speak English
not only during working group activities
and the non-astronomical programme,
but throughout the entire camp. The aim
of this is also to encourage people from
different countries or language groups to
spend their time together. The IAYC offers
you a great opportunity to make friends
from lots of different countries. You
should not worry though. Your English
does not need to be perfect, however,
you should be able to have a normal
conversation without a dictionary.
The IAYC is an astronomy camp, therefore
you should obviously be interested in
science and astronomy. You should also
be willing to carry out a small research
project on your own, though of course
your leader will always be there to
support and help you.
About the IAYC 2014
The IAYC 2014 will take place at a youth
hostel near the picturesque, small town of
Weyer (~4000 inhabitants) in the centre
of Austria. Weyer is located close to the
beautiful “Kalkalpen National Park” in
Upper Austria.
The largest towns in the surrounding area
are Waidhofen/Ybbs (17 km) and Steyr
(49 km). Linz (90 km) and Vienna (170 km)
are the cities closest to the camp house.
More information can be found using
maps.google.com or by contacting
[email protected].
The camp house is called "Jutel Weyer"
(the word Jutel is a combination of the
German words for youth and hotel). It was
newly renovated just a few years ago and
is in top shape. It offers 2, 4 and 6 bed
rooms, all of which have a bath room
attached to them.
Other than that there are also 3 seminar
rooms, a TV room, a sports hall, a table
tennis room and a disco inside the house.
A basketball/soccer/tennis court, small
playground and camp fire place can be
found just outside the door.
Camphouse: Jutel Weyer
Address:
Mühlein 56, 3335 Weyer
Coodinates: Latitude: 47° 51’ 48”
Longitude: 14° 41’ 11”
Altitude:
ca. 500 m
Observing
A few facts about Austria
Area: 83,855 km²
Population: ~8,4 Million (2011)
Capital: Vienna
Official Language: German
Currency: Euro (EUR) €
Due to Weyer’s location near the
Kalkalpen National Park and its small
number of inhabitants we can expect very
little light pollution. In addition our camp
house, the "Jutel Weyer", is located on a
mountain a fair distance away from the
town centre. Therefore conditions should
be ideal for observing.
You can either observe during working
group time as part of your project or join
the crowd outside after midnight meal
when we get out the telescopes for
everyone. Catch a glimpse of a celestial
object through a telescope or lie down in
your sleeping bag and enjoy the view.
If you don’t have any experience
observing that won’t be a problem either.
You can learn from the leaders and other
participants who are always happy to
explain things to you. No matter if it is
about constellations, how to use a
telescope
or
how
to
take
astro-pictures.
Travelling in Europe in general and in
Austria in particular is very safe. Also,
most Austrians and especially the younger
generation are fluent in English, therefore
communicating with the locals will not
pose much of a problem.
At the beginning of the camp we will also
offer a telescope introduction which
should help you get a feeling for the basics
of how to handle a telescope on your
own.
Furthermore there will also be a Dark
Room available at the camp. As far as
astro-pictures are concerned this means
you will have the possibility to take
analogue pictures and develop them
yourself in the Dark Room.
You are most welcome to bring your own
telescope or binoculars. The IAYC also
provides several telescopes which are
suitable for observing and the taking of
astro-pictures. There will also be a CCD
available to use with the telescopes. If you
want to know more about our equipment,
please
contact
[email protected]
[email protected] or [email protected].
The IAYC Experience
An IAYC day starts with breakfast at noon
(12:00), which should allow you to get
enough sleep after a long night out on the
observation field. After breakfast, the first
of two daily working group sessions starts
at one o’clock (13:00). The first working
group session lasts for two and a half
hours and the second one for two hours.
During working group sessions, you will
work on the project of your choice. Every
working group is based on a different
topic and has between seven and nine
participants plus a leader, who is
responsible for the group. Collaboration
between participants is encouraged as
projects aren’t usually carried out alone.
You and your project partners will work
independently on your project. This
means you will read up on the topic by
yourselves, explain things to each other,
carry out necessary observations,
calculations, measurements etc. In short,
you should not expect a school-like
environment where a teacher provides all
the information and tells you what to do.
