[AstroNet] IYA2009 International Update

Tue Jul 7 11:43:22 SAST 2009

 From the IYA2009 secretariat...

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	IYA2009 Update
Date: 	Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:08:08 +0200
From: 	Pedro Russo <prusso at eso.org>
To: 	undisclosed-recipients:;

Dear friends,

Here are some IYA2009 updates from the last (very busy!) week:

News Release: Year of Astronomy 2009 raises millions of eyes to the skies
As the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009) reaches its 
six-month milestone, over a million people have already looked at the 
sky through a telescope for the first time, and even more have newly 
engaged in astronomy. This is just one of many achievements, as 
countless ongoing projects and planned initiatives indicate that the 
IYA2009 is well on the way towards achieving many of its goals. The 
entire release is available here: 
http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/pressreleases/detail/iya0913/

Information regarding the new IYA2009 Cornerstone Project: Galilean Nights
Following the unprecedented success of IYA2009's 100 Hours of Astronomy, 
another series of events is being planned for 23-24 October 2009. This 
new IYA2009 Cornerstone Project is called Galilean Nights and will see 
amateur and professional astronomers around the globe taking to the 
streets and pointing their telescopes to the wonders that Galileo 
observed 400 years ago. The focus of the project is sidewalk 
observations of the gas giant Jupiter and its moons, as well as allowing 
members of the public to observe the Sun, our own Moon and many more 
celestial marvels. For more information, please visit 
http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/348/

New IYA2009 Flickr group aims to share photos from around the world
The main driving force behind IYA2009 is the army of amateur astronomers 
who plan and run events around the globe. Often organisers and 
participants take photos, but rarely is there a central area where these 
can be collected and shared. The IYA2009 Secretariat have decided to use 
the popular site Flickr to help remedy this. A group called 
International Year of Astronomy 2009 has been created to share images of 
IYA2009 events and astrophotos. IYA2009 supporters are encouraged to 
join the group and add their images to the pool, helping to build an 
excellent resource. Visit the site here: 
http://www.flickr.com/groups/iya2009/

The Cosmic Diary is six months old!
Happy birthday, Cosmic Diary! Thanks to the team of bloggers, the site 
now has over 1000 posts! This is a significant number and is testament 
to the bloggers dedication. CosmicDiary.org received more than 98,000 
visitors since its launch, which means we are very close to the 100,000 
mark. This will be a great achievement, and is certainly something to be 
proud of. See the site here: http://www.cosmicdiary.org/

The latest IYA2009 Brochure is now out
The IYA2009 Brochure version 4 contains all the latest information about 
Cornerstone Projects, Special projects, Task Groups and the Global 
projects. It is available here: 
http://www.astronomy2009.org/resources/brochures/detail/iya2009_brochure_4/

Belfast looks to the sky for inspiration
This month in Belfast, Northern Ireland, the Belfast City Council is 
recognising the contribution of space to society through a myriad of 
social events. Read about the plans here: 
http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/345/

Study astronomy in Ghana during IYA2009
One way of celebrating IYA2009 is to increase knowledge of the Universe, 
and education is an excellent method of achieving this. To mark this 
special year, an opportunity has been created to study astronomy in Cape 
Coast, Ghana. Check the details: 
http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/349/

IYA2009 on rails in Slovenia
Ten trains decorated with astronomy themed panels will travel across 
Slovenia from June to December 2009. This joint initiative of RailAd and 
the Slovenia IYA2009 National Node will publicise IYA2009, as well as 
the FETTU exhibition in Ljubljana, that can be seen at the Tivoli Park 
until the 4th of September 2009. This project is sponsored by the 
Slovenian Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology and by 
Slovenske železnice, the Slovenian railway company. More information: 
http://www.astronomija2009.si/

Naming Pluto wins Best Doc 2nd Place at Palm Springs
Father Films' award winning short Naming Pluto, directed by Ginita 
Jimenez, has scooped Best Documentary Short - 2nd Place at Palm Springs 
International ShortFest, USA. 315 films represented by 41 countries were 
programmed from more than 2,200 worldwide entries. The Jury announced 27 
festival awards totalling $100,000 in production and cash prizes. Now in 
its 15th year, Palm Springs Short Film Festival is the largest festival 
and short film market in the United States. More information: 
http://www.psfilmfest.org/festival/news/detail.aspx?NID=205&FID=39&year=2009

