IYA2009 Updates
IYA2009 Updates
28 May 2010
South African Astronomical Observatory has been selected as host for the IAU Office for Astronomy Development
The Executive Committee of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) has selected the SAAO, a national facility of the South African National Research Foundation (NRF), to host the IAU Office for Astronomy Development (OAD). The Office is the key component of the decadal global strategy plan, Astronomy for the Developing World, launched at the 2009 IAU General Assembly in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and is aimed at using astronomy to foster education and capacity building throughout the world. Read more here: http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/pressreleases/detail/iya1003/
New Stellarium Version released
This release brings some exciting new features. Stellarium now ships with plug-ins for predicting the positions of artificial satellites in Earth orbit, improved telescope control features, telescope eyepiece simulation (ocular) and more. Plug-ins can be enabled using the new plug-ins tab in the configuration dialogue.More information: http://www.stellarium.org/
Global Astronomy Month 2010: Inaugurating a New Annual Celebration of the Universe
Global Astronomy Month (GAM), a project of Astronomers Without Borders (AWB), has captured the energy of the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009) and refocused it as an ongoing annual celebration of the Universe. More information: http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/929/
TWAN Newsletter: http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/928/
3rd International Symposium for Dark-Sky Parks and 3rd International Dark-Sky Camp. More information: http://www.darkskyparks.org/
Call for Abstracts: JENAM2010 IYA2009 related Special Sessions
New Trends in Global Astronomy Education: http://www.jenam2010.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=40&Itemid=77
Education and Outreach after the International Year of Astronomy 2009 in Europe: http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/906/
Amateur and professional astronomers in Europe: http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/902/
New Stellarium Version released
28 May 2010
The Stellarium team are delighted to announce the release of Stellarium 0.10.3.
This release brings some exciting new features. Stellarium now ships with plug-ins for predicting the positions of artificial satellites in Earth orbit, improved telescope control features, telescope eyepiece simulation (ocular) and more. Plug-ins can be enabled using the new plug-ins tab in the configuration dialogue.
Stellarium also has a new sky culture - Aztec, updated translations and an in-program script editor.
Under the hood, the structure of the program has continued to evolve to make it easier to code new features, improve performance and maintainability.
More information: http://www.stellarium.org/
Global Astronomy Month 2010: Inaugurating a New Annual Celebration of the Universe
28 May 2010
Global Astronomy Month (GAM), a project of Astronomers Without Borders (AWB), has captured the energy of the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009) and refocused it as an ongoing annual celebration of the Universe.
GAM 2010 saw professional and amateur astronomers, educators and astronomy enthusiasts from around the globe participating together in the spirit of IYA2009. The outstanding public participation experienced in this month-long series of outreach events has led Astronomers Without Borders and its partners to declare Global Astronomy Month an annual event to take place each April—and several global projects launched during GAM 2010 will continue throughout the year as ongoing Astronomers Without Borders programs.
“Global Astronomy Month wasn’t envisioned as a one-time event,” said Mike Simmons, President of Astronomers Without Borders. “It was meant to be a platform that would bring partners and new programs together. This inaugural event showed what could be accomplished, and proved the value of an annual month-long event. With the astronomy community looking forward to GAM each year, we expect it to become a regular launching pad for new initiatives.”
The Global Star Party and SunDay, begun as part of the landmark 100 Hours of Astronomy Cornerstone Project of IYA2009 in April 2009, will be back in 2011. A newcomer, Lunar Week, will continue as well. Other special initiatives, such as GAM 2010’s Saturn Watch, will be organized around special opportunities each year.
Some programs have been added to AWB’s array of year-round activities, including Internet-based remote observing sessions, a global dark skies campaign and a new astropoetry project.
Remote Observing Programs, in collaboration with the Virtual Telescope (VT) of Bellatrix Observatory in Italy, were among the most successful GAM initiatives. More than 32,000 visitors from 120 countries visited the VT website for programs such as: “Online Messier Marathon” (with 6500 participants from more than 100 countries); “Is There Anybody Out There?” (1500 participants from 80 countries); “Here Comes the Sun” (500 participants from 60 countries); “Walking on the Moon” (2200 participants from 70 countries); and “Cosmic Depths” (1900 participants from 60 countries). These were all guided programs with Dr. Gianluca Masi of VT as the online host. In addition, “The Universe at Your Command” gave those interested in a “do it yourself” experience a chance to operate the telescope on their own. All of these remote observing opportunities were offered free of charge by Bellatrix Observatory. Following their great success during GAM, the Virtual Telescope and AWB will continue to collaborate and expand remote observing programs.
