IYA2009 Updates

ASP Announces its 2010 Award Winners in Astronomy Research and Education

2 April 2010

The Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) today announces the winners of its 2010 awards for excellence in astronomy research and education.

The Maria and Eric Muhlmann Award is given annually to recognize recent significant observational results made possible by innovative advances in astronomical instrumentation and techniques. The 2010 winner of the award is the Spitzer Space Telescope Team. The Spitzer Space Telescope is one of NASA's "Great Observatories," making its observations in the infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, which requires the telescope to be cooled to the very low temperatures needed to detect infrared radiation without interference from the heat produced by the spacecraft itself. The telescope must also be shielded from the heat of the sun and the infrared radiation put out by the Earth. Among the innovative engineering approaches for which the team is being recognized is the extensive use of radiative cooling that extended the cryogenic lifetime of the telescope from the planned nominal mission of two and half years to nearly six before the liquid helium coolant was exhausted.

Spitzer is presently in its "Warm Mission," continuing to return scientific data using two infrared channels able to operate without coolant. The scientific impact of the mission ranges from measurements of the size and density of Kuiper Belt Objects to the first detection of light from extrasolar planets to the identification of massive, mature galaxies at very remote distances that place constraints on the growth of fluctuations in the early universe. The team's contributions to the ongoing success of the mission are recognized with the Muhlmann Award.

The Robert J. Trumpler Award for outstanding recent Ph.D. thesis is awarded to Dr. Robert Quimby, currently a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Astronomy at Caltech. Through his technical innovation and use of the ROTSE-IIIb and Hobby-Eberly telescopes at McDonald Observatory, Dr. Quimby initiated the Texas Supernova Search to monitor nearby galaxy clusters for transient events at their earliest possible phases. His University of Texas dissertation led to improved understanding of the detonation process in Type IA supernovae, suggesting that these events may involve binary white dwarf systems. He also discovered the first "pair instability supernova" – a phenomenon now thought to occur in very massive stars like those that formed at the end of the cosmological "dark ages," when the universe's first stars and galaxies condensed out of matter.

The Richard H. Emmons Award for excellence in the teaching of college-level introductory astronomy for non-science majors goes to Dr. Alex Filippenko of the University of California at Berkeley. Filippenko, the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Distinguished Professor in the Physical Sciences, and well-known for his research on supernovas, gamma-ray bursts, black holes, quasars and dark energy, is also a popular teacher of the introductory astronomy class for non-science majors. He has produced four astronomy video courses with The Teaching Company and coauthored an award-winning textbook. Students have voted him as the "Best Professor" six times, and he has won numerous national and societal awards for his undergraduate teaching—to which he now adds the ASP's Emmons prize.

The Thomas J. Brennan Award for excellence in the teaching of astronomy at the high school level is awarded to John Blackwell. Blackwell teaches astronomy at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, where he also uses facilities of the Grainger Observatory to teach students how to observe celestial objects and conduct investigations and measurements. The research projects undertaken by Blackwell's students include using CCD images to find asteroids, constructing H-R diagrams of open clusters and light curves of variable stars, searching for supernovae by repeated imaging of galaxy rich fields with a robotic telescope, and conducting observing runs at Kitt Peak National Observatory. Blackwell's colleagues at Phillips Exeter refer to him as a "pied piper when it comes to sparking the interest of students in the field of astronomy."

This year's Klumpke-Roberts Award for outstanding contributions to the public understanding and appreciation of astronomy honors Marcia Bartusiak. For three decades, Bartusiak has written prolifically in the field of physics and astronomy, offering insight into complex topics and the lives of the scientists who explore them. Currently an adjunct professor with the graduate program in science writing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a columnist for Natural History magazine, she regularly publishes in a variety of national publications and is the author of five books. Her most recent, Archives of the Universe, chronicles the 100 biggest discoveries in astronomy, through primary source material, from Archimedes to the accelerating universe.