But don’t worry, even though you’re
working on your own your leader will still
always be there to help if you get stuck.
Every working group will offer projects at
all levels, from high school to university
level research topics. At the end of the
camp you are expected to write a report
documenting your project. Everybody’s
reports will be collected and compiled
into a report book, which will be sent to
you after the camp. The report book will
enable you to find out more about the
other projects that were done at the
camp. All of the working groups available
at the IAYC 2014 will be introduced in a
later section of this document.
After the first working group session you
have free time where you can participate
in astronomy lectures, sports activities
and workshops that are organised by
other participants. If you feel like
organising something yourself or with
other participants, that’s great, go for it!
Free time ends with lunch at half past five
(17.30) in the afternoon.
Doing nothing else but astronomy for
three weeks would be too much. To
loosen things up a bit we have the NonAstronomical Programme (NAP) after
lunch every day. The NAP is compulsory
anything-but-astronomy time where
activities are organised for the entire
camp. The NAP leader will explain more
about this in the “Working Group” section
of this booklet.
After NAP, at ten o’clock in the evening,
the second working group session takes
place. The final scheduled event of the
day is a light meal served at midnight.
After this, if the sky is clear, it’s time to
join the fun outside on the observation
field and do what everyone at this camp
loves to do: Observe!
Daily Schedule:
11:30 Waking up service
12:00 Breakfast
Free time
13:00 - 15:30 1st working group session
Free time
17:30 Dinner
Free time
19:30 NAP
22:00 - 24:00 2nd working group session
24:00 Dinner
Free time / Observations
Although most days during the camp are
like the one described above, there are a
few special days. The first Thursday of the
camp is reserved completely for a special
programme: the Excursion Day. The
Second Thursday will be Free Day which
you can spend any way you want. Go on a
trip with some IAYC friends, catch up on
some sleep, go hiking or swimming etc.
Participation fee
for the IAYC 2014
Choosing your
Working Group
The participation fee for timely
applications is 690 Euro. This applies to
applications sent before the
In the following section you can find the
abstracts of the 7 working groups offered
at the IAYC 2014. On the application form
you will need to indicate which working
group you want to participate in. In
addition to the working group overviews,
the Non-Astronomical Programme leader
and the General Coordinator will also
introduce themselves.
11th of April 2014
The post stamp date counts! Applications
sent after this date will be considered if
places are still available. The participation
fee for late applications will be 750 EUR.
So make sure you send off your
application before the 11th of April!
Timely applicants will be notified about
the outcome of their application at the
end of April. If accepted, you will need to
transfer the applicable participation fee
within 7 days of receiving the acceptance
e-mail.
We think that your financial background
should not be a hindrance to your taking
part in the IAYC. If financial reasons keep
you from applying for the IAYC 2014 then
we’d like to encourage you to seek
support from our limited grant
programme: Write to [email protected] to
obtain a grant application form. Grant
applications will only be accepted
together with the normal application
form (i.e. you cannot apply for a grant
after you have already been accepted to
attend the camp). The deadline for
sending in a grant application is also the
11th of April (post stamp date counts).
A MESS - Astronomy: Making Equipment to Stop Stress
Tags: Observational, Practical, Programming
What makes a good astronomer?
To truly be an astronomer, one must focus on the stars - that
means not on your faulty instruments. It is said that everything in
the universe can be fixed using one of two things. If it moves, and
it shouldn't, use Duct Tape. If it doesn't move, and it should, use
WD-40. Such wisdom has been used by countless scientists to
solve Nobel prize winning problems.
To answer our question, we turn to maths: why do
Mathematicians prefer to write everything in the shortest way
possible? Is it divine, logical beauty or the elegance of algebraic
notation? Of course not. They are trying to save ink.
A good astronomer is a lazy astronomer; the one who asks
questions like:
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Is it worth going out tonight?
What? I have to do that by hand?
Isn't there an App for that?
What kind of sane person gets out of bed before noon
anyway?
