Key Takeaways:
- Iran registered more than 30 events in the 100 Hours of Astronomy festival out of 327 worldwide, ranking among the countries with the highest participation.
- The international festival ran from 2–5 October 2025 and included contributions from over 60 countries, plus a 24-hour global live broadcast featuring Iran’s Dome Mina planetarium.
- Events were held across Iran in major cities and smaller towns, demonstrating strong amateur astronomy networks and nationwide public engagement.
- The success builds on the event’s revival in 2019 and underlines the role of planetariums and outreach offices in promoting astronomy education.
Iran Shines in Global 100 Hours of Astronomy Festival
Iran emerged as one of the leading contributors to this year’s 100 Hours of Astronomy, registering more than 30 events on the official IAU outreach platform. The figures place Iran among the countries with the highest number of activities worldwide, after Romania, and reflect a broad and active amateur astronomy community across the country.
100 Hours of Astronomy Iran Brings Nationwide Participation
The international festival, held from 2 to 5 October 2025, attracted participation from over 60 countries and a total of 327 registered events. Organised globally by the International Astronomical Union’s outreach office, the event aims to share the wonders of the night sky with the public through hands-on programmes, planetarium shows and community gatherings. Iran’s contribution included more than 30 distinct programmes entered by clubs, scientific centres and planetariums.
Local organisers — notably the IAU outreach office in Iran and the Amateur Committee of the Iranian Astronomical Society — coordinated a wide range of activities. Registered events came not only from major urban centres such as Tehran, Mashhad, Isfahan, Tabriz and Shiraz, but also from smaller cities and towns including Eqlid, Sari, Neyshabur, Ahvaz, Gorgan, Arak, Pardis, Bam, Yazd and Jam. This geographic spread underlines the depth of grassroots interest in astronomy across Iran.
The 100 Hours of Astronomy began as part of the International Year of Astronomy in 2009 and was revived in 2019 to mark the centenary of the International Astronomical Union. Since its revival it has been held annually, drawing hundreds of scientific institutions, amateur societies and educational centres. In 2025 the festival also coincided with the centenary of planetariums, a milestone that organisers used to emphasise the educational role of these institutions.
Iranian institutions participated in the festival’s 24-hour global live broadcast, with a segment dedicated to the Dome Mina planetarium and its programmes. The live contribution showcased planetarium exhibits and outreach activities to an international audience, reinforcing Iran’s presence in the global astronomy outreach community.
Officials from the Amateur Committee of the Iranian Astronomical Society said they hope the strong showing will encourage further support from public and private bodies responsible for science promotion. They emphasised that sustained backing could expand access to astronomy education, inspire young people to pursue science, and strengthen infrastructure for public outreach.
Observers and organisers view the results as evidence of a resilient and expanding amateur astronomy sector in Iran. With significant participation in a well-established international festival, Iranian clubs and planetariums have signalled their readiness to continue engaging the public and collaborating with global partners on future outreach initiatives.
