IYA2009 Updates
IYA2009 comic to be turned into a TV series
12 December 2009
After many exhibitions and conferences, the comic "The Lives of Galileo" has inspired a series of six 12-minute TV shows for Swiss-French TV called "Dessine-moi les étoiles" (Draw me the stars).
With an astronomer (Alain Maury, live from the Atacama desert), a philosopher (Bilal Ramadan) and two children, Fiami, the comic's author, tells the six chapters of astronomy presented in the "Lives of Galileo". It is a new way to present astronomy, mixing humour, drawing, science and philosophy.
The first showings will be on TSR2.
23.12.09 at 12.44
24.12.09 at 12.43
25.12.09 at 13.19
30.12.09 at 11.36
31.12.09 at 11.34
01.01.10 at 12.22
More good news comes from Geneva's newspaper "La Tribune de Genève" which is publishing half of the comic.
Visit "The Lives of Galileo"'s official website here: http://www.fiami.ch/
IYA2009 Updates
11 December 2009
Call for Submissions to the IYA2009/Mani Bhaumik Prize for Excellence in Astronomy Education and Public Outreach
The International Year of Astronomy 2009 is soliciting nominations and submissions for the IYA2009/Mani Bhaumik Prize for Excellence in Astronomy Education and Public Outreach. Read the press release: http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/pressreleases/detail/iya0917/
Geminid meteor shower to peak mid-December
The annual Geminid meteor shower, traditionally a good performer, is expected to put on a good show for stargazers over the coming week. The shower's peak is around 05:00 Universal Time on the morning of 14 December, but shooting stars should be visible for a night or perhaps two either side of this time. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/672/
Cross the Universe in Paris metro stations!
As part of IYA2009, corridors of Paris Metro stations have been decked with about 500 metres of astronomical images, allowing tens and tens of millions of passengers to marvel at the Universe until the end of December 2009. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/663/
Eyes on the Skies wins Special Jury Award at the 2009 MEDEA Awards
The Eyes on the Skies project initiated as part the IYA2009 celebration now entering its final weeks has won an international accolade. After originally being selected as one of eight finalists from a field of over 254 entries from 39 countries, the Eyes on the Skies movie and book went on to receive the Special Jury Award for its high production value at the MEDEA 2009 Awards held in Berlin, Germany on 4 December. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/660/
Understanding climate change from space exhibition opened
The European Space Agency's exhibition "Space for Earth, Understanding Climate Change from Space" has been officially opened at the UN Climate Change Conference, COP15, in Copenhagen, Denmark. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/673/
She is an Astronomer exhibition to open in Bonn
On Sunday 13 December, Dr. Helen Walker (Co-Chair of IYA2009 Cornerstone project She is an Astronomer), Ulrike Tscherner-Bertoldi (exhibition organiser) and Marianne Pitzen (museum director) will be opening a new exhibition at the Frauemuseum in Bonn. It is called Women in Astronomy - Reaching for the Stars ("Astronominnen - Frauen die nach den Sternen greifen"). There will be a light-show with the astronomer Dr. Nadya Ben Bekhti, a performance, and celestial-themed food! The exhibition itself will run until April 2010. http://www.sheisanastronomer.org/index.php/events
Financial newspaper in Italy celebrates IYA2009
Throughout the whole year 2009, the Italian financial newspaper Il Denaro has hosted a regular column about astronomy on their weekly scientific supplement Futura. A group of enthusiastic young astronomers, either working in Italy and abroad, have written dozens of nuggets and every Thursday delivered a new piece of the sky to the readers. The stories span several different subjects, from space probes and objects in our Solar System to stars, galaxies and the Universe on its very largest scales. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/664/
Tour of the Universe by Children of the World: a call for entries
Did you host or participate in an event involving children during IYA2009? Tour of the Universe by Children of the World, a beautiful and inspirational multimedia video project, is seeking contributions in the following categories: astrophotography and nightscape photography by children, children's artwork of or inspired by the cosmos, photographs of children sharing and enjoying astronomy, and video clips related to children and astronomy. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/667/
Belarus is closing the International Year of Astronomy 2009
The exhibition “Astral painting” by Belarusian artist Victor Vasiukevich takes place on 12 December in Minsk Planetarium. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/666/
Romania is officially closing IYA2009 through sets of activities
Symposium, conferences, awards ceremonies, public lectures, gastronomy fairs, and science cafes are all part of activities dedicated to mark the closing of IYA2009 in Romania. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/665/
Know IT All wins Overall MEDEA Award 2009!