The Amateur Achievement Award recognizes significant observational or technical contributions by an amateur astronomer. This year's recipient isAllan Rahill on behalf of the Clear Sky Chart team comprising of Rahill and Attilla Danko. Rahill, a meteorologist with the Canadian Meteorological Centre (CMC), adapted CMC forecast products for the purpose of planning observing sessions with highly accurate high resolution point forecasts of cloud cover, transparency, seeing, darkness, wind, temperature and humidity over North and Central America. Danko developed the web page that presents these forecasts. The universal acclaim received by the Clear Sky Charts in both the amateur and professional astronomy communities wins the team the Amateur Achievement prize for 2010.

The Las Cumbres Amateur Outreach Award, honoring outstanding educational outreach by an amateur astronomer to K-12 children and the public, goes to Wayne "Skip" Bird. For more than 15 years, Bird—treasurer and observatory coordinator for the Westminster Astronomical Society serving Carroll County, Maryland—has engaged kids and the public in astronomy outreach programs for Girl and Boy Scout troops, nature centers, libraries, fairs, kids camps, and at other venues. He has worked with the National Federation of the Blind to present astronomy activities for sight-impaired youth, and was the driving force behind the Westminster Astronomical Society's observatory project. Colleagues cite Byrd as a primary reason for Westminster's reputation as one of the most active astronomy clubs in public outreach in the nation.

The ASP previously announced Dr. Gerry Neugebauer of Caltech and the University of Arizona's Steward Observatory as the 2010 recipient of theCatherine Wolfe Bruce Gold Medal for lifetime achievement in astronomy. Neugebauer is widely recognized as one of the pioneers of infrared astronomy, working with colleagues to make the first infrared map of the galactic center, the first infrared survey of the sky, and leading the science team of the Infrared Astronomy Satellite (IRAS) that mapped the sky in four different wavelengths, cataloguing thousands of sources and revolutionizing infrared astronomy.

"This year's award winners demonstrate how much can be and is being accomplished by talented, motivated individuals and teams dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge and the sharing of that knowledge with the larger public," said James Manning, ASP Executive Director. "The ASP is proud to recognize the achievements of these astronomy researchers, educators, and popularizers with the hope that they will inspire others to their best efforts."

The awards will be presented at the ASP awards banquet on August 3 in Boulder, Colorado, as part of the Society's annual meeting. Information about the ASP can be found online at http://www.astrosociety.org/about.html. More information about the Society's awards and past winners can be found at http://www.astrosociety.org/membership/awards/awards.html.

Founded in 1889 in San Francisco, the ASP's mission is to increase the understanding and appreciation of astronomy by engaging scientists, educators, enthusiasts and the public to advance science and science literacy. The ASP publishes both scholarly and educational materials, conducts professional development programs for formal and informal educators, and holds conferences, symposia and workshops for astronomers and educators specializing in education and public outreach. The ASP's education programs are funded by corporations, private foundations, the National Science Foundation, NASA, private donors, and its own members.

IYA2009 Updates

2 April 2010

April 1 marked the beginning of Global Astronomy Month 2010: The long-awaited global celebration of people sharing the same sky. The day begins just West of the International Date Line so Oceania and Eastern Asia are the first to mark the start of what will be a month full of events. Read more: http://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/index.php/projects/global-astronomy-month.html

Winner Announcement of the International Earth and Sky Photo Contest
Selected from submissions by photographers in over 30 countries, the winners of the Earth and Sky Photo Contest display the beauties of night sky and its battle with light pollution.
More info: http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/869/

Hunting The Edge Of Space
“Hunting the Edge of Space” tells the story of one profound discovery after another, as telescopes improved and peered deeper and deeper into space. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/868/

The Copernican Revolution as a major advance in understanding the Earth
"Prior to the Copernican Revolution the concepts of “Earth” and “planet” had nothing whatsoever to do with each other, but after that revolution scientists recognized that Earth itself is one of the planets, and they rejected the Aristotelian view that Earth is made of fundamentally different material than are the Sun, stars, and planets. This was an essential step in the development of a valid science of geology, and the Copernican Revolution should therefore be considered not only an episode in the history of astronomy and physics, but as a central part of the history of geology as well." Read more here: http://geology.gsapubs.org/content/38/3/231.abstract

China, the Philippines and New Zeeland kick off 30 Nights of StarPeace
http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/866/