Astronomers often face problems with equipment not working
and in turn this causes us stress. This can be an "Act of God": your
telescope fogging with the morning dew or an "Act of Human":
accidentally kicking over the tripod while trying to find the
eyepiece you dropped. In A MESS, you will learn how to solve
problems that astronomers face every night and some you never
knew existed.
Together we will devise plans and construct devices to make our
lives easier. By doing this we can spend more time on what you
came to the camp for: observing. We will probably make a mess,
but that's our name, right?
A MESS will focus on learning how to construct quality scientific
instruments on a budget, no experience necessary. We will look
at how to build useful tools like dew heaters, weather stations,
sky-quality meters, CCD spectrographs and more. You will learn
how to write programs to control telescopes, cameras and kettles
(maybe not kettles). We will also need to do a lot of observing to
make sure our equipment works as expected!
Josh
[email protected]
This
hobbity
little
Englishman is one of the
IAYC’s
most
prized
possessions.
He’s
so
famous that U2 named an
album after him and the
Kashmiri
a
reasonably
delicious dish.
Even though this is his 6th
IAYC and 4th camp as a
leader, Josh, at the tender
age of 23, is the youngest
member of the leader team
this year. Josh is currently a
PhD student at the UCL
Mullard Space Lab, where
he works on 3D imaging and
rovers.
In his free time he likes long
walks, having his hair
ruffled,
gliding
and
photography. He knows a
great deal about physics,
astronomy, cameras, and
computers, so grab a tea or
coffee, sit down with Josh
and enjoy the information
overload.
APM – Atmosphere, Planets, and Meteorology
Tags: Atmospheric science, data analysis, experimental
There is nothing better than a clear night for stargazing or
astrophotography. It would be the perfect camp, if we could
enjoy all 20 clear nights. However, the atmospheric conditions
are usually not so nice. As the astronomer cousin of Ned Stark
would say “Clouds are coming”, and in the worst case they will
remain for days. But the atmosphere doesn’t always play
against the astronomer. From time to time it rewards us with
halos or colourful and magical northern lights.
A good weather forecast can be really useful for astronomy.
Unfortunately, making a proper weather forecast is not as easy
as you would imagine. It may sound like a joke but if there’s a
50-50 chance that a weather forecast will go wrong, 9 times out
of 10 it will. There are too many variables to take into account,
too many small perturbations that can alter the final result
completely.
But the Earth is not the only place in the solar system where
you can find an atmosphere. Venus for example has a really
dense atmosphere and very strong greenhouse effect. Titan
has methane rain and on Jupiter you can find a huge storm
system the size of two Earths.
OK, so what’s the plan for these three weeks? We will work on
atmospheric science, no matter if it is terrestrial or not. New
to this field? Don’t worry, we can start with learning about the
basics and playing around with some experiments. Do you like
challenges? How about building a small weather station and
making a weather forecast for the camp? If you’d like, we can
also explore other planets’ atmospheres or try to fight the
global warming with some geo-engineering. Still too easy?
What about designing your own climate model and playing
around with it?
And finally, what’s the forecast for APM? Good music, biscuits,
relaxing cups of tea/coffee, lots of fun working and a great
atmosphere. Regarding the camp, clear skies and some
showers are also expected. See you all in summer!
Aitor
[email protected]
Honest, smart, trustworthy, shy,
understanding… There are certainly
many adjectives you may write about
Aitor, and yet they would not be
enough to describe him. This ‘jumpy’
Spanish Physicist from the Basque
Country first appeared at the IAYC in
2008 and has been back almost every
year since then. Currently doing a
Master’s of Meteor of Meteorology in
Stockholm, he likes reading and
discovering Sweden when his studies
allow him.
You will have many chances to chat
with Aitor during the camp (even if
you’re not lucky enough to be in
APM!). If you’re curious about minority
languages, go and ask Aitor about the
funny quirks of the Basque language,
you’ll have quite some laughs! He’s
also a fan of history and architecture.
