IYA2009 Update

27 July 2009

Best Teaching Prize - telescope time for your students
Invitation to submit ideas for Best Teaching Prize - telescope time for your students. This Best Teaching Prize is an initiative put forth by MyTelescope.com to commemorate IYA2009. 400 hours of student telescope time awarded primarily on the basis of teacher submitted ideas. More information here: http://www.mytelescope.com/promo-capella/details-teachingPrizes.html

Communicating Astronomy with the Public 2010
The conference "Communicating Astronomy with the Public 2010 - communicating in IYA2009 legacy era" will take place in Cape Town, South Africa, from 15 to 19 March, 2010: http://www.communicatingastronomy.org/cap2010/index.html

Gran Telescopio CANARIAS inaugurated during IYA2009
The Gran Telescopio CANARIAS (GTC) will be inaugurated at the Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos (ORM) on 24 July 2009, by their Majesties the King and Queen of Spain. The official GTC website is: http://www.gtc.iac.es/en/
More information about the inauguration is available here: http://www.iac.es/gtcinauguracion/index.php?lang=en

Job opportunity
Freelancing Web Developer for the International Year of Astronomy 2009 Cornerstone project: Galilean Nights. We are looking for a person with proven web development skills and experience with running web applications in the cloud (using e.g. Google App Engine, Amazon Web Services or similar) and who will help us share the excitement of astronomy through the Galilean Nights Cornerstone project of IYA2009. For more information, see: http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/380/

Solar eclipse broadcast on the internet for IYA2009
22 July featured the longest solar eclipse of the 21st Century. For details of the broadcasts, please visit: http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/379/

The Cosmic Detective helps you discover the Universe in several languages
The Cosmic Detective, an official IYA2009 book, has been translated into several languages and is enjoying great success. To read more, see: http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/375/

IYA2009 and astronomy making headlines in Iberian Peninsula
Astronomy is a popular topic with the media, and with the additional publicity afforded by IYA2009, it is good to see prominent newspapers increasing their coverage. For two examples, see: http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/378/

Good news for dark skies in Wales, UK
The Welsh Assembly has voiced its support for dark skies. They have officially stated that the Assembly:
Supports the British Astronomical Association's Campaign for Dark Skies;
Regrets the cost of poor artificial lighting to the environment and ecosystem;
Acknowledges that the quality of many people's lives is seriously degraded by poor-quality exterior lighting;
Calls for a nationwide campaign to discourage floodlighting, over-bright and poorly directed light;
Calls on Visit Wales to promote the aesthetic and scientific value of dark sky in Wales.
For more information, please see: http://www.assemblywales.org/bus-home/bus-guide-docs-pub/bus-business-documents/bus-business-documents-state-opinion.htm?act=dis&id=137490&ds=7/2009

New Moon landing edition of Star Walk
The new Moon landing edition of Star Walk (official product of IYA2009) has been launched with a Digital Compass and Help Guide upgrade! Star Walk would love to celebrate this important event with you. Whether you are planning to do something special for this day like visiting a planetarium, watching some documentaries or simply teach your children about Apollo 11 or you will try to remember what you or your dad did on that day in 1969, we would like to listen to your stories and to award you with a prize. See http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/376/ for details.

During IYA2009, the world celebrates 40 years since the Moon landings
When thinking about pivotal moments in the history of mankind, the Moon landings of 1969 will be at the top of many people's lists. It was the first time that we had left the planet Earth and set foot on a different world. People from all nations joined together to watch the spectacle as history was made.

40 years on, the impact of this momentous occasion is still being felt. It is fitting that the anniversary falls within the International Year of Astronomy 2009, as the Apollo 11 mission of 1969 popularised astronomy and brought it to the forefront of people's minds, much as IYA2009 itself aims to do. Se hear more about the Moon landings and IYA2009, please visit: http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/374/

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