She is an Astronomer conference: Celebrating success and seeking solutions http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/865/

Winner Announcement of the International Earth and Sky Photo Contest

2 April 2010

Full story and images: http://www.twanight.org/newTWAN/news.asp?newsID=6046

The World at Night and Dark Skies Awareness organized the International Earth and Sky Photo Contest on Dark Skies Importance. Submissions were received during the second half of International year of Astronomy 2009. Submitted photographs were all taken during the year of astronomy and were all created in the “TWAN style” — showing both the Earth and the sky — by combining elements of the night sky set against the Earth horizon with backdrop of a notable location or landmark. This style of photography is called “landscape astrophotography”.

The contest was open to anyone of any age, anywhere around the world. About 200 entries received from over 30 countries including Algeria, Armenia, Bangladesh, Canada, Chile, Columbia, Croatia, France, Greece, Iceland, Indonesia, India, Iran, Italy, Macedonia, Nepal, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, and USA. Nearly 30% of the entries were from United States. Other major contributors were Romania, Iran, and Poland.

According to the contest theme of “Dark Skies Importance”, the submitted photos were judged in two categories: Beauty of Night Sky and Against the Lights. The selected images are best in impressing people on both how important and amazing the starry sky is and how it affects our lives, and also how bad the problem of light pollution has become. Today most city skies have become virtually empty of stars. Light pollution obscures the stars, interferes with astronomical observatories, and, like any other form of pollution, disrupts ecosystems and has adverse health effects.

The contest organizers wish to gratefully acknowledge the assistant of Oceanside Photo and Telescope (OPT) in supporting the contest with variety of prizes. Other contributing sponsors include Celestron, Meade, Explore Scientific,Stellarvue, Astrodon, and Starlight Instruments. The contest was also supported by Sky&Telescope, a world’s leading astronomy magazine, with several gift subscriptions for the winners, and the University of Hawaii with technical support and server hosting for the contest submissions.

Connection with Global Astronomy Month: the winner announcement of the Earth and Sky Photo Contest in the beginning of April is related to the opening of world-wide activities coordinated by Astronomers Without Borders; for theGlobal Astronomy Month; a new annual program for world-wide astronomy community to share the beauties of night sky with people.

Contest Judging

The first selection and voting was made by TWAN world-wide photographers. The most voted photos were then considered by the contest judge team for 5 winners in each category of the contest. including:

• David Malin (the most distinguished night sky photographer in the world, TWAN member and consultant).
• Mike Simmons (President of Astronomers Without Borders and TWAN co-founder, contributing editor at Sky&Telescope magazine).
• Connie Walker (Director of Dark Sky Awareness project and Globe at Night program, senior science education specialist at the National Optical Astronomy Observatory).
• Richard Wainscoat (Photographer and astronomer at the University of Hawaii, the chair of International Astronomical Union Commission on Controlling Light Pollution).
• Babak Tafreshi (Founder and director of TWAN, award winning night sky photographer, and board member of Astronomers Without Borders).

Contest Winners

The first winner of the contest and the highest voted by TWAN team is “Temple Night” by Chris Kotsiopoulos from Greece, presenting a panoramic view from the Poseidon temple in Cape Sounion of Greece with a starry sky in one direction and immense light pollution of Athens toward the other horizon. Placed in the contest category of Against the Lights, the photo won an Explore Scientific127mm refractor telescope and $150 certificate gift from OPT. As noted by David Malin “A powerful wide angle picture that meets all the criteria of the competition with style, technical skill and in an elegant composition.”

The first prize in the Beauty of Night Sky category is “Full Moon Rainbow” by Tony Rowell who receives a Celestron CG5computerized telescope mount. The photo is taken from the Yosemite Falls of California in a moonlit night. As noted by David Malin “It’s a strong, beautifully executed composition, blending a starry night sky, moonlight and a magnificent landscape in a most imaginative way.”

“Milky Way above Romania” by Cristina Tinta Vass is the second winner in the Against the Light category, receiving the prize of a 70mm ED Stellarvue refractor telescope and $150 gift certificate from OPT. As noted by Babak Tafreshi “The splendid Milky Way above the light dome of a city is very dramatic in this photo, showing the contrast between natural look of the sky and artificially light dominated cities.”