Too boring for you? Well, just go and
ask him about any youtube video you
can think about: I’m sure he’d seen it
before you even discovered it!
HAGGIS – Historical Astronomers Getting Giddy In Science
Tags: Observational, Historical, Practical, Philosophical
Ever wondered how humans living centuries and millennia ago
were able to decipher the radius of our home planet, when the
longest day of the year occurs, or that our solar system is
heliocentric? What instruments were used for such
calculations, could you design or recreate them, without a
computer in sight?
With only pen, paper and mind to aid you is scary I know, but if
you are as curious as I am, then you won't regret this journey
through space and time (and biscuits). We will explore
everything from the stories behind Greek constellations to how
the Polynesians traversed the Pacific Ocean with only the night
sky to guide them. Is it true that the Great Pyramids are really
aligned just as the stars of Orion's Belt?
What was the “aether” or Plato's “celestial spheres”? Would
you have come to the same conclusion if you had the
technology that they had at the time? Perhaps you could
programme the epicycles of the planets in a geocentric Milky
Way. Or delve into patterns, from geometrical shapes to the
notes of an octave, and decide for yourself whether the
musicality of the planets and their positions in the Universe is
simply coincidence or Grand Design.
Of course, we will not forget the likes of Galileo who radicalised
science and rattled the entirety of Christian religion, or Tycho
Brahe who lost his nose in a duel and died of refusing to pee.
What about Ecphantos of Syracuse, Calliopes of Cyzicos,
Hypatia of Alexandria, Philolaos of Croton or Oinopides of
Chios...?
The ancients from times of old are eager to meet you and have
their voices heard! So join my working group for enthralling
discussions, debates and experiments – both in the mind and
out in the fresh air (maybe we'll even find a live haggis). Who
knows where we will all end up with so much of the past to
uncover, tea to drink and strange Scottish delights to consume.
Hannah
[email protected]
Och aye! It's only another Scot on
the leader team! Although Hannah
is new to the exciting world of
participant management, she's
been to her fair share of IAYCs and
knows what's what.
At the tender age of 23 years
Hannah has done many things
most of us can only dream of. Visit
an observatory on a volcano?
Check. Sleep in the desert under
the stars? Check. Travel the world
sleeping on sofas? Check. You
name it, Hannah has probably
done it - just ask her!
Somehow she still has time for
academia, studying astrophysics at
St Andrews. She's recently been
accepted to the AstroMundus
Master’s programme which should
satisfy her travelling itch.
If you find yourself in HAGGIS
you're in for a fabulous time, just
remember to bring a blue cup with
you!
PICs - Photographers of the Incredible Cosmos
Tags: Astrophotography, Observations, Practical
For millennia humankind has observed (and tried to
understand) the wonders of the night sky. In the beginning it
was by using naked-eye observations, which led to the
determination of the first calendars. Much better accuracy was
obtained with the development of the first telescopes in the
17th century, which was crucial for the birth of modern
astronomy. However, all these observations had a major
problem: They relied on the intrinsic defects of the human eye.
Since its development, photography has been widely used in
astronomy. It allowed us not only to get rid of the inaccuracies
of drawings, but also to discover objects and details not
observed before by collecting all the light coming from a
specific region of the sky in long exposure picutres. However,
not everything in astrophotography has been done for purely
scientific purposes: A quick search on flickr or 500px can show
you plenty of amazing examples of how it is possible to make
art with astronomy.
By now you’re probably wondering: What will we do in PICs? It
is obvious we won’t take Hubble-like pictures of the sky, since
that is quite far from our scope. If you’re up to the challenge,
my aim will be to introduce you to the world of astrophotography.
So, would you like to make huge sky panoramas, or all-nightlong timelapses? Are you more classically minded and prefer to
be introduced to the art of deep-sky objects photography?
Would you prefer a more hands-on approach by building your
own pinhole camera or scotch mount for long-exposure
pictures? These are some ideas which are open to discussion,
but if you like what you’re reading, just bring your camera and
be surprised by the Austrian skies!