One Star at a Time, a global light-pollution awareness and action campaign that engages people worldwide in preserving and protecting the night sky above their own sites, was launched during GAM as a long-term AWB program. Goals for 2010 include gathering one million pledges to preserve the night sky and adding one thousand observing sites to the registry of the Global StarPark Network. The One Star website and a Facebook Cause page have more information, and pledges are taken on the website.
The Astropoetry blog, launched during GAM, will continue with regular updates under the direction of AWB editor, author and astropoet Bob Eklund. Readers are invited to contribute poetry of the night sky—new or old astropoems, essays, experiences, book reviews, links to astropoetry resources, and information on astropoetry events. Contributions of content for the blog should be sent to: astropoetry@astronomerswithoutborders.org.
GAM 2010 also featured new programs built on international collaboration with interaction between participants from around the world. One such program was 30 Nights of StarPeace, part of the ongoing StarPeace project that brings together observers across national boundaries. For GAM, StarPeace created a global peace chain encircling the world over a month’s time, joined by the common passion for observing the sky. A highlight of the 10 segments of longitude forming the chain was the one in west Asia, the Middle East and east Africa, when ten countries organized simultaneous observing sessions, linking their sessions via the Internet .
Another very popular program, Cosmic Concert, combined the beauty of the night sky with the evocative power of music in a highly innovative new approach to enjoying astronomy.
Participants in GAM 2010 events registered on the official website are invited to download certificates acknowledging their efforts and enthusiasm. Event organizers can register events, publish public reports with photos and download certificates through June.
More information:
- Website: www.gam-awb.org
- Blogs: http://gam-awb.org/gam-project-blog.html
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/GAM_2010
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/globalastronomymonth
Astronomers Without Borders
Astronomers Without Borders is dedicated to fostering understanding and goodwill across national and cultural boundaries by creating relationships through the universal appeal of astronomy. The projects of Astronomers Without Borders bring people together through a common interest in something basic and universal—sharing the sky.
Contact Persons:
Mike Simmons
President, Astronomers Without Borders
Chair, GAM2010 Working Group
+1 818 486 7633
Oana Sandu
GAM2010 Public Relations Coordinator
+40 724 024 625
TWAN Newsletter
25 May 2010
News and Report
- Photo Report: TWAN in Korea : The World at Night publications and traveling exhibits in South Korea during the International Year of Astronomy was one of the most successful programs.
- The Story Behind Iguacu Starry Photos : In an interview on National Geographic website TWAN director Babak Tafreshi shares a short story of adventures and techniques behind the starry photos of Iguacu Falls in Brazil.
- Photo Report: TWAN in Australia : During the IYA2009 TWAN events traveled from Sydney to Perth on both sides of Australia and it continues to seek venues and related events in 2010 and beyond.
- Join TWAN fans on Facebook : Learn about the latest updates on the project and communicate with TWAN photographers at The World at Night page on Facebook page.
- Visitors comments: New option on TWAN website for more interaction between the photographers and visitors. Write comments on TWAN Photos, ask questions, and share ideas. Find “comment” bottom below each photo.
There are new stunning photos and time-lapse videos on TWAN website, featuring starry nights of the planet's landmarks from across the world.