The second winner in the Beauty of Night Sky is “Light House and Stars” by Larry Andreasen, receiving the prize ofMeade LXD75 computerized telescope mount. The photo is taken from coast of Oregon in USA, framing a seaside starry night and strong rays from a light house. As noted by TWAN member John Goldsmith “It’s a surreal, mystical image”.

The other winners in the Against the Light category are:

3- “Observatory and Capital” by Mahdi Zamani who receives $300 gift certificate from OPT. The Iranian night sky photographer made this panoramic image from Byurakan Observatory near Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. The Moon sets in the right and lights of the nearby city dominate the southern view of the observatory. As noted by Babak Tafreshi “There are many leading observatories of the past decades which are now severely affected by lights from enlarging cities.”

4- “Lights of Los Angeles” by Ali Douraghy who receives $200 gift certificate from OPT and one year subscription to Sky&Telescope. The panoramic photo shows the lights of this metropolitan as seen from the Griffith Observatory. As noted by David Malin “What a spectacular waste of energy! And what a spectacle, all the way to Santa Catalina Island.”

5- “Lights vs .Stars” by Fredrik Broms who receives $130 gift certificate from OPT and one year subscription to Sky&Telescope. The image is taken near Kvaloya in Norway. As noted TWAN member Anthony Ayiomamitis “It’s good and evil. One photo that shows both dark skies and light polluted skies.”

The other winners in the Beauty of Night Sky category are:

3- “Stargazers” by Valentin Grigore who receives an Astrodon 1.25” H-alpha 5nm filter and one year subscription to Sky&Telescope. The photo is made during a public observing night above a hill overlooking Targoviste, a city in Romania. Moon and Venus are coupled in the evening sky. As noted by Mike Simmons “It’s a great composition of people and sky even though there aren’t many stars.”

4- “Pine Tree Startrails” by Miguel Claro who receives $200 gift certificate from OPT and one year subscription to Sky&Telescope. The photo is taken in a pine forest near the Atlantic coast of Portugal. The total exposure time of about 90 minutes of 90 minutes caused the colorful startrails.

5- “Starry Night of Croatia” by Vid Nikolic who receives $130 gift certificate from OPT and one year subscription to Sky&Telescope. The wide-angle photo is taken by a digital DSLR camera in black and white mode and shows the starry sky above Sjeverni Velebit National Park in Croatia.

All the winner photos are also prized to appear on The TWAN Guest Gallery. There are over 30 more photos which are positively voted by TWAN members and the judges. These are shown in this photo report and will appear on the Guest Gallery in future. The International Earth and Sky photo contest was the second contest in collaboration with The World at Night. The first contest was regionally organized in South America and India. TWAN plans for new international and regional contests in future. Contact us for more information.

Hunting The Edge Of Space

1 April 2010

Spring 2010 marks two remarkable anniversaries: the 20th anniversary of the launch of the most famous telescope in history, the Hubble Space Telescope, and the 400th anniversary of the publication of Galileo’s “Starry Messenger,” a book that started a revolution in our understanding of our place in the cosmos. What began as a simple curiosity -- two spectacle lenses held a foot apart -- has ultimately reshaped human thought across science, philosophy and religion.

“Hunting the Edge of Space” tells the story of one profound discovery after another, as telescopes improved and peered deeper and deeper into space. As Dr. Michael Turner, University of Chicago, states in the film, “The telescope may be the most interesting scientific instrument that we’ve ever made.” The invention of the telescope marks the division between the modern world and the world of our ancestors. Other inventions have changed the way we live, but only the telescope has altered our understanding of our place in the universe.