On 4 December the overall winner of the MEDEA Awards 2009 was announced by Maruja Gutierrez-Diaz, Advisor to the Director of the Lifelong Learning Programme, European Commission during a well-attended reception in Berlin. It is Know IT All for Primary Schools by Childnet International (UK), which was represented at the prize-giving ceremony by Lucinda Fell, Policy and Communications Manager, who graciously accepted the bronze MEDEA statuette as well as hardware and software sponsored by Avid and Adobe. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/662/
Cosmic Evolution — new exhibition at the Deutsches Museum
Visitors to the world-renowned Deutsches Museum in Munich can now embark on the ultimate journey through time, as the new Cosmic Evolution exhibition opens its doors. A perfect grand finale to IYA2009, the exhibition is the result of a cooperation involving five local research institutions and is set for a two-year run. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/661/
30 Years at the Top - In celebration of the CFHT's 30th anniversary
After viewing a creative and humorous Illustrated Essay made by David Gillette for the PBS affiliate Twin Cities Public Television following his visit to CFHT in Waimea and to Mauna Kea, CFHT decided to commission David for an illustrated essay describing CFHT's story over the past 30 years. Once established the main ideas CFHT wanted to communicate to the audience, David was given free rein to produce the final version, entitled "30 Years at the Top". http://www.cfht.hawaii.edu/en/gallery/30YearsAtTheTop/hd.php
United States of America - IYA2009 update
http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/658/
Journey through the Universe
Journey through the Universe is a national science education initiative that engages entire communities-students, teachers, families, and the public-using education programmes in the Earth and space sciences and space exploration to inspire and educate. The initiative engages communities in sustained science, maths, and technology education, and is a celebration of exploration and the joys of learning. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/657/
Close your IYA2009 celebrations with a lunar eclipse
IYA2009 will be coming to an end within a few weeks, and many supporters are searching for a fitting way to see off this most special of years. The Universe itself will provide an opportunity, as a partial lunar eclipse will be occurring on New Year's Eve. Visible from a large portion of the Earth, combined with a public star party it could be a dramatic end to IYA2009! http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/656/
Improve your IYA2009 event evaluation with online resources
A collaboration of individuals, businesses, and non-profits collectively known as GOOD have worked together to produce a series of blog-style posts on the topic of evaluation. Topics include cost-effective tools, timing, timeframes, data visualisation, uncertainty, and celebrating learning. These resources may prove useful for IYA2009 event organisers wishing to evaluate their activities. To see the articles, please visit: http://www.good.is/series/innovation-in-evaluation/
See the Universe in multiple wavelengths with Chromoscope
Chromoscope is an accessible, easy tool that anyone can use to explore and understand the sky at multiple wavelengths. It has been created using public-domain datasets from a number of all-sky astronomy projects. It lets you easily move around the sky and fade between wavelengths using a simple user-interface to illustrate the similarities and differences between what is visible at each wavelength. Explore the Universe here: http://www.chromoscope.net/
Understanding climate change from space exhibition opened
11 December 2009
The European Space Agency's exhibition "Space for Earth, Understanding Climate Change from Space" has been officially opened at the UN Climate Change Conference, COP15, in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The exhibit, hosted in partnership with the Danish Ministry for Science, is located at Kongens Nytorv in the city centre and shows how satellites are playing an important role in observing the many aspects of our ever-changing planet.
Read more at: http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Space_for_our_climate/SEMCJ67JT2G_0.html
Geminid meteor shower to peak mid-December
11 December 2009
The annual Geminid meteor shower, traditionally a good performer, is expected to put on a good show for stargazers over the coming week.