I hope to see you all in Weyer! :-)
Javi
[email protected]
Meet this 25 years old Spaniard
from the beautiful city of Valencia.
He first appeared in 2008,
becoming a leader in 2011, and he
has never missed a camp since
then. One could say he is addicted
to the IAYC. At the moment Javi is
doing a PhD at the neutrino
telescope ANTARES. Photography
is also one of his passions; so if you
ever feel observed by a camera
during the camp, you shouldn’t
worry too much. It’s probably just
Javi taking a picture.
If you are not one of the lucky
people in Javi’s working group, do
not miss the opportunity to get to
know him better. You can talk
about
everything,
science,
photography, life… Too shy? Don’t
know how to break the ice? I have
a little advice for you, just tell him
that “paella” is anything cooked
with rice. That should do it.
Anyway,
an
interesting
conversation and fun is always
guaranteed if Javi is around.
SUNSCREEN - SUN, SCience and REsearching ENigmas
Tags: observational, programming, theoretical
Here comes the sun.... dudududu... Here comes the sun... and I'll say... it's
all right. Little darling, come join the amazing SUNSCREEN working group.
Little darling, we'll learn and have fun all together. Here comes the sun....
dudududu... Here comes the sun... and I'll say... it's all right. Sun, sun, sun,
here it comes!
What is that big sphere in the sky? Why is it making me feel warm? - Over
the centuries the Sun has always been part of our cultures, even considered
a God in many of them, a fascinating object on the celestial sphere! When
science started to develop we had the chance to learn more about it, but
with time we started to lose interest and focused on new things. But you
would be very surprised at how many mysteries the Sun still hides.
But why a solar working group? - you may think. Most of the time we
observe at night, why bother focussing on the closest star? There are more
complicated structures such as globular clusters, galaxies, quasars, galaxy
clusters, high-redshift objects... You don't find the Sun fascinating? Maybe
that's because you don't realise how complex it is and how many enigmas
it presents.
What are those spots on the surface? How are they formed? What on Earth
is a Magnetogram? If you have a curious mind and want to know more
about our star, join SUNSCREEN! We will be focusing on many different
aspects, such as calculating the rotational speed of the Sun with different
techniques including spectroscopy and sunspots dynamics, learning about
helioseismology and the neutrino experiment, differentiating the structures
in the star, understanding the energy transport mechanisms inside it,
interpreting the polarities on the surface, building different models using
convection and radiation, making hypotheses about the solar cycle... Would
you prefer to know about the reactions in the nucleus? Or would you rather
do some programming and maybe a few simulations? Maybe you just want
to take cool artistic pictures of the Sun to show off.
By the end of the camp one thing will be very clear: you'll be able to answer
the question "Why is Solar Physics important?", and how it is related to the
rest of the astrophysical sciences. Of course, you need to be in a good
atmosphere for all this hard work, and I don't mean the photosphere,
chromosphere or the corona. I'm talking about good music, cookies, crisps,
a cup of tea/coffee and good company, nice chats and lifelong friendship.
So don't forget to bring loads of sunscreen, because we will spend quite
some hours under our burning Sol! I'm looking forward to seeing you all in
a few months!
Irati
[email protected]
Ever wondered what a Dragon
from the Basque Country is like?
Irati - the Dragon-born (after the
Chinese calendar) will show you!
One thing is clear about her, she
definitely knows how to sing!
Chances are that you will hear her
marvelous voice a couple of times
during the camp and it will leave
you wanting more.
But apart from having a beautiful
roar a Basque Dragon also knows
how to stay healthy and smile a lot.
Apart from healthy snacks like
fruits, vegetables or steaks her diet
also includes making sure that the
members of her WG (or
younglings) get some crisps and
cookies and getting the latest
gossip.
She is 24 years old and is studying
astrophysics. Things that you
should definitely bring to her
working group include sunscreen,
metal (but not the material ;) ),
blue cups (non-mandatory) and a
fondness for having fun because
you are definitely in for a great
time!