“Hunting the Edge of Space” is a global adventure of discovery, detailing the history of the telescope and the astronomical breakthroughs it has made possible. In Hour 1, airing on Tuesday, April 6, historical reenactments bring to life key figures and events, as Galileo -- for the first time in human history -- sees craters on the surface of the Moon, observes Jupiter and its orbiting moons and sketches the changing phases of Venus. His discoveries confirm that the Sun lies at the center of our solar system, demoting Earth and revolutionizing our understanding of the cosmos. We meet William Herschel and his devoted sister Caroline, the most prominent astronomers of the late 18th century. Together they discovered the planet Uranus, built a telescope that remained the world’s largest for decades, and, over thousands of nights dedicated to observing the sky, first gauged the shape of our Milky Way galaxy. The discoveries of the past resonate in cutting edge research today, in stories of NASA’s Cassini mission, which provided new answers to age-old mysteries of Saturn’s rings. Discoveries of new planets in our solar system in earlier centuries continue to inspire today’s planet hunters, like Geoff Marcy and David Charbonneau who are finding for new planets around distant stars -- planets that may even resemble Earth.

Hour 2, airing April 13, begins at the dawn of the 20th century, when astronomers still thought the Milky Way was the entire universe. That was before George Ellery Hale, who built the greatest telescopes on Earth, and Edwin Hubble, who used Hale’s 100-inch telescope on Mt. Wilson, California, to prove that the universe is populated by untold numbers of galaxies that lie far beyond the confines of our Milky Way. His research is again echoed today, as the Sloan Digital Sky Survey captures the light from hundreds of galaxies at once, creating a catalogue of galaxies that is an indispensable tool for astronomical research around the globe. Hubble’s next discovery with the Mt. Wilson telescope was as profound a paradigm shift as Galileo, 300 years earlier. When he found that the galaxies are all racing away from each other -- that space itself is expanding, he set the stage for the discovery of the Big Bang.

New questions needed new kinds of telescopes. We meet Nobel Prize winner Arno Penzias, who, with Robert Wilson, discovered the echo of the Big Bang with one of the first radio telescopes. When the Hubble Space Telescope begins to send back images from its orbit high above Earth’s atmosphere, we see the universe as never before. Its famous Deep Field photograph shows us the universe shortly after the Big Bang. And we meet Alex Filippenko, one of the astronomers on the team that used the gigantic Keck Telescope in Hawaii to capture distant supernovae and unveil the existence of Dark Energy, the most mysterious force in the universe. Dark Energy and Dark Matter, which was discovered in the middle of the 20th century, are today’s most profound cosmological riddles. Together they make up nearly 95% of the universe, while the visible universe -- all the stars and planets we can see in the night sky -- account for a mere 5%. It is a confounding mystery, which modern telescopes continue to investigate, as we continue “Hunting the Edge of Space”.

“Hunting the Edge of Space” is produced for NOVA by TPT National Productions, St. Paul, and Brook Lapping Productions, London, in association with Green Umbrella LLC. Major funding for the production is provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Additional funding by the Mt. Cuba Astronomical Foundation and the Research Corporation for Science Advancement.

More Information: http://www.wgbh.org/nova

The Copernican Revolution as a major advance in understanding the Earth

1 April 2010

"Prior to the Copernican Revolution the concepts of “Earth” and “planet” had nothing whatsoever to do with each other, but after that revolution scientists recognized that Earth itself is one of the planets, and they rejected the Aristotelian view that Earth is made of fundamentally different material than are the Sun, stars, and planets. This was an essential step in the development of a valid science of geology, and the Copernican Revolution should therefore be considered not only an episode in the history of astronomy and physics, but as a central part of the history of geology as well." 

Read more here: http://geology.gsapubs.org/content/38/3/231.abstract

China, the Philippines and New Zeeland kick off 30 Nights of StarPeace

1 April 2010

April 1 marks the beginning of Global Astronomy Month 2010, the long-awaited global celebration of people sharing the same sky. The day begins just West of the International Date Line so Oceania and Eastern Asia are the first to mark the start of what will be a month full of events. And what better way to do it than with 30 Nights of StarPeace? 

China, the Philippines and New Zeeland kick off the peace chain tonight, sending it around the globe throughout GAM. Dr. Jin Zhu Director of Beijing Planetarium, China, Dr. Armando Lee of The Astronomical League of the Phillipines, and Paul Moss of SKY, New Zealand will hold joint, though distant, observing events on the first nights of this peaceful circumnavigation of the globe. 