Americas
USA
- Orion Rising over Grazing Cattle (time-lapse video) by Thad V`Soske
- Virtual Reality From Mauna Kea (VR) by Tunc Tezel
- Winter Milky Way over Death Valley by Wally Pacholka
- Lunar Rainbow and Unknown Event by Wally Pacholka
Brazil
- Iguacu Falls at Night by Babak A. Tafreshi
- Starry Night in Paradise by Babak A. Tafreshi
Chile
- Fireball from 5000 Meters High by Stephane Guisard
- Milky Way Steaming Volcano by Stephane Guisard
Europe
France
- Sky above Paul Gauguin by Laurent Laveder
- Sky Diffuser by Laurent Laveder
- Brittany Twilight by Laurent Laveder
- The Mother Galaxy by Laurent Laveder
- Milky Way vs. Zodiacal Light by Laurent Laveder
- All Sky View in Virtual Reality (VR) by Laurent Laveder
Germany
- Our Closest Neighbor by Stefan Seip
- Planets in Her Hands by Stefan Seip
- Venus Meets Mercury by Stefan Seip
- All-Sky View above Germany by Stefan Seip
Sweden
- Capture the Celestial Beauty by P-M Heden
- Stars above Snow-covered Landscape by P-M Heden
- Orion and Fisher House by P-M Heden
- Iridium Flare above Sweden by P-M Heden
- Halo Around the Moon (time-lapse video) by P-M Heden
- Moving Aurora above Sweden (time-lapse video) by P-M Heden
Greece
- The World at Sunset by Anthony Ayiomamitis
Hungary
- Trailing Around the Pole by Tamas Ladanyi
- Winter Triangle and Windmill by Tamas Ladanyi
- Left From the War Under the Peaceful Sky by Tamas Ladanyi
- Moonrise above Volcanic Hills by Tamas Ladanyi
- Spring Night of Hungary by Tamas Ladanyi
Austria
- Space Station Trails above Austria by Tamas Ladanyi
Africa
Algeria
- Sahara Night by Babak A. Tafreshi
South Africa
- Southern Stars above Table Mountain by John Goldsmith
- Lights of Cape Town by John Goldsmith
- Starry Sky above SALT by John Goldsmith
- Orion from South Africa by John Goldsmith
Asia and Middle East
Iran
- Dream View by Babak A. Tafreshi
- Go To Outer Space by Babak A. Tafreshi
- Find Galaxies in the Spring Sky by Babak A. Tafreshi
- Starry Flowers by Oshin D. Zakarian
- Hunter Clouds by Oshin D. Zakarian
- Big Dipper and Spring Blossoms by Oshin D. Zakarian
- Fingers of the Earth by Oshin D. Zakarian
- Flash Meteor in the Milky Way by Oshin D. Zakarian
- Moonrise above Cyrus Tomb (time-lapse video) by Babak A. Tafreshi
- Startrails above Flowers by Amir H. Abolfath
- Milky Rise by Amir H. Abolfath
- Startrails above Ancient Persia by Amir H. Abolfath
- Snowman Night (time-lapse video) by Amir H. Abolfath
- Winter Sky in Motion (time-lapse video) by Amir H. Abolfath
- Colors of Orion by Amir H. Abolfath
- Moon, Venus, and Tower by Amir H. Abolfath
- Evening View of Tehran by Amir H. Abolfath
- Spring Dream by Babak A. Tafreshi
Turkey
- Sky above Troy by Tunc Tezel
- Moon, Venus, and Trojan Horse by Tunc Tezel
- Roman Remains of Troy by Tunc Tezel
- Moon and Venus above Demre, Antalya by Tunc Tezel
- Milky Way and Zodiacal Light above Mediterranean by Tunc Tezel
Nepal
- Orion and Sirius above Panauti Temple by Oshin D. Zakarian
Korea
- Milky Way Against Increasing Lights by Kwon O Chul
- A Celestial Beauty: Moon and Venus by Kwon O Chul
- Korean Fireball by Kwon O Chul
- Planets above Seoul by Kwon O Chul
Guest Gallery is a well-received section on TWAN website to feature selected outstanding Earth and sky photos by non-TWAN creative photographers from around the globe. If you have such remarkable photos to share with TWAN Guest Gallery, please contact us. There are new featured photos on the Guest Gallery:
- Gemini North and the Big Dipper (USA) by Richard Wainscoat
- North Polar Star Trails (Portugal) by Goncalo Lemos
- Messier Marathon 2009 (Iran) by Seyed Hossien Hossieni
- Blue Vltava (Czech) by Robert Slobins
- Very Old Moon (Poland) by Marek Nikodem
- Winter Constellations (Iran) by Khosro JafariZadeh
- Conjunction over Ponce Inlet Light (USA) by Ben Cooper
- Ladder to the Stars (Iran) by Abdolhossein Hashemizadeh
- Southern Stars above San Pedro (Chile) by Sighard Schraebler
- Nepal Star Trails (Nepal) by Jonathan Mitchell
- Stars over Kyangjuma (Nepal) by Stuart Holmes
- Moon over the Inside Passage (USA) by Chip Porter
- Kerman City Light Pollution (Iran) by Mohammad Javad Fahimi
- Milky Way CARMA (USA) by Tony Rowell
- Noctilucent Skies over Poland (Poland) by Marek Nikodem
- Turin Light Pollution (Italy) by Stefano De Rosa
