February 25, 2026
Working for US based research institution Associated Universities, East of Moon is developing a collaborative platform for the ASTRO ACCEL project, a global "network of networks" in the field of astronomy communication.
Only a few weeks after the "commons platform" launched, it's already a home to a growing community of more than a 170 practitioners across 32 countries.
“We’ve found that existing platforms like LinkedIn don’t focus enough on supporting communities,” said Tim Spuck, director of education and public engagement at AUI and principal investigator for ASTRO ACCEL in a recent article on the AUI website. “Particularly in an era where people are siloed into their own way of working, it can be challenging to spark cross-disciplinary innovation.”
“ASTRO ACCEL Commons provides a powerful platform where individuals and institutions can build meaningful networks, access shared resources, and form genuine professional connections,” said Hira Fatima, an early user of Commons and the National Astronomy Education Coordinator for Pakistan.
Users like Fatima can use the Ideation function to launch a new challenge or project and invite others in the community with similar interests to participate, the article explains.
ASTRO ACCEL is supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation.