The celebration begins at 07:00 UT on April 1 with a sidewalk astronomy event in  the centre of Wellington, New Zealand, in an entertainment zone called Courtenay Place. At 11:00 UT all three countries participate in an international star party that includes "Saturn Sharing" at 12:00 UT. 

The countries are using online technology to keep in touch during the events. The highlight comes at 09:00 UT when the countries meet online together to share pictures, impressions of the events and ideas for the next time. 

Groups between longitude 144 and 108 degrees East are encouraged to join the celebration through April 3. After that, events move to the next link in the chain to the west. 

More about on the 30 Nights of StarPeace project page

She is an Astronomer conference: Celebrating success and seeking solutions

30 March 2010

Date: 22 and 23 April 2010
Venue: Royal Astronomical Society Burlington House, Piccadilly, London

To celebrate the ending of the IYA2009 Cornerstone project She is an Astronomer, a conference is being held in London. The conference will be opened by Prof Jocelyn Bell Burnell. There will be talks on pioneering women in astronomy, talks by female scientists on their work and careers, and talks on gender issues, work-life balance, careers, mentoring, psychology/culture, statistics. One outcome of the meeting will be a list of suggestions for supporting and encouraging women in astronomy in support of the IAU Resolution passed at the IAU General Assembly in August 2009. Presentations (talks and posters) will be published on the She is an Astronomer website.

More information on the She is an astronomer website: http://www.sheisanastronomer.org/index.php/Conference?jid=1

Conference programme

Thursday 22 April

Francesca Primas, Chair

Anita Richards, Chair

Friday 23 April
Anita Heward, Chair

Jane Greaves, Chair

Posters
Jayanta Acharya (Nepal) - Women in Astronomy in Nepal
Silvia Bonoli (Germany) - The GalileoMobile: bringing the IYA2009 to the Andes's Altiplano
Rosa Diaz-Sandoval (UK) - In the border of space research
Joeline, Ezekiel (Tanzania) - Tanzania and Astronomy
Mimoza Hafizi (Albania) - To be a unique astronomer in a country
Victoria Hamilton-Morris (UK) -                 LoCuSS: Weak Lensing Analysis of 21 Galaxy Clusters at z=0.15-0.3
Elisa House (UK) - Disk Heating: Comparing the Milky Way with Cosmological Simulations
Gemma Janssen (UK) - LEAP - Large European Array for Pulsars
Eva Juette (Germany) - Mentoring @RUB - equal opportunities for female scientists
Isabel Marquez (Spain) - The Commission 'Women in Astronomy' in the Spanish Astronomical Society
Jenny Caroline Richardson (UK) - The nature and origin of the substructure in the outskirts of M31
Magda Stavinschi (Romania) - Women in Astronomy in Romania
Hanny van Arkel (NL) - Galaxy Zoo
Hanny van Arkel (NL) - Running the SIAA web forum
Irina Voloshina(Russia) - Contribution of Women Astronomers at Sternberg Institute
Helen Walker (UK) - Seeking solutions

IYA update

26 March 2010

Dear friends,

 Here are some IYA2009 updates from the last week.

Be part of a worldwide peace chain for Global Astronomy Month
Inspired by the idea of sharing the beauty of the sky across national borders, “Thirty Nights of StarPeace” is a worldwide-scale event that will join together astronomy groups in neighbouring countries, one patch of Earth at the time, on successive nights during the month of April. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/859/

Dark skies forecast for Global Astronomy Month
Dark sky projects are set to feature prominently in the upcoming Global Astronomy Month. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/862/

Greek astronomy society summarises its IYA2009 celebrations
IYA2009 was celebrated in Thessaloniki, Greece through a series of events, seminars, exhibitions, public talks, and astroparties organised by Friends of Astronomy Club (Omilos Filon Astronomias) which is located in this northern Greek city. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/863/

400 years of the Telescope to be shown on PBS
IYA2009 Special project 400 Years of the Telescope is an exciting multimedia celebration of Galileo's first telescopic observations of the cosmos, and the resulting journey of discovery for humanity. An upcoming PBS broadcast in the USA on 9 April 2010 means that it will reach an even wider audience. Check your local TV listings for details. For more information about the film, please visit: http://www.400years.org/en/

