IYA2009 Updates
TWAN Newsletter
25 December 2009
Reports
- TWAN events started in Scandinavia with a traveling exhibition in Sweden, supported by the Swedish Astronomical Society. More
- A traveling exhibition and side programs of The World at Night in Hungary, in conjunction with the International Year of Astronomy 2009 made major public attention t the night sky. More
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
- Mojave Desert Fireball by Wally Pacholka
- Geminid Meteor over Monument Valley by Wally Pacholka
- Monument Valley Falling Star by Wally Pacholka
- Jupiter and Arch by Wally Pacholka
CANADA
- Sky above Iceberg (time-lapse video) by Yuichi Takasaka
- The Night Show of Aurora Village (time-lapse video) by Yuichi Takasaka
Europe
France
- Meteor in Brittany Morning Sky by Laurent Laveder
- Normandy Panorama by Laurent Laveder
- Starry Self Portrait by Laurent Laveder
Greece
- Moon and Planets from an Ancient Crater by Stefan Seip
- Solstice Sun Over Sounion by Anthony Ayiomamitis
- Oropos Sunset by Anthony Ayiomamitis
Sweden
- Gotland Moonset by P-M Heden
- Northern Hemisphere Milky Way by P-M Heden
Norway
- Starryscape at 69 North by Babak A. Tafreshi
- Aurora above Fjord Landscape by Babak A. Tafreshi
- A Glimpse of Far North (time-lapse video) by Bernd Proschold
Austria
- Above Thousand Peaks (time-lapse video) by Bernd Proschold
Spain
- Caparra by Moonlight by Juan Carlos Casado
- Lying under the Galactic Arch by Juan Carlos Casado
- Monfrague Milky Way by Juan Carlos Casado
Hungary
- ISS-Atlantis Trail by Tamas Ladanyi
- Windmill Surprise by Tamas Ladanyi
- Sunset to Moonrise Panorama by Tamas Ladanyi
- Moonlit Autumn Night of Hungary by Tamas Ladanyi
Asia and Middle East
Iran
- Meteors and Winter Milky Way by Babak A. Tafreshi
- Falling Star and Historic Ruin by Babak A. Tafreshi
- Geminid Meteor Shower in Video (time-lapse video) by Babak A. Tafreshi
- Sirius and a Striking Meteor by Babak A. Tafreshi
- Imam Reza Moonrise by Oshin D. Zakarian
- Autumn Night of Mazandaran by Oshin D. Zakarian
Turkey
- Double Meteors above Turkey by Tunc Tezel
- All-sky Composite of Geminid Meteors by Tunc Tezel
- Starry Sky of a Mediterranean Harbor by Tunc Tezel
- Sky of Ancients by Tunc Tezel
- Edge-on Milky Way by Tunc Tezel
Nepal
- Orion Trails above Himalaya by Oshin D. Zakarian
- The Top of the World by Babak A. Tafreshi
- Orion Rises above Himalaya (time-lapse video) by Babak A. Tafreshi
- Ama Dablam Martian Rise (time-lapse video) by Babak A. Tafreshi
- Himalayan Skyscape by Babak A. Tafreshi
- Night in the Land of Temples by Oshin D. Zakarian
- Himalayan Dream by Oshin D. Zakarian
- Starry Night of Buddha by Oshin D. Zakarian
China
- The Little Bear by P.K. Chen
- Milky Way of Yunnan by P.K. Chen
- Great Wall Halo by Juan Carlos Casado
- Robotic Telescope by P.K. Chen
- Yunnan Astronomical Observatory by P.K. Chen
- Orion Rises in Yunnan by P.K. Chen
Taiwan
- Amateur Observatory by P.K. Chen
Australia and Pacific
Chile (Easter Island)
- Night Arrives in Easter Island by Stephane Guisard
- Meteor, Galaxy, and Volcano by Stephane Guisard
- The Large Magellanic above Easter Island by Stephane Guisard
Australia
- Evening Twilight and the Living Desert by John Goldsmith
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:
- Milky Way from Valle de la Luna (Chile) by Manel Soria
- Crepuscular Rays from Capuchos (Portugal) by Miguel Claro
- Per Aspera ad Astra (Poland) by Marek Nikodem
- Moon and Jupiter over Cahore Strand (Ireland) by Eric Clarke
- Medieval Moon (Italy) by Marco Candotti
- Gazing at the Sky (Iran) by Sara Khalafinejad
- Moon and Jupiter over Hogehall (Sweden) by Jimmy Nordstrom
- Ft. McKavett Ruins at Night (USA) by Bryan R. Tobias
- ISS above Bad Mergentheim (Germany) by Jens Hackmann
- Observing the Night Skies (Romania) by Cristina Tinta-Vass
- Sariska Jungle Milky Way Trails (India) by C B Devgun
- Moon and Jupiter above Olympus Mountain (Greece) by Chris Kotsiopoulos
- Band of the Milky Way (Iran) by Mahdi Zamani
- Iridium Flare over Cottage (Slovakia) by Tomas Maruska
- Night Sky from Ft. McKavett (USA) by Bryan R. Tobias
Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD), a NASA’s world-known website, has featured new photos by TWAN photographers:
- Comet Hyakutake Passes the Earth by Doug Zubenel
- Geminid Meteor over Monument Valley by Wally Pacholka
- Himalayan Skyscape by Babak Tafreshi
- 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
Galilean Nights: Astrophotography competition winners
23 December 2009
Many congratulations to the winners and runners-up of the Galilean Nights Astrophotography competition. The judges had a difficult task in assessing the many excellent entries and the winning photos were of outstanding quality.
