IYA2009 Updates

12 February 2010

The Moons of Jupiter: a new play about Galileo and his family

To help bridge between the many science lectures and star parties on campus with the broader aspects of Galileo’s life and work, Canada Research Chair Prof. Sara Ellison (University of Victoria Physics and Astronomy) was exploring the presentation of a play about Galileo during IYA2009. After reviewing the existing plays, Professor of Theater History and playwright Jennifer Wise became inspired to write The Moons of Jupiter. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/795/

Galileoscopes voted Gear of the Year

Popular website and IYA2009 Official Forums, Cloudy Nights Telescope Reviews has announced that its readers have decided Galileoscopes deserve to be one of their "Gear of the Year" choices. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/794/

Children's astronomy DVD creates a world of music and beautiful imagery

A DVD entitled "MAMECO, capable tout seul! d'être dans la Lune..." has been produced to educate and entertain young children about astronomy. This DVD was born from the interaction between a group of singers for children called Mamemo and a group of astrophysicists. Mamemo created a world full of poetry where the sky, Sun, and stars are often mentioned in their songs and illustrated in their drawings. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/787/

Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum held in Bangkok, Thailand

The 16th Session of Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF-16) www.aprsaf.org was held in Sofitel Centara Grand Hotel in Bangkok on 26-29 January, 2009, which was jointly organised by Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) of Thailand and Japan Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) and Japan Space Exploration Agency (JAXA). It was attended by 310 Participants from 26 Countries and 10 Regional and International Organisations. The Theme of the APRSAF-16 was “Space Applications: Contributions towards Human Safety and Security“. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/786/

Special Spanish IYA2009 TV programme

The Spanish TV station TVE has produced a special 20-minute programme about IYA2009 in Spain: http://www.astronomia2009.es/Noticias_AIA-IYA2009/La_Aventura_de_la_Astronomia.html

Sport and astronomy meet for unprecedented tour of the Solar System

On Sunday October 11th 2009, a unique event called “The Solar System Tour” saw sport and astronomy enthusiasts run together towards the finishing line in Catania, Italy. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/784/

US IYA2009 newsletter

http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/782/

European Association for Astronomy Education launches its new website

http://www.eaae-astronomy.org/

Media in Education newsletter

The latest edition of the Media in Education newsletter is available for download. This newsletter is aimed at anyone interested in developments, best practices, news and resources related to the use of media in education and is linked to the MEDEA Awards. http://www.medea-awards.com/files/publications/MEDEA_newsletter_201002.pdf

Tafelmusik back from tour

Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra has taken The Galileo Project: Music of the Spheres on a four-city tour of California and Missouri, January 30 to February 6. Stops on the tour include Kansas City, Santa Barbara, San Diego and Los Angeles. The 2010 U.S. tour follows prestigious debuts at New York’s Carnegie Hall in February 2009, the inaugural Reate Festival in Italy last summer, and an October appearance at the Cervantino International Festival in Mexico. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/779/

Astronomy enthusiast creates IYA2009 coin website

IYA2009 supporter Prasanna Deshapriya ("Desh"), an amateur astronomer based in Colombo, Sri Lanka, has been fascinated by coins since his childhood. He was browsing astronomy2009.org and saw a note from the IYA2009 Secretariat, calling for coin-experts to assist in cataloguing the many astronomy-related coins that have been released during the year. Seeing an opportunity to combine his interests, Desh decided to undertake this task and create a comprehensive website containing information on the year's IYA2009-inspired coins. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/778/

Soutpansberg Astronomy Club releases special commemorative publication

The Soutpansberg Astronomy Club (est. 2002) has been involved in astronomy in Limpopo Province, South Africa for a number of years. Based in the town of Louis Trichardt 100 km south of the Zimbabwe / South African border in the northern Limpopo Province, the Club has enjoyed substantial growth since inception. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/777/

International Sidewalk Astronomy Night set for 20 March 2010

Calling all fun-loving, cosmic-watching, telescope touting, global astronomers! Mark your calendars for the 4th Annual International Sidewalk Astronomy Night - ISAN, on Saturday March 20 2010. Sidewalk groups, astronomy clubs, planetariums, space centres and observatories are gearing up to celebrate with our fellow brother and sister astronomers world-wide. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/776/

International Epsilon Aurigae Campaign 2009 - 2011

Every 27.1 years the very mysterious variable star epsilon Aurigae undergoes an eclipse that lasts nearly 2 years. This is an easily found 3rd magnitude star visible from the northern hemisphere. It is one of a trio of stars that form a small triangle called "The Kids" just southwest of Capella. While there is no shortage of theories, the precise nature of the star system remains a mystery. During the last eclipse 1982.1984 a Campaign was formed to observe and try to figure out answers. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/775/

TWAN newsletter

http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/774/

The Mind of the Universe lecture series videos released

The Mind of the Universe is an ambitious project developed under a Science in Society Fellowship from the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council granted to Dr Francisco Diego. It consists of public/school lectures and teacher workshops/resources embracing topics like Origin and development of the Universe, the mystery behind the nature of the dark universe, the formation of stars and planets, space exploration and the possibility of alien life. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/770/

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