Outreach & Public Engagement

Bringing astrophysics to people - from children under desert skies to families in Barcelona parks.

Magnet Alliance at ICE-CSIC

2022 – 2024

Member of the Magnet Alliance outreach programme at the Institute of Space Sciences (ICE-CSIC), Barcelona. The Magnet programme, led by Fundacio Bofill, fights school segregation in Catalonia by connecting research institutes with under-resourced public schools. I contributed as an outreach researcher working alongside teachers and students at Gabriel Castella i Raich school in Igualada.

ICE-CSIC Featured Event

Astronomy for Sahrawi Children: Amanar Project, Castelldefels

August 25, 2023

Co-organised an astronomy outreach session for Sahrawi children visiting Spain through the "Vacaciones en Paz" programme, in collaboration with the Castelldefels Astronomical Group (Astrofels). Activities included a Solar System cosmic walk (Earth = peppercorn scale), followed by telescope observation of the Moon and Saturn. Attended by 12 children and their host families.

Read the ICE-CSIC feature → Magnet Initiative page →

Astronomy session with Sahrawi children, Castelldefels, 2023

Public Events & Stargazing

Nit de la Recerca

2022

Participated in the Night of Research (Nit de la Recerca), Barcelona's largest annual public science event, engaging the public on magnetar research and X-ray astronomy at ICE-CSIC.

ICE-CSIC tweet from the event →

Barcelona Lunar Eclipse Public Event

2025

Led a public lunar eclipse observing activity in Barcelona, guiding families and children through the eclipse phases and sharing accessible explanations of Earth-Moon-Sun geometry.

SAAO Open Nights

2017 – 2020

Volunteer at the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) public open nights in Cape Town — answering questions from the public and demonstrating astronomical objects using the historic 61cm McClean telescope and smaller portable telescopes.

SAAO Public Events →

Public stargazing night, SAAO, Cape Town

Scientific Community Engagement

Photon Scientific Centre

General Manager (Volunteer)

Advancing Scientific Knowledge Through Research & Education

A leading center for physics, astronomy, and natural science, fostering innovation, collaboration, and the next generation of scientific minds.

To foster a deep appreciation for natural sciences, with a particular focus on physics, astronomy, and their transcendent aspects. We are here to illuminate the wonders of the universe and explore the metaphysical frontiers of knowledge.

Our Team → PWF Sudan Seminars Archive →

ICTP-PWF Sudan Initiative (Leadership Highlight)

Led the collaboration with ICTP through the Physics Without Frontiers (PWF) initiative in Sudan: a 6-week programme with 12 seminars and over 60 participants from Sudan and the diaspora, connecting students and researchers with international scientists during a period of major disruption.

LinkedIn closing highlights video post →

Sudanese Researchers Foundation (SRF)

Admin & Moderator (2021 – present)

Admin and moderator of the Sudanese Researchers Foundation Facebook community — one of the largest Sudanese academic communities online with over 800,000 members.

SRF Community →

ZoolAstro — Astronomy for Everyone

Bilingual science content in Arabic & English

ZoolAstro is my personal science communication brand, dedicated to making astronomy accessible to Arabic and English-speaking audiences through short, engaging videos. Topics range from stellar physics and cosmic phenomena to behind-the-scenes PhD life and data science.

ZoolAstro Brand

ZoolAstro brings astronomy to broad audiences through short-form storytelling, practical explanations, and bilingual science communication designed for students, families, and first-time learners.

TikTok: @zoolastroofficial Instagram: @zoolastroofficial X/Twitter: @ZoolAstro Facebook: ZoolAstro YouTube: @abubakryagob