IYA2009 Update in the United States of America

2 August 2009

Puerto Rico celebrates the Moon landings
The Puerto Rican IYA2009 team have successfully organised a discussion panel celebrating the 40^th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission. Called "We Came in Peace For All Mankind", it was held at the Ateneo Puertorriqueño in San Juan on 12 July 2009. Panelists included experts in science, journalism, religion, and social sciences. A report on the event has been produced, and is available here: http://www.astronomy2009pr.org/Apollo11.html

Hubble's Diverse Universe Premiere Viewing
10 July at 7pm and 11 July at 2pm at MAAT Science Village, 408-14th St., Oakland, CA Hubble's Diverse Universe, a film by Jarita Holbrook and Romeel Dave, is a 45-minute documentary focused on the impact of the Hubble Space Telescope and NASA on the careers of individual astronomers. The film is supported by a NASA Education and Public Outreach Grant and the International Year of Astronomy 2009 USA. After the showing, there will be a question and answer period with team members. A one minute preview can be found here: http://www.u.arizona.edu/~holbrook/HubbleT.wmv and additional clips are at: http://astronomy2009.us/storytelling/hubbles-diverse-universe/

Year of Science
July is the Astronomy Month for the Year of Science. Doug Isbell and Jarita Holbrook are blogging for them, Andy Fraknoi has provided links and materials, and Denise Smith has written a special issue of their newsletter. IYA2009 is prominently mentioned. See: http://www.yearofscience2009.org/themes_astronomy/celebrate/ (and continue by pushing the next button).

ASP Updates
Astronomy Behind the Headlines. The Astronomical Society of the Pacific is happy to announce the first episodes of Astronomy Behind the Headlines, a series of podcasts for informal science educators. Each month, we'll give you a look behind the latest headlines in astronomy and space science and provide links to related resources and activities so you can interpret these exciting topics for your audiences! Visit our webpage to listen to the latest episode, access related resource and subscribe via iTunes or XML: http://www.astrosociety.org/abh/

Simple Effective Education and Dissemination (SEED) grants for astronomy researchers available for 2009 from the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. Thanks to the support of the Planck and Herschel Missions, the Astronomical Society of the Pacific is offering SEED Grants for 2009 to active researchers in astronomy, astrophysics, or space science to engage in public outreach, K-14 formal education, or informal education programs or activities. Maximum grants are $2,500; funds may be used to purchase equipment related to the proposed EPO activity, or to defray expenses associated with carrying out the activity. Given the nature of the Planck and Herschel Missions, SEED Grant proposals involving cosmology, galaxy studies, solar system investigations, and space science will be given special consideration. Proposal submission deadline is July 31, 2009, with announcement of awards by September 15, 2009. To learn more and to review the simple guidelines for proposals, go to: http://www.astrosociety.org/education/grants/grants.html

New Higher Scholarship Funding Available for Two Days of Hands-on Astronomy and Earth-science Education Workshops for 4th -12th Grade Teachers and Others near San Francisco, Sept. 12 - 13, 2009. Thanks to generous supporters of astronomy education, the Astronomical Society of the Pacific is pleased to announce that scholarships to cover expenses up to $750 are now available for educators who want to attend a weekend of hands-on workshops and exciting science talks offered as part of the 120th anniversary meeting of the non-profit Society at the Westin Hotel near the San Francisco Airport in Millbrae, California. For more information, please go to the meeting web site at: http://www.astrosociety.org/events/meeting.html or go directly to the workshops page at: http://www.astrosociety.org/events/2009mtg/workshops.html New information and programme details will be posted as available.

Register for the ASP meeting in September. Just a reminder to register for the ASP meeting which will include IYA2009 sessions: http://www.astrosociety.org/events/meeting.html

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