The shower's peak is around 05:00 Universal Time on the morning of 14 December, but shooting stars should be visible for a night or perhaps two either side of this time. It is difficult to accurately predict how many streaks will be visible, but estimates place the figure as high as 100 to 120 per hour for observers under completely dark skies during the peak of activity. This number will drop dramatically if light pollution becomes a factor, but bright trails should still be visible.
Newbury Astronomical Society will be holding a Meteorwatch on Twitter and Facebook on Saturday 12 to Monday 14 December 2009. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether they are an astronomer or just have an interest in the night sky. The aim is to get as many people to look up as possible and maybe see meteors or even some fireballs for the first time.
Newbury Astronomical Society's Geminid Meteorwatch: http://newburyas.wordpress.com/2009/12/07/geminid-meteorwatch/
See Sky & Telescope's article on the Geminid meteor shower, including a map of where to look, here: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/home/78835207.html
She is an Astronomer exhibition to open in Bonn
11 December 2009
On Sunday 13 December, Dr. Helen Walker (Co-Chair of IYA2009 Cornerstone project She is an Astronomer), Ulrike Tscherner-Bertoldi (exhibition organiser) and Marianne Pitzen (museum director) will be opening a new exhibition at the Frauemuseum in Bonn. It is called Women in Astronomy - Reaching for the Stars ("Astronominnen - Frauen die nach den Sternen greifen").
There will be a light-show with the astronomer Dr. Nadya Ben Bekhti, a performance, and celestial-themed food! The exhibition itself will run until April 2010.
For details, please see: http://www.sheisanastronomer.org/index.php/events
Financial newspaper in Italy celebrates IYA09
10 December 2009
Throughout the whole year 2009, the Italian financial newspaper Il Denaro has hosted a regular column about astronomy on their weekly scientific supplement Futura.
A group of enthusiastic young astronomers, either working in Italy and abroad, have written dozens of nuggets and every Thursday delivered a new piece of the sky to the readers. The stories span several different subjects, from space probes and objects in our Solar System to stars, galaxies and the Universe on its very largest scales.
Besides the description of astronomical objects, their beautiful images and the physics behind them, the astronomers have also focussed on explaining how cutting-edge instrumentation and experiments are planned and work, thus opening a discussion platform between the researchers and the world of industry.
The title of the column, “A riveder le stelle”, meaning “To behold the stars once more”, echoes a famous sentence from Dante’s Divine Comedy and proposes a rediscovery of the skies and of the cosmos.
All the articles appeared in the column can be found on a dedicated blog: http://arivederlestelle2009.blogspot.com, as well as in the archive of the newspaper’s website: http://www.denaro.it .
Tour of the Universe by Children of the World: a call for entries
10 December 2009
Did you host or participate in an event involving children during IYA2009? Tour of the Universe by Children of the World, a beautiful and inspirational multimedia video project, is seeking contributions in the following categories: astrophotography and nightscape photography by children, children's artwork of or inspired by the cosmos, photographs of children sharing and enjoying astronomy, and video clips related to children and astronomy. We are also looking for short audio clips of children cheering "You're a star!" in native language (groups or individual children, any language).
The mission is simple: to ignite the imaginations of children and adults alike with the wonder of the cosmos--the one thing that is truly Universal. Tour of the Universe will be available as a free download available through the StarPals International Young Astronomers' Network website and other channels and free for distribution to promote your own activities. The deadline for contributions for the IYA2009 edition is 15 December. Late entries will be counted toward the next edition. For more information, visit http://www.starpals.org/projects/tour or contact Audrey Fischer, audrey@starpals.org or Jessi Kingan, jessi@starpals.org.
Belarus is closing the International Year of Astronomy 2009
10 December 2009
The exhibition “Astral painting” by Belarusian artist Victor Vasiukevich takes place on December, 12 in Minsk Planetarium. It’s the first time Minsk Planetarium has set an art exhibition and it’s truly a unique practice to mark the closing of the IYA 2009.