- Mount Adams Wilderness Wildfire (USA) by Larry Andreasen
- Minsk Mazowiecki Night Sky (Poland) by Adam Zieminski
- Night at Kaunos Rock Tombs (Turkey) by Sinan Cate
- Pyramid of Light Pollution (France) by Florent Bailleul
- Moon and Jupiter over Shenzhen (China) by Strongman
- Maryhill Monument Star Trails (USA) by Larry Andreasen
- Stars and Athens Light Pollution (Greece) by Chris Kotsiopoulos
- Evening at Griffith Observatory (USA) by Ali Douraghy
- Watching the Aurora (Norway) by Fredrik Broms
- Painted Hills Sky (USA) by Larry Andreasen
- Costa da Caparica Evening Sky (Portugal) by Miguel Claro
- Summer Stars over Lake Borovik (Croatia) by Vladimir Zivkovic
- Minaret and the Evening Sky (Bangladesh) by Anwar Hussain
- Aurora Streaks over a Glacial Pond (Iceland) by Tony Prower
- Young Moon in the Szubin Sky (Poland) by Marek Nikodem
- Orion and the Alps in Moonlight (Switzerland) by W. Harald
- Dark Skies over the Atacama Desert (Chile) by Sighard Schraebler
- Milky Way, Clouds, and Light Pollution (Poland) by Marek Nikodem
- Moonrise and the Winter Constellations (Iran) by Alireza Vafa
- Green Energy (Norway) by Fredrik Broms
- Camping Under the Milky Way (USA) by Tony Rowell
- Milky Way over Senggigi Beach (Indonesia) by Winston Setiawan
Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD), a NASA’s world-known website, has featured new TWAN photos:
- Iguaçu Starry Night by Babak A. Tafreshi
- Calm, Crescent Moon, and Venus by P-M Heden
TWAN is featuring six special galleries:
Latest Images
Dark Skies Importance
Cosmic Motions
World Heritage Sites
TWAN APODs
TWAN Podcast
TWAN is a global program of Astronomers Without Borders (www.astrowb.org) and a Special Project of International Year of Astronomy 2009, an initiative by IAU and UNESCO. The World at Night is to produce and present a collection of stunning photographs of the world's most beautiful and historic sites against the nighttime backdrop of stars, planets and celestial events. The eternally peaceful sky looks the same above all symbols of different nations and regions, attesting to the truly unified nature of Earth as a planet rather than an amalgam of human-designated territories.
Building bridges through the sky
The World at Night
www.twanight.org
3rd International Symposium for Dark-Sky Parks
25 May 2010
and
3rd International Dark-Sky Camp
Lastovo, 6-10 September 2010
The aim of the 2010 Symposium on Dark-Sky Parks is to establish an effective long-term framework for reducing light pollution internationally. It will do so by bringing together key players who will come up with the appropriate course of action. The Symposium not only provides a setting for individuals to present their knowledge or attend presentations by leading experts in the field of light-pollution. It also creates an opportunity for networking, collaboration, sharing of information and building trust and relationships. Symposium participants are site managers, representatives of international and national (non-governmental) organisations, experts in biology, (eco)tourism, natural and cultural heritage, lighting industry, etc. The Symposium is a five-day event, comprising of quality lectures, field-trips and night observations.
More information: http://www.darkskyparks.org/
IYA2009 Updates
21 May 2010
This week is Mariana’s last with the IYA2009 Secretariat. It is hard to overstate how vital Mariana’s role has been for the IYA2009 Secretariat and IYA2009. Since joining the team in 2008, Mariana has been consistently dedicated and professional. IYA2009 has been the largest science outreach project ever and Mariana has been at the centre of this effort. This fact is something Mariana should certainly note with well-deserved pride, as we are all certain that it would not have been the success it was without her contributions. The many positive comments about the Secretariat from the SPoCs unquestionably reflect this sentiment. The Cosmic Diary in particular embodies Mariana’s success stories; as a global Cornerstone it was important for it to be released on 1 January 2009, a tight deadline admirably achieved. Throughout the project's duration Mariana’s skills ensured that it consistently ran smoothly and to plan, fitting perfectly with the aims of IYA2009. We all wish Mariana every success with her future projects.
