In an Astronomer's Shoes 2026
- Discover the Universe
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
Join in our spring contest In an Astronomer’s Shoes! Your students will step into the role of a real astronomer by writing a request for time on a telescope to observe an astronomical target of your choice!
What exactly does this contest entail?
There are lots of cool things to look at in space, but only so many telescopes available to observe them. A very important part of being an astronomer is writing requests to earn time on telescopes to look at the astronomical objects you want to study.
By taking part in this contest, your students will explore known exoplanets using an Exoplanets in the Classroom activity. They'll choose an exoplanet to observe, and then fill in a mock-request form for time on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Students will have to consider a few factors for their proposal, including which exoplanet they want to observe, why they want to observe it, and where and when it is visible in the sky. Note: no actual observation will take place, this is a mock-request only.
Watch this brief video and then read our FAQ below for more information! This video can also be presented directly to your students.
Who can participate in the contest?
The overall activity is open to anyone who’d like to participate, whether whole classrooms, small school groups, or individual students. We recommend the activity for grades 4-12. The contest itself is only open to Canadian students, school groups, and classrooms.
Where does the contest take place?
The contest will be run fully online! All materials are available in the In an Astronomer’s Shoes activity document, and submissions will be accepted through an online form. To participate, please register on our website to receive more information, resources, and the final upload form.
When is the contest?
The contest is open between February 23 — May 22, 2026. The activity itself is flexible in terms of time: you can do it in 1-2 classroom periods with your students, or you can turn it into a multi-week project; it's entirely your choice!
How do I get involved?
It’s easy to participate in the contest...
How do I sign up? Classroom teachers or interested students can register on our website. Registration ensures you’ll receive the link to the upload form, as well as resources, including a video interview with real JWST astronomers that you can share with your students!
How to submit request forms? Once registered you'll receive everything you need including a link to the upload form (it's all virtual! a scan of the documents will be required).
How do we win? Students (individually or in teams) must thoroughly fill out every section of the request for observing time to be entered into the draw to win a prize! Prizes include astronomy books and a virtual session with our astronomer, Alicia Savelli who will answer any and all your questions.
Why should my class participate in the contest?
Aside from engaging in a fun and creative interdisciplinary activity, this short project will address the following learning objectives:
Model the work of astronomers and learn more about the profession.
Discover the diversity of exoplanets and their planetary systems, and their characteristics.
Reflect on the planetary conditions that favour the development or survival of life as we know it.
Familiarize themselves with their local night sky and the apparent motion of celestial objects in the sky.
Note: actual time for observation will not be allocated, this is a mock-application only. Successful forms will be entered in a draw to win a prize.
For more information, please register. Questions may be directed to Alicia Savelli alicia@discovertheuniverse.ca