TRAP - Telescopes, Remote Astronomy and Photometry
Tags: Observing, Image Analysis, Telescopes, Basic Astrophysics
When Admiral Ackbar famously said: “It's a TRAP!”, there is no
doubt that he was telling you all to join this Working Group.
TRAP will most definitely be a trap! Once you're in you won't
want to leave.
In TRAP we'll be looking at the whole process of scientific
astronomical observing. We'll start at the very beginnings by
asking ourselves “Why do I see that?” or “What is causing this
to glow?”, then move onto setting up the telescopes and
recording the data. We will need to work out what data is
needed to answer our questions and whether it's possible at all
to get the data with the telescopes we have on hand. Once we
have our data though, we'll need to reduce it and then analyse
the images to look for the correlations and explanations for
why the universe is the way we see it.
Now if that doesn't float your boat enough, we've managed to
secure some remote observing time on the University of
Vienna's 1.5m Telescope. So not only will we be able unravel
the secrets of the objects favoured by amateur astronomers,
this year we'll also be able to probe the distant reaches of the
Milky Way, the Andromeda Galaxy and beyond. As time on the
1.5m Telescope is very limited, we will be setting up a mock
Time Allocation Committee. Just like professional Astronomers,
if you want to use this great instrument, you will need to be
prepared to fight for it!
But don't worry if you don't end up in TRAP. Everyone will have
the opportunity to remotely observe with the 1.5m Telescope,
regardless of whether it's for science cases or just for really
pretty pictures.
So remember “It's a TRAP” when filling out your application
forms and come and join me for some serious science as well
as lots of fun, cookies and tea while we ponder the mysteries
of the observable universe.
Kieran
[email protected]
Do not adjust your monitor.
Even though he's from Down
Under this dashing individual is,
in fact, presented the right way
up. Gunther is now on camp
number 6, a ripe old age (but
don't ask him quite how old)!
Fluent in English, Australian,
German and Austrian you can
be sure to have a good
conversation with him remember to ask about KnutDietrich and StormageddonDanger.
If you ever get stuck, Gunther is
the guy to ask, having studied
both
engineering
and
astrophysics. A Whovian on par
with the rest of us, some say
he's secretly planning to
construct a TARDIS; out of
LEGO, of course. You can be
sure that life in Gunther's
working group will be a blast,
especially when he finds an
excuse to brew up some
Hydrogen!
ZAPPA - Zappa, Astronomy, Physics, and Programming über Alice
Tags: Computational/Astrophysics, computer science, experimental music
ZAPPA is this year’s programming group. Aye. Programming is an
essential skill in modern physics and astronomy research. Observational
astronomy these days isn't sitting around looking at photographic plates
like Hubble. It's getting 100s of GBs of data from a satellite, which is in
some weird format and it needs processing, cleaning up, and analysing.
Without knowing how to write code that'd be a real drag.
The next generation of telescopes and satellites (e.g. SKA) will produce
about an exabyte of raw data (1 billion GB) a day! How we will process
and store this tsunami of data will be a very difficult challenge for
engineers, computer scientists, and astronomers.
In the more theoretical arena for many researchers computers and
supercomputers have become an everyday tool. Be it numerically
solving horrible non-linear differential equations or attempting to
simulate the evolution of the entire universe! [Millennium 2 simulation,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvxh-vAlTAU]
Hopefully by now I've battered home the idea that programming is a
major part of research and that you should eat your greens. But
programming by itself can be really fun and full of really interesting ideas
and problems. For example, take the name of this group. You may have
already noticed that this group has the longest name compared to the
others - it's actually infinitely long… It references itself in its own
definition, which in turn references itself which in turn… you get the
idea. This is what is called a recursive acronym. I contrived this group
name both as a cheesy tribute to my musical hero and to demonstrate
to you the idea of recursion, which is an important and fascinating
concept in computer programming.
The projects in ZAPPA will include the analysis of astronomical data,
classic simulation problems from physics and astrophysics, and also
other cool problems that are perhaps closer to computer science than
astronomy. What they'll have in common is that they will involve you
solving problems and using your imagination - not cranking the handle
and having answers appear or copying out of an astronomy textbook.
