IYA2009 Updates
International Dark-Sky Association Director’s Award goes to the IYA2009 Dark Skies Working Groups
1 December 2009
Connie Walker (chair) and the working group members of "Dark Skies Awareness" working groups internationally and for the U.S. received an International Dark-Sky Association "Executive Director's Award" at the recent IDA Annual General Meeting for their work on the U.S. and International IYA2009 Cornerstone Project "Dark Skies Awareness."
(See http://www.darkskiesawareness.org/contact.php for the lists of working group members.)
IYA2009 Dark Skies Awareness has made impacts not only with the project's programs (see http://www.darkskiesawareness.org) but also at major conferences worldwide on lighting (CIE) and astronomy (IAU) internationally, as well as the 9th European Symposium on Light Pollution, and recently the Starlight Reserves workshop. Look for Walker's writing on lighting and astronomy with co-authors Luginbuhl and Wainscoat in the December 2009 issue of Physics Today.
More on the IDA 21st Annual General Meeting & Conference: http://www.darksky.org/mc/page.do?sitePageId=55062
Polynesian navigators remembered for IYA2009
1 December 2009
The New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO and the Society for Maori Astronomy, Research and Tourism are hosting an extraordinary week of events to celebrate the achievements of ancient Polynesian navigators and scientists and to also mark the International Year of Astronomy 2009.
The first Polynesian voyagers used indigenous scientific astronomical knowledge, harnessing the night sky and the environment to guide them across 162 million square kilometres of ocean. Their journeys and settlements stretch from South East Asia and Melanesia in the West, to Hawaii in the north, Rapanui or Easter Island in the East and Aotearoa New Zealand in the South. To this day, the indigenous peoples of the Pacific while separated by the largest ocean on earth, remain linked to one another through language, culture and history.
NZ National Commission for UNESCO: http://www.unesco.org.nz/index.php/news-/47-news-priority-areas/123-mata-ora-the-living-knowledge-2009
Society for Maori Astronomy, Research and Tourism: http://www.star-smart.maori.nz/Star_Smart_Maori/Mata_Ora_2009.html
GalileoMobile Completes Exciting Journey
30 November 2009
After almost two months of life-changing experiences, bringing the excitement of astronomy to young children in Chile, Bolivia and Peru, the journey of the GalileoMobile Project has come to an end.
As illustrated in this image, the astronomers and educators in the Galilomobile team visited numerous schools and villages during their expedition, engaging young students in educational activities about astronomy and science, and offering amazing stargazing opportunities to the local communities, in a region with one of the clearest skies on Earth.
Last week the team visited ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), then continued to Taltal, the closest town to the VLT’s home, Cerro Paranal. Around sunset on 26 November, the GalileoMobile team showed the community of Taltal the highlights of the whole voyage, a voyage that covered around 5000 kilometres through the Andes. The GalileoMobile was received with great enthusiasm by the people of Taltal. Hundreds of students took part to a ceremony that took place in the main square in Taltal, led by Guillermo Hidalgo, the town’s Mayor. The event ended up with a massive star party, which marked the perfect closing of this Special Project of the International Year of Astronomy 2009.
The GalileoMobile is supported by the European Southern Observatory, whose host country is Chile, the Max Planck Society (MPG/MPE/MPA/MPS), NORDITA, Regione Molise and the Optical Society of America.
