[AstroNet] Announcing the AstroCD

[Kevin Govender]

Ok, here's the next big thing in the buildup towards IYA2009: the AstroCD!
Have a look at www.astronomy2009.org.za for more details - the blurb 
from the site is copied below...
Please send your input as to what you think should be on such a CD full 
of astronomy resources.


  AstroCD: An Electronic Astronomy Resource Pack

So if you could give out a CD, with as many electronic astronomy 
resources on it as possible, to the many schools and individuals out 
there, what would you want to put on it?

The *AstroCD *is a resource in acknowledgement of the presence of 
computers but not necessarily easy internet access across large parts of 
Africa. Like the *AstroGuide 
<http://astronomy2009.saao.ac.za/projects/astroguide/>* this is meant to 
be an evolving resource and everyone is invited to provide input.

This CD is meant to complement such great astronomy resource kits such 
as the Astronomical Society of Southern Africa 
<http://assa.saao.ac.za>'s "Starter Kit" for amateur astronomers.

Such a resource, due to its open source nature, should also evolve into 
something that can be implemented on Shuttleworth's Freedom Toaster 
<http://www.freedomtoaster.org/> project ("bring and burn" facilities 
for dispensing free electronic resources).

Current contents include:

    * a compilation of selected education and public outreach resources 
      (posters, presentations, workshops, etc) from various
      organisations and individuals (SKA, SAAO, HartRAO, Boyden, IYA,
      GHOU, UNAWE, SAASTA, NASA, etc). All of these may be downloaded
      free but are put on the CD (with reference links) for those
      without reliable internet access. See AstroNet's resource
      consolidation
      <http://astronomy2009.saao.ac.za/projects/resources/> for direct
      links to many of these resources.
    * a compilation of selected free astronomy software
    * a 3D tour of SALT and other telescopes at the SAAO
    * the latest version of the AstroGuide

Clear needs for this CD at present are:

    * a user friendly front end to access the resources on the CD
    * more pictures with references that can be used for school projects
      or presentations


Please send your ideas or electronic resources (and especially your 
willingness to volunteer skills or time) to info(at)astronomy2009.org.za 
<javascript:linkTo_UnCryptMailto('ocknvq,kphqBcuvtqpqoa422+0qti0bc');>

  <http://astronomy2009.saao.ac.za/index.php?id=1127#>






-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mail.saasta.ac.za/pipermail/astronet/attachments/20080618/02388d89/attachment.htm 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: edit_fe.gif
Type: image/gif
Size: 76 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://mail.saasta.ac.za/pipermail/astronet/attachments/20080618/02388d89/attachment.gif