Photo Report: TWAN in Australia
During the IYA2009 TWAN exhibition and presentations traveled from Sydney to Perth on both sides of Australia and it continues to seek venues and related events in 2010 and beyond. More information: http://www.twanight.org/newTWAN/news_photo.asp?newsID=6050
Bringing the universe to the street: FETTU
From Earth to the Universe has just published an article on Journal of Science Communication: Bringing the universe to the street. A preliminary look at informal learning implications for a large-scale non-traditional science outreach project. More information: http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/924/
InterSoles 3, The Third International Solar Eclipse Summit, will take place this year on 9th July 2010 in Buenos Aires’ „Galileo Galilei“ Planetarium. This conference, exhibition and show focusing on solar eclipses, offers valuable astronomical knowledge to an interested national and international audience. International scientists and astronomers will be presenting highly interesting facts and recent scientific findings about solar eclipses and space, accompanied by multimedia, movies, sky observation, photographic exhibitions, equipment, etc.For more information please visit www.eclipse-city.com.
PROAM Stellar Wind Workshop
Cnvento da Arrábida - Lisbon, May 28 - 30, 2010
The ProAm campaign about WR140 and its periastron passage ended in March 2009. The data of our targets, including B and Oe stars collected during the campaign, are now being processed. In addition, a number of other campaigns worked on the WR 140 periastron passage. The workshop in Portugal is organized for the evaluation of this 1st international ProAm effort and for presenting the results. A major issue is the professional need for spectroscopic data which can be delivered by advanced amateurs. We want to discuss the results of our MONS campaign targets (WR, Oe and B stars), other campaigns, physics of stellar winds, potential future projects, their needs and hurdles as well as respective strategies for a successfull work in the field of massive stars and their winds. More information: http://www.stsci.de/wr140/index_e.htm
Call for Abstracts: JENAM2010 IYA2009 related Special Sessions
New Trends in Global Astronomy Education: http://www.jenam2010.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=40&Itemid=77
Education and Outreach after the International Year of Astronomy 2009 in Europe: http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/906/
Amateur and professional astronomers in Europe: http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/902/
Photo Report: TWAN in Australia
21 May 2010
During the IYA2009 TWAN exhibition and presentations traveled from Sydney to Perth on both sides of Australia and it continues to seek venues and related events in 2010 and beyond. More information: http://www.twanight.org/newTWAN/news_photo.asp?newsID=6050
Bringing the universe to the street: FETTU
20 May 2010
From Earth to the Universe has just published an article on Journal of Science Communication: Bringing the universe to the street. A preliminary look at informal learning implications for a large-scale non-traditional science outreach project
Abstract: “From Earth to the Universe” (FETTU) is a collection of astronomical images that showcase some of the most popular, current views of our Universe. The images, representing the wide variety of astronomical objects known to exist, have so far been exhibited in about 500 locations throughout the world as part of the International Year of Astronomy. In the United States, over 40 FETTU exhibits have occurred in 25 states in such locations as libraries, airports, nature centers, parks and college campuses. Based on preliminary evaluations currently underway, this project – a large-scale, worldwide astronomy outreach in non-traditional locations – has unique opportunities and implications for informal science learning. We present some early findings from the observational section of the exhibit’s formal evaluation in five selected locations in the U.S. and U.K., including emphasis on inter-organizational networking, visitor attention and participant make-up as well as generative aspects of the exhibit.
More information: http://jcom.sissa.it/archive/09/02/Jcom0902(2010)A01/
InterSoles 3, The Third International Solar Eclipse Summit
17 May 2010
InterSoles 3, The Third International Solar Eclipse Summit, will take place this year on 9th July 2010 in Buenos Aires’ „Galileo Galilei“ Planetarium.
This conference, exhibition and show focusing on solar eclipses, offers valuable astronomical knowledge to an interested national and international audience. International scientists and astronomers will be presenting highly interesting facts and recent scientific findings about solar eclipses and space, accompanied by multimedia, movies, sky observation, photographic exhibitions, equipment, etc.
For more information please visit www.eclipse-city.com.
PROAM Stellar Wind Workshop
17 May 2010
Convento da Arrábida - Lisbon, May 28 - 30, 2010
The ProAm campaign about WR140 and its periastron passage ended in March 2009. The data of our targets, including B and Oe stars collected during the campaign, are now being processed. In addition, a number of other campaigns worked on the WR 140 periastron passage. The workshop in Portugal is organized for the evaluation of this 1st international ProAm effort and for presenting the results. A major issue is the professional need for spectroscopic data which can be delivered by advanced amateurs. We want to discuss the results of our MONS campaign targets (WR, Oe and B stars), other campaigns, physics of stellar winds, potential future projects, their needs and hurdles as well as respective strategies for a successfull work in the field of massive stars and their winds.
More information: http://www.stsci.de/wr140/index_e.htm
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
IYA2009 Patron