If this sounds cool and not too scary, then apply for ZAPPA! I recommend
you bring a laptop, unless you want to simulate the
n-body problem with lightbulbs.
There will be tea and biscuits. :-)
James
[email protected]
An interesting mixture of
Scottish and English, James is
one of those people you who
you'll never forget. Unassuming,
quiet except for the times when
he's not and "devilishly good
looking", this Cambridge hipster
probably
has
the
most
interesting tech-support job
there is. Just ask him about "the
Hawk".
Returning for his 4th IAYC, there
isn't much James doesn't know
about the camp - including
where all the best places to
escape the waking up service
are. James is always ready for a
laugh and will talk to anyone
and everyone, so search him out
and enjoy his wild sense of
humour.
NAP – Non-Astronomical Programme
Yes, you read correctly: Non-Astronomical.
This is the part of the day where you stop working, stop
thinking, return to a time you have abandoned a long
time ago: childhood. And from this moment in childhood
you will be taken to a new place, a wonderful place, a
place you didn't think existed. You don't believe me?
Give it a try.
Even now, in your head, imagine you are surrounded by
people you trust. Imagine that the real world does not
exist. Imagine there is nothing that is too childish. And
then laugh. About a small thing. About anything. Laugh
until you get it out of your system. As long as it takes you.
Have you tried? This is NAP.
NAP is not a working-group you can choose. NAP is not
our way to torture you. NAP is a vital part of the IAYC
experience and it will challenge you on levels that your
project will not. You will run, you will scream, you will
fight. And you will enjoy it.
The 50th IAYC has come. It will be big. Very big. I am
planning to present you with the classics that just have
to be there. I will also dig out some very old games that
even I don't remember playing (and that does mean
something...). And there will be something new as well.
I want this to be the greatest NAP ever, but I will need
your help. You cannot choose NAP as your workinggroup. You cannot choose the NAP leader. But I will
choose you. Randomly.
All I expect from you is to give it your best. Don't be
afraid. You are not alone.
Aga
[email protected]
This twenty-something year old
Polish-German girl grew up in a small
town close to Hannover. She started
her IAYC legacy at the IAYC 2003 and
the upcoming 50th IAYC will also be
her 10th summer spent at camp. She
first became a leader in 2008 and will
be part of a leader team for the 6th
time at the IAYC 2014.
Aga is knowledgeable in all kinds of
disciplines. After studying physics in
Heidelberg she now lives in Wales
finishing a Bachelor’s degree in
English Literature. Thinking outside
the box is part of her daily routine.
As the 2010 NAP leader she
introduced a new type of movie
game that has been copied and
modified every year since. With her
making a comeback as the NAP
leader this year we’re surely in for a
treat.
In her spare time Aga loves to read
and watch Doctor Who. If you ever
find yourself stuck drinking a coffee
with her alone don’t worry, she’s a
person you can easily chat with for
hours and hours. In case you are still
lost for words here are a couple of
things to ask Aga about: “Bugs”, “her
previous hair styles”, “the lady in
red”, “Aga Steaks” and “The curse of
the deadline”.
GEN – General Coordinator
Faster than a speeding bullet! Able to leap tall buildings in
a single bound! Is it a plane? Is it a train? NO!!! It's the
General Coordinator! "With great power comes great
responsibility", and as such it is my responsibility to make
sure the world doesn't end during the camp. I've checked
with Google and it says it should be clear sailing all the way
to the end. I’ll even do my best to make sure we have clear
skies for the whole camp – though on that one I can’t make
any promises!
As the General Coordinator of the IAYC 2014, I’ll be
responsible for all those things in everyday life that would
otherwise hinder an astronomer in his or her natural
environment. For example, when you come in at midnight
after hours on the observation field, cold and stiff, I’ll
make sure there’s food and warm drinks waiting.
When all your socks are stiff from being worn so often, it’s
up to me to see that you’re allowed to wash at least one
of them. When you wake up at the crack of noon and find
that the water is no longer working, it’s me who will have
a nice long chat with the house’s caretaker about why the
pipes are blocked.
