[AstroNet] IYA2009 International Update

[Kevin Govender]

from the secretariat...


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	IYA2009 Update
Date: 	Fri, 18 Sep 2009 11:31:48 +0200
From: 	Pedro Russo <prusso at eso.org>
To: 	undisclosed-recipients:;



Dear friends,

Here are some IYA2009 updates from the last week.

*Galilean Nights Press Release: Global Astronomy Event Invites the World 
to Discover Our Universe
Wind the clock back 400 years and follow in the footsteps of a giant — 
experience now just what first amazed Galileo in 1609! The latest 
Cornerstone project of the International Year of Astronomy 2009 
(IYA2009), Galilean Nights, will see thousands of public observing 
events around the world replicating Galileo’s observations and bringing 
what he saw 400 years ago to the public of today. From 22 to 24 October, 
amateur and professional astronomers, science centres, schools and all 
interested groups are invited to be part of the Galilean Nights project 
and to register their events on the project website 
www.galileannights.org. We can all make this a worldwide success. Read 
the release in its entirety: 
http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/pressreleases/detail/iya0915/

*Discover our Universe with ESO's GIGAGALAXY ZOOM
The first of three images of ESO's GigaGalaxy Zoom project — a new 
magnificent 800-million-pixel panorama of the entire sky as seen from 
ESO’s observing sites in Chile — has just been released online: 
http://www.gigagalaxyzoom.org/

*Official IYA2009 comic, “The Lives of Galileo”, goes from strength to 
strength
Everybody is familiar with the name of Galileo. But what do we know 
about him? Artist and author Fiami decided to answer this question in an 
accessible way by creating a well-illustrated and factually accurate 
comic providing a tour through the history of astronomy across Babylon, 
Alexandria, Kusumapura, Venice, Greenwich, and a classroom in 2009. Read 
about his recent successes: http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/460/

*Visit the world’s best stargazing destinations for IYA2009
The best locations for astronomy have been outlined by the Matador 
Network, the largest independent travel magazine on the web. Boasting 
800,000 unique visitors per month and more than 7000 Twitter followers, 
Matador is very popular among travellers. See the full article here: 
http://matadortrips.com/worlds-best-stargazing-destinations/

*StarWalk iPhone application reviewed by The iPhone Blog
News, help, how-to, and review website The iPhone Blog has posted an 
in-depth evaluation of official IYA2009 product StarWalk. Writer Matt 
Sawyers goes into great detail about the mobile stargazing software, 
taking careful note of the well-designed user interface, search 
functions, and special features for 3GS users. The final score awarded 
is a very impressive 4.5 stars out of five. Read the review here: 
http://www.theiphoneblog.com/2009/09/06/app-review-star-walk-iphone/

*Telescope amnesty beats the weather to attract an eager audience
The Michiana Astronomical Society from Indiana, U.S.A, realised that 
many people in their community possessed telescopes but did not know how 
to use them. In support of IYA2009's aim to make the Universe accessible 
to all, they decided to take action. The idea, recently put into action, 
was to run an all-day drop-in event where anyone could bring their 
underused telescopes, learn how to use them, and, if necessary, have 
them repaired by expert volunteers. The story is available online: 
http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/459/

*Author Bob Crelin promotes IYA2009 on US TV
Eyewitness News 3 on WFSB has made available online an interview with 
IYA2009 supporter and author Bob Crelin. During this, Bob talks about 
IYA2009 and his educational book, "Faces of the Moon".
View the video here: http://www.wfsb.com/video/20264638/index.html
Visit Bob's website here: http://www.bobcrelin.com/

*TWAN Update
Read all about the latest project news: 
http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/457/

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

Kind 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





-- 

Kevin Govender
Chair: Developing Astronomy Globally Cornerstone
Manager: SALT Collateral Benefits Programme / SA Chair for IYA2009
South African Astronomical Observatory, a facility of the NRF
Office: +27 21 460 9350
Mobile: +27 82 487 8466
Fax: +27 21 447 3639
Email: kg at saao.ac.za / Skype: kevindran / Twitter: govender
Websites: www.saao.ac.za / www.salt.ac.za / www.astronomy2009.org.za / www.developingastronomy.org
Postal: P.O. Box 9, Observatory, Cape Town, 7935, South Africa
Street: SAAO, Observatory Road, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa

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