New astronomy book drives

The purpose of the project “Astro Book Drive” is to cultivate astronomy education in developing countries by donating excess books. Through Astro Book Drive, it is hoped that many will benefit. Now new book drives have been announced, and your help is needed to make them a success. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/860/

Noted astronomers and latest astronomical discoveries featured in two podcast series
The website of the non-profit Astronomical Society of the Pacific now provides two different series of podcasts involving interviews with and talks by leading astronomers. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/858/

International Sidewalk Astronomy Night
http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/857/

Explore the Universe through remote observing during GAM2010
One of the Global Programs taking place during Global Astronomy Month this April is the Remote Observing of Bellatrix Astronomical Observatory in Italy, with participants from around the world joining each observing session via the internet. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/855/

If you need any assistance, remember that the Secretariat is always available for you.
 
Pedro, Mariana and Lee
IYA2009 Secretariat

Greek astronomy society summarises its IYA2009 celebrations

26 March 2010

IYA2009 was celebrated in Thessaloniki, Greece through a series of events, seminars,  exhibitions, public talks, and astroparties organised by Friends of Astronomy Club (Omilos Filon Astronomias) which is located in this northern Greek city.

The club was founded in 1997 and it counts more than 500 members from all over Greece. They possess a fully equipped observing team which frequently travels to dark places for observing and astrophotography. Each weekend they host astronomy related seminars with topics ranging from novice to advanced, and each Wednesday seen an astronomical documentary projection.

The following are events organised by the club to celebrate IYA2009:

January
Public talk by a university astronomy professor about space telescopes;
Talk by club member.

March
Talk in our premises about gravitational movement;
Three talks and astroparties in public schools;
Astrophotography exhibition;
Talk by club member;
Participation in "Earth Hour".

April
Four talks and astroparties in public schools;
Participation to "100 Hours of Astronomy" with events in five different places.

May
Talk by a club member about astrology and astronomy;
Two talks and astroparties in public schools;
Participation in IYA2009 postage stamps presentation;
Participation in science meeting.

June
Talk and astroparty in a public school;
Talk about Antikythera Mechanism and astroparty;
Astroparty organised for seminar students.

July
Astroparty in nearby village;
Expedition to China for the total solar eclipse (a group of 54 persons).

August
Five talks and astroparties in public schools and villages;
Shadow play with astronomy related script.

September
Participation in municipal event with astrophotography exhibition and astroparty;
One talk and astroparty in public school;
Participation in panhellenic astronomy conference.

October
Organised two-day event about Hershel Space Telescope with invited professors from UK, France and NASA Herschel Science Center;
Three astroparties during "Galilean Nights".

November
Public talk by a university astronomy professor about the theory of relativity.

For more information about the society and its IYA2009 events, please see http://www.ofa.gr/ and http://iya2009gr.blogspot.com/.

Dark skies forecast for Global Astronomy Month

26 March 2010

International Dark Sky Week
From 4 - 10 April 2010, International Dark Sky Week celebrates the heritage of the nighttime sky by encouraging people to turn off unnecessary lights. The event began in 2003 as National Dark-Sky Week in the United States and officially became international during IYA2009. The key to success is the broadest possible participation.

World Night in Defense of the Starlight
20 April has been designated as the "World Night" in defence of the Night Sky and the Right to Observe the Stars as a cultural, scientific and environmental humankind heritage. Every year on 20 April we remind ourselves of the need to preserve our right to view a dark night sky full of stars and to take steps to prevent its disappearance. World Night is an opportunity to get actively involved in many ways, helping promote dark skies awareness and responsible lighting.

Earth Hour 2010
For now, you can warm up by participating in Earth Hour. On 27 March 2010 at 8:30 pm, millions of people around the world will come together once again to make a bold statement about their concern for climate change by doing something quite simple—turning off their lights for one hour. Earth Hour symbolises that, by working together, each of us can make a positive impact in the fight against climate change.

Details about Global Astronomy Month dark skies projects can be found here, wth additional initiatives being added soon:  http://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/index.php/projects/global-astronomy-month/programs/global-programs/116-dark-skies.html

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