History, Achievements and Activities of Kayhana

History, Achievements and Activities of Kayhana

Initiation and Activities in 2018 and 2019

1. The astronomy group “Kayhana” embarked on its journey in November 2018, driven by a small idea with grand and global objectives.
2. The founders of this group are engineers Amena Karimyan and Sohail Karimi.
3. They initiated their activities without obtaining any budget from any source.
4. Initially, their activities were confined to social media, where they disseminated astronomical and scientific content on their pages. Through online publication and exchanging ideas on social media, particularly addressing people’s inquiries about astronomy in a fresh manner, they sustained their endeavors.

Activities in 2020

1. The online approach of Kayhana gained significant importance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Building on the founders’ Amena Karimyan and Sohail Karimi prior experience in online education, young individuals across Afghanistan eagerly joined a group, passionate about learning astronomy and actively engaging.
2. Kayhana received approximately 200 books from Mohammad Morawejzada. He presented these books as a gesture of friendship, and Kayhana utilized them in face-to-face seminars. They introduced a program titled “Astronomy Education for Girls‘ Schools in Herat” in November 2020.
3. Alongside in-person activities, online initiatives persisted, and the members of the Kayhana astronomy group have been expanding their knowledge each day.

Activities in 2021

1. In June 2021, Kayhana achieved global recognition by participating in the #telescopes4all program, becoming one of the 12 finalists selected by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Remarkably, Afghanistan was not initially listed among the participants. Despite this, Kayhana eventually secured an international achievement from the IAU, accelerating the group’s progress. SSVI images Amena Karimyan.
2. Kayhana’s diligence and efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with being recognized by the IAU, garnered media attention. The group became known as the sole highly active astronomical group in Afghanistan, and various Afghan media outlets sought reports and interviews about their success. This occurred amid the Taliban’s imminent takeover of Afghanistan. VOA1, VOA2, VOA3,VOA4, BBC1, BBC2, TOLO News1, TOLO News2.
3. Despite Afghanistan falling into the hands of the Taliban, Kayhana persevered, continuing their online studies even during the days when Herat and Afghanistan faced turmoil. They persist in their work to this day. In October 2021, they World Space Week with a small online exhibition due to the absence of in-person activities. WSW2021 Pages 34 & 35. _{If you want to see all the contents of the exhibition, you can contact us.}
4. Concurrently, Kayhana produced an initial documentary about its history, marking the group’s first documentary film. This documentary film is 8:47 minutes long, because its content is sensitive, so we have to not make it available to the public. Contact us if you would like to see it.
5. In sync with these events, the Kayhana astronomy group resumed its recruitment, elevating its members to 150.
6. Kayhana expanded into several committees, intensified its new classes, conferences, and online studies, and further elevated its activities.
7. In December 2021, Kayhana co-founder Amena Karimyan, the first female astronomer from Afghanistan, was recognized as one of the BBC 100 Women Most Inspiring and Influential in the World for her work in the Kayhana group.
8. In 2021, Kayhana declared its national coordination for Afghanistan in the organization Astronomers Without Borders and the World Space Week. Additionally, it continued its activities as a non-official member of the IAU.

Activities in 2022

1. In 2022, Kayhana’s astronomy education committees expanded, and teaching committees were established to generate scientific content on Kayhana’s YouTube channel, Kayhana’s Shorts Video.
2. On March 29, 2022, an article by one of its founders, Amena Karimyan, titled “Women astronomers in Afghanistan need the world’s support,” was published in Nature Astronomy journal. She called for collaboration from the global scientific community, particularly for young girls facing challenging circumstances in Afghanistan.
3. On September 10, 2022, Amena Karimyan, one of the founders, became a member of Wilhelm-Foerster-Sternwarte Berlin Insulaner. In November 2022, she was invited by this observatory for the anniversary of the observatory, where her achievements and activities were acknowledged.
4. In the autumn of 2022, in a painting competition in Austria(DeviantArt), Kayhana had four designs among the 17 selected, with one of them securing the third position, showcasing the talents of the group’s young members.

Activities in 2023

1. On March 8, 2023, one of the founders of Kayhana (Amena Karimyan) for the first time among Afghans and Persian speakers was invited to Wilhelm-Foerster-Sternwarte e.V. Zeiss-Planetarium am Insulaner, she gave a speech about space and astronomy and Afghanistan women. https://www.planetarium.berlin/veranstaltungen/frauentag-astronomie-afghanistan
2. On March 23, 2023, she was invited to speak for the conference in Spain, representing Afghanistan scientists. The ten-day program included presentations in various cities and centers, such as Madrid for employees (ESAC) and broadcast live over the internet in the USA and Holland, Vigo (UNIVERSIDAD), A Coruña (DOMUS), Pamplona (PLANETARIUM), and Donostia-San Sebastián (International Physics Center Donostia). The conference received warm reception and solidarity from the people of Spain and members of these centers towards Afghanistan women and scientists. Other interviews related to this conference: Vigo Astronoma Amena, Una astrónoma Amena, Podcasts Efervesciencia Amena Karimyan.
3. During the Global Summer Astronomy Week 2023, Kayhana resumed its membership, this time catering to ages 8 to 15, increasing its members to over 200.
4. From August 10 to 20, for the first time, Kayhana participated in the 16th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics 2023(IOAA), representing Afghanistan in Poland. Despite visa issues preventing Afghan students from participating, Kayhana, in its first year of participation, received the award for the best poster of the Olympiad 2023. This achievement sparked hope in the hearts of forty million Afghans and garnered significant media attention. BBC, 8AM, BNN, Khaama PRESS, ANI, EtilaatRoz.
5. On August 17, 2023, one of the founders of Kayhana (Amena Karimyan) was interviewed by Wilhelm-Foerster-Sternwarte e.V. Zeiss-Planetarium am Insulaner. The interview was published in the observatory’s magazine.
6. After the Olympiad, in September, Kayhana initiated another recruitment specifically for Olympiad participants. The group has now grown to more than 250 members.