Overall Winner: Masahiro Miyasaka of Japan for the image "Milky Way Waterfall":http://www.flickr.com/photos/43894176@N07/4041205097/in/pool-galileannights
Beyond Earth
Winner: Luis Santo for his image of M42:http://www.flickr.com/photos/44050495@N05/4051547780/in/pool-galileannights
First runner-up: Richie Jarvis for his image of M45:http://www.flickr.com/photos/richiejarvis/4046461726/in/pool-galileannights
Second runner-up: ANIC Asociación de nińos indagadores del cosmos for their image "Moon Waning": http://www.flickr.com/photos/astroanic/4047871344/in/pool-galileannights
Earth and Sky
Winner: Masahiro Miyasaka for the image "Milky Way Waterfall":http://www.flickr.com/photos/43894176@N07/4041205097/in/pool-galileannights
First runner-up: Pablo Díez Vigil for "CTBA 07:45"http://www.flickr.com/photos/pdiezvig/4032270507/in/pool-galileannights and Second runner-up: Kouji Ohnishi for "Pleiades Dance"http://www.flickr.com/photos/microlensing/4046384368/in/pool-galileannights
Close IYA2009 by journeying into a black hole!
19 December 2009
To celebrate the closing of the International Year of Astronomy 2009, AthenaWeb and the scientific magazine Science et Avenir invite you to an incredible virtual space odyssey: Journey to the Heart of a Black Hole.
The astrophysicist Alain Riazuelo leads us into an incredible virtual journey towards the heart of a black hole. The interstellar flight’s objective is to move towards Epsilon Eridani. Smaller and cooler than our own Sun, this mythic star is located only about 10.5 light-years away from us and became famous as the possible home planet of Star Trek's pointy ears character, Mr Spock.
On our way, we discover the physical phenomenon called the aberration of light, before getting to the heart of the black hole itself… from which we will never be able to come back!
The video, and more information about it, is available here: http://www.athenaweb.org/backoffice/newsletter/preview.php?id=28
IYA2009 News Round-up
19 December 2009
It's still IYA2009, which means that it's news round-up time. Hoooo-rah!
Story of the Week must surely go to Physics World's feature on Pakistani astronomers. Written by the president of the Khwarizmi Science Society, it looks at how IYA2009 events have boosted the public's interest. We shouldn't be surprised, given that they built a roving observatory to go to rural schools. That'd spark anyone's interest. Apparently "...older people were particularly delighted as they were shown various stellar constellations that matched their horoscopes." Hmm!
Why is astronomy so great? Big numbers, nice pictures. Bad Astronomy at Discover Blogs is going down this second route with its article on the top ten astronomy pictures of 2009. They are all corkers.
Fancy a laugh? Give the Science Comedian Brian Malow a chance, courtesy of Fora.tv. He mentions IYA2009 (to a bit of a cheer), and also talks about the Cosmic Diary's very own Brother Guy.
To Yahoo! now, for their 2009 Year in Review article. IYA2009 has prompted them to make it an astronomy-inspired feature which talks about meteor showers, Galileo, NASA, and the upcoming Blue Moon. Plenty of hyperlinks are scattered around the text, should your insatiable curiosity get the better of you.
Attention astrophotographers! Actually, attention Indian astrophotographers! You should run over to The Times of India who are advertising a competition to mark the end of IYA2009. Called "Snap the vibrant universe", some entries will be displayed in an exhibition and it sounds like there will be awards. Although it's a bit vague on that point. Fingers crossed.
This one is a bit different. The Gilroy Dispatch have written a seasonal article about the connections between Christmas and astronomy. Apparently "It goes far beyond the Gospel of Matthew's Nativity star." There are 11 paragraphs and IYA2009 is mentioned in number three, which isn't bad going.
Let's pay a visit to AlphaGalileo who have a news release about events marking IYA2009's end. The biggie is astronomers an archaeologists celebrating five millennia of astronomical heritage at Stonehenge in the UK. IYA2009 UK chair Ian Robson is involved, giving tours and things. Oh, and From Earth To The Universe have an exhibition there as well. Nice!