SPIE Optics + Photonics 2009 conference to celebrate IYA2009
400 years of telescopic developments will be a key aspect of the 
upcoming SPIE Optics + Photonics 2009 conference. Held in the San Diego 
Convention Center from 2-6 August, it promises to be the most 
multidisciplinary science and engineering event in North America. For 
more information, please visit http://spie.org/x30491.xml

Stars shining within prison walls
During IYA2009, people from all walks of life are exposed to the beauty 
and wonder of the Universe. Not wanting anyone to be left out, IYA2009 
has been present in two prison facilities recently. Read the account 
here: http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/342/

Ulysses mission ends during IYA2009
Many space missions and astronomy projects are beginning during IYA2009, 
but there are also venerable operations coming to an end. One of these 
is the ESA/NASA Ulysses spacecraft, which ceased operations on 30 June 
2009. Read about it here: http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/341/

Invisible Universe
The "Invisible Universe" conference and exhibition will take place at 
UNESCO Headquarters from 29 June to 10 July 2009. More information: 
http://portal.unesco.org/science/en/ev.php-URL_ID=7556&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

UNAWE mural unveiled in Dublin
The Universe Awareness (UNAWE) Cornerstone project has been helping with 
an astronomy and space exploration mural at O'Connell's School in 
Dublin. Pupils have created an impressive piece of cosmically-themed 
art, linking with IYA2009. UNAWE is an international outreach activity 
that uses the beauty and grandeur of the Universe to inspire very young 
children. A video of the O'Connell's school mural been created, 
available on UNAWE's website: 
http://unawe.org/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=417&Itemid=163

Upcoming conference in Hungary: Astronomy and Civilization
The conference "Astronomy and Civilization", being held in Budapest on 
10-13 August 2009 to celebrate IYA2009, is an exceptional 
multidisciplinary event which faces the most challenging questions of 
science, philosophy, religion and art. The goal of the conference is to 
call attention to the close relationships between astronomy, natural 
sciences, philosophy, and civilization, and their influence in the 
shaping of our future. Individuals and groups interested in attending 
are encouraged to visit the official website, where details are readily 
available: http://www.konkoly.hu/AC2009/

Observe “three old friends” with the Virtual Telescope
We all know the revolutionary contribution of Galileo to astronomy and 
science. Among his most important discoveries were the four main 
satellites of Jupiter. Tracking them over the years, in December 1612 
Galileo was looking at Jupiter and saw the planet Neptune, but confused 
it for a star. The same happened again in January 1613. Now fast-forward 
to 2009, when Jupiter and Neptune will "meet" again. The Virtual 
Telescope is an advanced service provided by the Bellatrix Astronomical 
Observatory and managed by Gianluca Masi. The Virtual Telescope will 
offer a unique opportunity on 9 - 11 July 2009 and December 2009 to 
follow this celestial encounter, allowing continuous coverage of the 
event for several days. For more information, please visit: 
http://virtualtelescope.bellatrixobservatory.org/galileo_jup_nep.html

German IYA2009 activities reach mid-summer climax
Between the last and the coming weekend several major events mark the 
half-time point of IYA2009 in Germany. Read about them here: 
http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/336/

If you need any assistance, remember that the Secretariat is always 
available for you.

Regards,

Pedro, Mariana and Lee
IYA2009 Secretariat

_________________________________________________
Pedro Russo
International Year of Astronomy 2009 Coordinator
Editor-in-Chief CAPjournal
International Astronomical Union
e. prusso at eso.org
p. +49 (0) 89 320 06 195
f. +49 (0) 89 320 06 703
w. www.astronomy2009.org / www.capjournal.org
a. IAU IYA2009 Secretariat
ESO education and Public Outreach Department
Karl-Schwarzschild-Strasse 2
D-85748 Garching bei München
Germany

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