In essence I’ll be your Super-hero behind the scenes. My
motivation will be as unstoppable as the Hulk, my patience
as strong as Ironman, my tenacity as sticky as Spiderman,
my attention to detail as precise as Sherlock Holmes. But
above all I’ll be as caring as the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
It’s my job to make sure the 50th IAYC is a completely
unforgettable experience, and I’ll do my absolute best to
make it so!
I can’t wait to welcome all of you in my home country
Austria! See you in Weyer!
Eva
[email protected]
You might think that Eva is a sweet
girl. And she is. She smiles a lot, she
is always ready to party with you
(and trust me, she knows how to
party!), or to chat over a cup of
coffee. And she has loads to talk
about. She has backpack-travelled
to lots of fascinating places and
having been to the IAYC every
summer since 2005 she knows all
the stories.
But she is not all smiles. There is a
serious side about Eva. And I am
not only talking about the fact that
she will soon hold a Master’s
degree
in
Physical
Energy
Technology. As last year's General
Coordinator she knows when fun is
over and when to put on her
serious face. Not a face you want to
see, because it means you are in
serious trouble.
But whether serious or smiling, she
will make sure the camp runs
smoothly, will provide tissues and
apples, and sort out all the little
issues that you don't even need to
know are there.
Your application for the IAYC 2014
If you want to participate in the IAYC
2014, fill in the application form that is
also available on our website,
(www.iayc.org) and send it to us as soon
as possible. If you are not yet 18 (21 in
some countries) your legal guardian
(usually a parent) has to sign the form as
well. Please do not forget to attach a
recent picture of yourself.
Make sure you have read the terms and
conditions on the application form
carefully. Please note that you are obliged
to have health insurance, which is valid in
Austria for the duration of the camp. If
we decide to accept your application you
will need to send a copy of your insurance
certificate to us (e.g. travel insurance
certificate, European Health Insurance
Card, etc.).
The application form should be sent to:
IAYC 2014
c/o Klaus Kieneswenger
Leibnizgasse 21/20
1100 WIEN
AUSTRIA
If you apply before the 11th of April 2014
(post stamp date counts), you will be
informed about your acceptance at the
end of April 2014. Later applications will
be considered if places are still available.
If accepted, you will need to transfer the
applicable participation fee within
7 days of receiving the acceptance email.
If you need to apply for a VISA to enter
Austria please contact the Austrian
embassy or foreign office in your country
as soon as possible to find out what
documents you will need and to make an
appointment for your visa application for
the end of May, even if your application
has not yet been accepted. Please try to
organise this appointment as soon as
possible! Once you have been accepted to
the IAYC we will provide a letter of
invitation if necessary – please find out
what details this letter should contain and
contact us in time for your appointment
at the embassy! Apart from the letter of
invitation, obtaining a visa is your
responsibility.
Travel to the IAYC
The IAYC on the Web
Please note that we cannot make travel
arrangements for individual participants.
Travel to and from the camp is the sole
responsibility of the participant. You will
however upon acceptance receive a link
to the Second Info brochure. It will
contain more detailed information on
how to travel to the camp. Additionally
you will also receive a list with the contact
details of all the other participants
attending the IAYC 2014. This will enable
you to contact other participants and
arrange travel to the camp together. We
will arrange for a bus to take all
participants from Weyer train station to
the camp house on arrival day (Same
applies for departure).
The most recent information about the
camp is always available on our
homepage: www.iayc.org or can be
obtained by contacting [email protected].
Please do not hesitate to contact
[email protected] or any one of us should you
have any questions!
We are looking forward to receiving your
application and to seeing you in Weyer,
Aga, Aitor, Eva, Hannah, Irati, James, Javi,
Josh, and Kieran
IWA is registered at the
Amtsgericht Bochum, Germany, Abteilung 14,
under registration number VR 1743
IAYC 2014
c/o Klaus Kieneswenger
Leibnizgasse 21/20
1100 WIEN
AUSTRIA
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