That's it. You'll miss these news round-ups when they're over, won't you? Your silence is taken as a "yes".
IYA2009 Updates
18 December 2009
*Stunning video takes us to the edge of the Universe*
The Known Universe takes viewers from the Himalayas through our atmosphere and the inky black of space to the afterglow of the Big Bang. Every star, planet, and quasar seen in the film is possible because of the world's most complete four-dimensional map of the Universe, the Digital Universe Atlas that is maintained and updated by astrophysicists at the American Museum of Natural History.
The new film, created by the Museum, is part of an exhibition Visions of the Cosmos: From the Milky Ocean to an Evolving Universe, at the Rubin Museum of Art in Manhattan through May 2010. See it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17jymDn0W6U&fmt=22
*IYA2009 news from Uruguay*
http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/691/
*The sky is the limit for students in Hungary*
To celebrate IYA2009, Hungary's Konkoly Observatory offered a opportunity to young enthusiasts of the starry sky. High-school students were invited to apply for one hour of telescope time to record their favourite celestial object with the 60/90/180cm Schmidt telescope and CCD camera located in Piszkesteto Mountain Station. This is one of Hungary's largest telescopes. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/690/
*Generating global interest in the night sky and astrophotography*
While TWAN exhibitions, workshops, and media contacts exposed many people to the beauties of the universal message of night sky, the project website displays an enlarging collection of over a thousand stunning images. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/689/
*Taking The World at Night to the land of Himalaya*
One of the last major TWAN activity during IYA2009 was a collection of programs including a night sky imaging workshop, public presentation and starparty, media contact, and imaging mission in the land of Himalaya. Through collaboration with a group of active young astronomers in the Nepal Astronomical Society, The World at Night travelled to Kathmandu and Mount Everest region of Himalaya during November 2009. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/688/
*Call for Papers: Science and the Public 2010*
Imperial College, London, 3rd and 4th of July 2010.
Now in its fifth year, the Science and the Public conference aims to bring together the various strands of academia which consider science’s relationships with groups generally called "the public". http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/687/
*Index to Astronomy in Scientific American Magazine*
Scientific American magazine often presents readable overviews of new ideas and discoveries in astronomy. However, astronomy articles are randomly scattered among the magazine's coverage of all other fields of science and the titles of articles do not always provide a perfect guide to their contents. As a service to the astronomy education community, we have compiled a subject index of astronomy articles in the magazine from the late summer of 1999 to the late summer of 2009, with brief descriptions of their contents. The index is published in the online journal, Astronomy Education Review, at: http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/AER2009060
*Galilean Nights: Astrophotography Competition shortlist announced!*
On 22-24 October 2009, the Galilean Nights Cornerstone Project took place all over the world and was a great success, with over 1300 events in almost 90 countries. Alongside the public observing sessions where hundreds of thousands of people looked to the night sky, many also turned their cameras to the stars and took part in the Galilean Nights Astrophotography Competition. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/686/
*Cosmos in the Classroom Symposium*
As you are planning your 2010 calendar and budget, we wanted to let you know that plans are moving along for the 122nd Annual Meeting of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP), July 31 - Aug. 4 at the University of Colorado in Boulder, in one of the most beautiful settings in the U.S., and featuring two concurrent 3-day conferences Aug. 2 - 4. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/684/
*Ethiopian astronomers bring IYA2009 to the masses*
The Ethiopian Space Science Society (ESSS) has been celebrating IYA2009 throughout the year. In the case of Ethiopia, it is considered a prime way of promoting astronomy by stimulating interest, especially among young people and as well using the appreciation of the inspirational aspects of astronomy. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/680/
*IYA2009 logo adorns German observatory*
IYA2009 enthusiasts from Dresden, Germany, decided to go one step further than most in celebrating this special year. They took it upon themselves to decorate their observatory by painting the IYA2009 logo, and inscribing the slogan on the side. Anyone passing by will be left in no doubt as to IYA2009's importance. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/682/
*Young astronomers meet for International School*
The International School for Young Astronomers 2009 is currently taking place in St Augustine, West Indies, Trinidad & Tobago. It will be running until 18 December. The objectives of the School include encouraging astronomy to grow in the region, allowing students from the Caribbean to network with professional astronomers, increasing collaborations, showing that astronomy promotes transferrable skills, enhancing research, and to expose local students to training not available locally. For more information, please see: http://sta.uwi.edu/fsa/physics/ISYA2009.asp
*Netherlands host IYA2009 concerts*
An IYA2009-themed concert given in September together with the Grieg Pianoduo was a huge success. The world premier of Sisask's "Sombrero Galaxy" was presented, together with other works by him and by Schubert, for a sold out hall in Groningen, in the Netherlands. The composer attended, as well as the ambassador of Estonia. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/679/
*Celebrating 5000 years of astronomy*
In a fitting finale for IYA2009, astronomers and archaeologists will celebrate the five millennia of astronomical heritage at Stonehenge, the most sophisticated stone circle in the world and amongst Europe’s most important Neolithic sites. The attractions include a free public astronomy exhibition and expert-led tours of the site and surrounding landscape. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/678/
Stunning video takes us to the edge of the Universe
18 December 2009
The Known Universe takes viewers from the Himalayas through our atmosphere and the inky black of space to the afterglow of the Big Bang. Every star, planet, and quasar seen in the film is possible because of the world's most complete four-dimensional map of the Universe, the Digital Universe Atlas that is maintained and updated by astrophysicists at the American Museum of Natural History.
