100 Hours of Astronomy: Around the World in 80 Telescopes

11 March 2009

We would like to call your special attention to the fact that the IYA2009 Cornerstone project "100 Hours of Astronomy" is only 20 days way! This is the single largest event taking place during IYA2009, a worldwide celebration composed of a broad range of activities aimed at involving the public. The event will take place over four days and nights, from 2-5 April 2009.

We know that you are very busy organising activities and events, especially sidewalk events and observation nights. However we would like to call your attention to one of the highest profile activities during the "100 Hours of Astronomy" : "Around the world in 80 telescopes", a live 24-hour broadcast from the largest and most advanced telescopes in the world taking place from 3 April 09:00 UT to 4 April 09:00 UT.

Organised by ESO, the European Southern Observatory, from its headquarters in Garching, Germany, this event will follow night and day around the globe beginning with the telescopes on Mauna Kea in Hawaii, before moving westwards around the planet. Viewers can find out what is happening at a research observatory in their country, or on the other side of the planet, and discover what astronomers are doing right now! Who is observing? What are they researching? What do they hope to discover?

In this snapshot of life at many different observatories, astronomers will present exclusive images and talk about their work. Some will be observing distant galaxies, searching for extrasolar planets around other stars or studying our own Solar System. Some may be working at solar observatories or with telescopes out in space. All of them will have a different story to tell.

This will be the first time in history that most major research facilities in astronomy will be linked together.

This is also a great opportunity to enhance the visibility of IYA2009 in your country. We strongly encourage you to contact your partners, science centres, planetaria, bloggers, web media, broadcasters and press to let them know about this event and motivate them to show this programme to as many people as possible.

We can offer free non-exclusive broadcasting rights for parts of the programme or the full 24 hours. You may also embed the "Around the world in 80 telescopes" video stream on a website or take this opportunity to interview the scientists from the observatories. This may be of particular interest to the countries where the featured observatories that are located. Please see the list here: http://www.100hoursofastronomy.org/program/75-live-24-hour-research-observatory-webcast.

More information can be found on the 100 Hours of Astronomy official website: www.100hoursofastronomy.org

If you need any assistance, remember that the Secretariat and the 100 Hours of Astronomy team are always available for you.

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