What question did this study set out to answer?

To create an engaging way to teach children and young people about exoplanetary science through a card game.

February 6, 2026Open Access

Exploring Exoplanets: A Card Game to Introduce Students to Planetary Formation

Key Points

To create an engaging way to teach children and young people about exoplanetary science through a card game.
Development of a card game titled Exploring Exoplanets.
Creation of a companion booklet with suggested activities for educators.
Testing the game at outreach events to gauge interest among teachers and students.
High engagement and interest in planetary formation were observed at outreach events.
The game and booklet are freely available in Spanish, with further plans for translation and expansion.

Abstract

This is a poster presented at the 7th Shaw-IAU Workshop on Astronomy for Education, organised by the IAU Office of Astronomy for Education (OAE, https://astro4edu.org/shaw-iau/7th-shaw-iau-workshop/). Title: Exploring Exoplanets: A Card Game to Introduce Students to Planetary Formation Presenter:Carla Hernández-Silva (Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH); Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Astrophysics and Space Science (CIRAS); Millennium Nucleus on Young Exoplanets and their Moons (YEMS)) This proposal presents the card game Exploring Exoplanets (Explorando Exoplanetas in Spanish), designed to introduce children and young people to exoplanetary science through play and gamification. To support its use in schools, a companion booklet provides suggested activities for primary and secondary science classes. The game has generated strong interest in planetary formation among teachers, students, and the general public during outreach events. Both the game and the booklet are freely available in Spanish, with plans to develop versions in other languages and to expand the card set as research in this area progresses. Collaborators:Irma Fuentes-Morales (USACH/CIRAS/YEMS) Ruben Montecinos (USACH/CIRAS/YEMS) About the 7th Shaw-IAU Workshop:The 7th Shaw-IAU Workshop took place 18 - 21 November 2025. The Shaw-IAU workshops focus on astronomy education for primary and secondary school students and teacher training both in universities and in service. This year's Education focus session on Teaching with authentic data and the Science focus is on Galaxies.More details can be found on: https://astro4edu.org/shaw-iau/Keep up to date with future Shaw-IAU Workshops and other opportunities at the IAU Office of Astronomy for Education by joining our mailing list https://astro4edu.org/mailing-list/ Follow the IAU OAE on Bluesky and Facebook under @astro4edu

Exploring Exoplanets: A Card Game to Introduce Students to Planetary Formation

Key Points

Abstract

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