Belarusian art has a rich history in depicting space. Yazep Drazdovich (1888-1954) is considered to be one of the initiators of the Cosmos topic in world art. Contemporary artist Victor Vasiukevich upholds the traditions of his forerunners and works in the style of abstract expressionism.
In his paintings Victor Vasiukevich tries to reflect the harmony of the Universe. He shows space as an ultimate world created by God, the world without confrontation and struggle. That’s why Victor Vasiukevich’s cosmic canvases seem to be spiritualized, covered with light and love.
The exhibition is on display until January 10, 2010.
Gallery of Victor Vasiukevich’s paintings: http://www.bellabelarus.com/en/component/option,com_jsgallery/mode,by_artist/artist_id,47/Itemid,49/
Romania is officially closing the International Year of Astronomy 2009 through sets of activities
9 December 2009
Symposium, conferences, awards ceremonies, public lectures, gastronomy fair, science cafe are all part of the activities dedicated to mark the officially closing of the International Year of Astronomy 2009 in Romania.
Activities started at Targoviste on November 27 through the national symposium “Love the Cosmos” organized by the SARM. Representatives of the astronomical associations, astronomical observatories, planetarium, junior and high schools, universities and informal groups have presented the final results of the projects 100 Hours of Astronomy and Galilean Nights. Worth to mention that they organized also the astrophotography exposition and the National Astronomy Conference for the Youth ASTRO 2009-Discover the Universe!
Each student from the 2009 international Olympic astronomy and astrophysics teams (all of them awarded from gold to bronze medals) have been awarded during an event that was taken place at the “Henri Coanda” Aeronautical College, Bucharest. It was the same time when the winners of the international essay contest Cassini were mentioned and presented to the mass media representatives and public. The event attracted students, teachers, professors, educators, science managers, scientists, professional and amateur astronomers, journalists, and public. All of them shared a piece from a giant cake and a cup of champagne. (December 4, 2009).
Dr. Zadig Mouradian, astronomer at Paris Observatory, had a talk about the couple Sun – Earth at the French Institute from Bucharest. The audience was made of college students, teachers, scientists, professors, and general public. (December 8, 2009)
“The Sweet Planet – Astronomy and Gastronomy” or gastronomy fair dedicated to astronomy is part of the Minorities Gala that includes also music and dance. (December 10, 2009).
The science café is about to take place at the British Council and is organized by Ziarul Stiintelor (The Science Newspaper), the official mass media partner of the IYA2009. (December 18, 2009)
Cross the Universe in Paris metro stations!
9 December 2009
As part of the International Year of Astronomy, corridors of Paris Metro stations have been decked with about 500 meters of astronomical images, allowing tens and tens of millions of passengers to marvel at the Universe until the end of December 2009.
Along Montparnasse walkway linking the metro to the railway station, 2 giant frescos are on display. The first one, 135 meters long, comprises 58 pictures of planets, stars, nebulas and galaxies and illustrates progresses in instrumentation. The second one, a 160 meters long montage of 32 pictures, reconstructs the dimensions of the Universe, from light seconds to billions of light years. (Production: CNRS, INSU and CEA, in partnership with RATP; Sarah Landel, graphic artist)
At Luxembourg regional metro station, 6 huge images, of about 17 meters long and 6 meters high, take commuters from Mars to Saturn, from the Milky Way to the Andromeda galaxy, from a computer simulation of the Universe to the true colors of hundreds of thousands of galaxies. (Realization IAP, in partnership with RATP, 93/CCSTI Foundation and RATP)
In order to “see” the sky, astrophysicists have developed the largest digital cameras in the world, capable of producing hundreds of millions of pixels. These images, taken for scientific purposes, have “astronomical” dimensions that no conventional medium is capable of revealing in their full splendor. The walls of the Paris metro stations thus provide the public with the opportunity to contemplate such images in detail.
More information: http://www.insu.cnrs.fr/co/ama09/vous-avez-dit-univers
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