IYA2009 Updates
FETTU in Sky & Telescope “Beautiful Universe”
6 November 2008
Sky & Telescope magazine will feature about 50 FETTU images across 30 pages in its annual "Beautiful Universe" publication.
More information:
http://www.shopatsky.com/products/U801.L5/Beautiful%20Universe%202009.htm
http://www.fromearthtotheuniverse.org/
NASA Selects IYA2009 Student Ambassadors
5 November 2008
NASA Selects Astronomy Student Ambassadors
Forty-six undergraduate and graduate students have been selected to represent NASA in their local communities as recipients of the agency's International Year of Astronomy, or IYA, Student Ambassadors Program.
Two of the students were chosen to attend the opening ceremonies of an IYA event in Paris in January 2009. The students representing NASA at the ceremonies are Rebecca Holmes, a sophomore at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill who is majoring in physics and astronomy, and Norberto Gonzalez, a junior at the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo with a biology concentration.
The IYA Student Ambassadors Program is designed to encourage undergraduate and graduate students to participate in IYA activities and generate excitement about NASA's discoveries in astrophysics, planetary science and solar physics within their local communities and beyond. These students will serve as role models to others.
"NASA is a major partner in the United States' celebration of IYA activities," said Hashima Hasan, NASA's Astrophysics education and public outreach lead in Washington. "The Student Ambassadors Program is just one of many activities the agency has planned throughout the coming year."
The ambassadors were selected from more than 150 online applications. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, full-time students and participate in activities that align with NASA's IYA goals.
The National Space Grant Foundation manages the IYA Student Ambassadors Program through a grant from NASA. For more information about NASA's involvement and a list of student ambassadors, visit: http://astronomy2009.nasa.gov
NASA proposal funded, US FETTU moves forward
5 November 2008
In October 2008, NASA approved an Education and Public Outreach proposal for the FETTU. Approximately $300,000 (US) has been awarded for use in 2009 and 2010. This money will fund two semi-permanent FETTU exhibits in Chicago (in conjunction with the Adler Planetarium) and Atlanta (with Agnes Scott College and the Hartsfield International Airport), as well as a traveling version that will have multiple stops across the US. Several locations for this traveling version have already been identified and others will be added as the schedule develops. The NASA grant will also provide the FETTU organizers the ability to create informal education products, materials for visually impaired users, and evaluation information. These and other elements that are enabled by the NASA grant will be shared with FETTU organizers worldwide.
More information: http://www.fromearthtotheuniverse.org/
FETTU exhibits around the globe
5 November 2008
The FETTU images are now available via its "Download images" link of the website, which offers zipped high-resolution files and separate captions. As of early November 2008, the FETTU organizers have received about 20 completed submissions of the FETTU application and agreement forms. These countries include Denmark, Cuba, Slovenia, Portugal, Bolivia, Canada, Netherlands, Chile, Australia, United Kingdom, Italy, and multiple locations in the United States (Chicago, Atlanta, Boston, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Hawaii, California/Bay Area, Wisconsin, and New Jersey among others).
In addition to these finalized locations, the FETTU organizers continue to field numerous additional requests from others around the world as countries develop their IYA plans. One outstanding issue currently being addressed is the request from some countries to charge nominal admission fees or the use of marketing tools to support exhibits without funding. We will report to the organizers on this decision within the next few weeks.
More information: http://www.fromearthtotheuniverse.org/
IYA2009 Discovery Guides available on-line.
3 November 2008
Introducing 12 easy ways to share the excitement of the International Year of Astronomy (IYA) during 2009. Monthly IYA Discovery Guides are internationally accessible and complete with articles, activities, instructional videos, and finder charts.
The Night Sky Network, Astronomical Society of the Pacific, National Science Foundation, NASA, and the IYA US committee have teamed up to provide these great resources that support NASA's monthly themes and featured celestial objects. Join skygazers worldwide in a renewed appreciation of the universe. Download your free IYA Discovery Guides here:
http://www.astrosociety.org/iya/guides.html
These guides are part of a fully searchable online database filled with easy-to-use activities, loved by amateur astronomers and other educators nationwide and proven to engage and inspire. Explain the universe, from eclipses to black holes with simple models, presentations, and hands-on demonstrations. See for yourself here:
http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/download-search.cfm
We are excited to share these resources so please pass this announcement on. You can even give your website visitors direct access by placing a link on your website using this icon:
http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/download-view.cfm?Doc_ID=338
Space Generation Advisory Council prepares for IYA2009!
31 October 2008
SGAC and Uludag University Project Office in Turkey collaborates to organise "ToAP - Training of Astronomy Promoters". More information: http://www.spacegeneration.org/node/2173
Professional Astronomers: International Year of Astronomy 2009 needs you!
27 October 2008
Professional Astronomers: International Year of Astronomy 2009 needs you! How to get involved with IYA2009: http://www.astronomy2009.org/resources/presentations/detail/presentation_IYA2009_professional_astronomers/
Report on the Dark Sky 2008 European Symposium
24 October 2008
Report on the Dark Sky 2008 European Symposium
August 22-23, 2008 in Vienna, Austria
by Connie Walker ( Dark Skies Awareness Cornerstone Chair)
The Portal to the Universe needs your help.
23 October 2008
The Portal to the Universe needs your help finding all the cool content online that's related to space. More information: http://www.portaltotheuniverse.org/EarlyBirdReg/
Presentation: What is astronomy? (in Persian)
23 October 2008
The presentation "What is astronomy?" is now available in Persian.
http://astronomy2009.org/resources/presentations/detail/presentation_astro_persian/
Search IYA2009 Updates
National Nodes: 148
Organisational Nodes: 40
Organisational Associates:33
National Websites: 111
Cornerstone Projects: 12
Special Task Groups: 11
Special Projects:16
Official Products:8
Media Partners:22
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