The new film, created by the Museum, is part of an exhibition Visions of the Cosmos: From the Milky Ocean to an Evolving Universe, at the Rubin Museum of Art in Manhattan through May 2010.
See it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17jymDn0W6U&fmt=22
IYA2009 news from Uruguay
18 December 2009
News has reached the IYA2009 Secretariat of several highly successful astronomy popularisation initiatives from Uruguay.
A mobile digital planetarium with a dome of 8 metre diameter travelled around the whole country throughout the year, providing sessions to 50,000 people, mainly children from local schools that never before had seen a planetarium session (http://www.kappacrucis.com.uy/).
Uruguay has been developing astronomy at high school since 1889 and recently with strong emphasis in observatories (http://astronomia2009.org.uy/aia/observatorios/observatorios-en-uruguay/). After several years of preparation, in 2009 astronomy was introduced in primary school also, from ages 4 to 11 years.
Uruguay held the Second Iberoamerican School of Astrobiology with lectures given by 20 prominent researchers in this field (http://www.astronomia.edu.uy/astrobiologia2009/).
In 2008 the Latinamerican Olympiads of Astronomy and Astronautics was founded, and the first implementation was in Brazil during IYA2009.
The sky is the limit for students in Hungary
18 December 2009
To celebrate IYA2009, Hungary's Konkoly Observatory offered a opportunity to young enthusiasts of the starry sky. High-school students were invited to apply for one hour of telescope time to record their favourite celestial object with the 60/90/180cm Schmidt telescope and CCD camera located in Piszkesteto Mountain Station. This is one of Hungary's largest telescopes.
The best images were widely disseminated on the internet and popular science magazines. The goals were to:
- widen mathematical, physical and astronomical literacy;
- attract young talents to natural sciences and technology;
- allow students to use real astronomical instruments;
- teach the basics of image processing and astronomical data evaluation;
- repeat the "Galileo-experience'" but this time using modern astronomical instrumentation.
For more information, please see:
http://www.konkoly.hu/iya2009/eredm_kepek.html
http://hirek.csillagaszat.hu/egyeb_temak/20091126_hatar-a-csillagos-eg-eredmenyek.html
Generating Global Interest in Night Sky and Astrophotography
17 December 2009
While TWAN exhibitions, workshops, and media contacts exposed many people to the beauties of the universal message of night sky, the project website displays an enlarging collection of over a thousand stunning images. From 2008 to the end of IYA2009 the website received about 4 million visits from 197 countries and territories including remote islands and bizarre locations such as the South Pole! TWAN attracted attention of photographers and amateur astronomers toward astrophotography and for the effort of reclaiming the night sky, the world's most prestigious award for scientific photography (Lennart Nilsson Award) was received by TWAN director and creator Babak Tafreshi in October 2009.
Taking The World at Night to the land of Himalaya
16 December 2009
One of the last major TWAN activity during IYA2009 was a collection of programs including a night sky imaging workshop, public presentation and starparty, media contact, and imaging mission in the land of Himalaya. Through collaboration with a group of active young astronomers in the Nepal Astronomical Society, The World at Night traveled to Kathmandu and Mount Everest region of Himalaya during November 2009. While the first ever TWAN images of world's highest mountains under starry sky touched many around the world, another highlight of TWAN activity in Nepal was a major starparty together with the Nepal Astronomical Society in the World Heritage Site of Bhaktapur. Hundreds of local people gathered in the central square surrounded by dozens of amazing temples, to view the Moon and Jupiter for their first time through a telescope. The 8-inch motorized reflector which was brought and partly donated by TWAN is currently the largest amateur telescope in Nepal, and of the only few telescopes in the whole country.
http://www.ekantipur.com/the-kathmandu-post/2009/12/04/Features/Star-Gazers/2726/
http://astronomy-nepal.blogspot.com/2009/11/workshop-on-astrophotography-and-image.html
http://twanight.org/newTWAN/galleries.asp?Sort=Country&Value=Nepal&page=1
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