IYA2009 Updates
28 November 2009
IYA2009 movie and book achieves MEDEA Award 2009 finalist status
The MEDEA awards recognise, encourage, and reward excellence and creativity in media in education. Eyes on the Skies, the International Astronomical Union's DVD and book combination, has been marked as a finalist in the 2009 awards. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/635/
.Astronomy 2009: Workshop on Astronomy and the New Media
Next week, from 30 November to 4 December, an unconventional workshop takes place in Leiden, The Netherlands, to discuss novel concepts of thinking and working in astronomy today. Participants of the .Astronomy conference (read: dot astronomy) will explore new ways of exploiting the data deluge that will be produced by upcoming surveys and instruments for the benefit of their science and of society as a whole. Novel ways of communicating science to a wide audience have burst onto the scene in recent years: the web 2.0, blogs, podcasts and social networking. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/631/
The Communicating Astronomy with the Public Journal #7 is out: http://www.capjournal.org/issues/07/index.php
NASA Images: an invaluable resource for sharing incredible pictures
NASA Images is a searchable database, useful for science communicators, educators, and general astronomy fans. Created under a Space Act Agreement between NASA and Internet Archive, a non-profit digital library, it offers unprecedented access to the largest collection of NASA media from a single, searchable site. NASA Images is constantly growing with the addition of current media from NASA, as well as newly digitised media from the archives of the NASA Centres. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/624/
Learn about space probes with a new infographic
An interactive tool called Space Probes makes it easy to see the history of unmanned Solar System exploration. Keyboard controls allow you to zoom and strafe the Sun and planets, and an option menu can be used to skip straight to a specific mission. See the infographic (with Brazilian text) here: http://super.abril.com.br/multimidia/info_345143.shtml
Dark Skies book made into a Spanish video for IYA2009
Copies of Bob Crelin's book "There Once wasa Sky Full of Stars" were given to Chilean teachers and students as part of a kit from the Dark Skies Awareness Cornerstone project. Taking the initiative, these recipients then translated it into Spanish, and created a video. This has been put online, and is available for all to see and enjoy. See the video in Spanish (with English subtitles) here: http://concurso.educarchile.cl/index.php/videoteca?task=videodirectlink&id=189
Astronomy education Summer School for teachers, 26 November to 1 December
The European Association for Astronomy Education is the first all-European network for teachers interested in astronomy. This year the institution is organising a specific course for teachers in order to offer them access to new educational materials and methods and the chance to exchange experiences. This course is open to all secondary school teachers who work in European countries. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/633/
U.S. winners of Cassini Scientist for a Day announced
The U.S. winners of the Cassini Scientist for a Day essay contest are now online. This international essay contest is an IYA2009 Special project. Students chose one of three images the Cassini spacecraft would take on a given date and time set aside for education, and they each wrote a 500-word essay explaining why their choice would yield the best science results. Winners and their classes are invited to participate in teleconferences with Cassini scientists. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/632/
Galileo’s telescope back from space
On 18 December the replica of Galileo’s telescope launched into the space last May aboard the shuttle Atlantis will come back to Florence, at the Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza (re-opening soon as Museo Galileo). The telescope will be officially returned by captain Scott Altman and mission specialist Michael Massimino during a public ceremony to be held in the Salone dei Cinquecento in Palazzo Vecchio, at 5:30pm. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/630/
400 Years of the Telescope: educational video clips
Enjoy the insightful and educational video clips drawn from over 70 hours of interviews with the world's leading figures in astronomy, shot during the filming of 400 Years of the Telescope.
http://www.400years.org/en/video/video.php
IYA2009 Sessions at the D.C. AAS Meeting
http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/627/
The Spanish parliament is celebrating the closing ceremony of IYA2009 in Spain
The Spanish parliament is celebrating today [25 Nov] the closing ceremony of IYA2009 in Spain. The ceremony will be hosted by José Bono, president of the congress. Rafael Rodrigo, president of the Spanish Research Council (CSIC) and of the National Comission of Astronomy (CNA), Catherine Cesarsky, former IAU president, and Montserrat Villar-Martín, IYA2009 Spanish SPoC will also participate. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/626/
14th Annual International Symposium “The Public Face Of Space”
During each academic year, the International Space University (ISU) organizes a three-day symposium as an interdisciplinary, international forum to help both the users and the providers of space-related systems to move forward from the discussion of problems to the formulation of innovative solutions. As an independent organisation, ISU has developed a winning formula for a "different kind of symposium". http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/625/
Scotland's Galloway Forest and Hungary's Zselic Landscape Protection Area awarded Dark Sky status
Congratulations to Scotland's Galloway Forest Park and Hungary's Zselic Landscape Protection Area, the first International Dark Sky Parks in Europe! The International Dark-Sky Association is proud to recognise the lighting retrofits, public education, and ongoing protection efforts that enhance the natural wonder and reclaim the ongoing heritage of dark starry nights in these unique regions. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/617/
Galileo relics rediscovered: two fingers and a tooth
Three exceptional Galilean relics, deemed lost for over a century, have been found again by chance by a collector. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/622/
Festival of astronomy in London celebrates IYA2009
The University College London is running a festival of astronomy for schools, families, and the general public. The aim is to celebrate IYA2009, and all events are free of charge. Activities include a spherical projection device, 14-metre timeline, handling ancient rocks, building scale Solar Systems, using telescopes, talking to astronomers about their work, Stars r'us (an interactive exhibit to show how stars are born, live and die) and much more. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/621/
News round-up, 27 November
27 November 2009
Almost December. Then there will only be *checks calendar* four news round-ups left in the whole world. The final one will be on Christmas day. Joy.
But let's not get ahead of our ourselves. It's still only November, after all. A series of IYA2009 posters designed by Simon Page and as featured on our very own site have been making the rounds. A New York Times blog is very complimentary about them. But the site says, "2009 has officially been designated the International Year of Astronomy (who knew?)". Trust us, we blimmin' well knew. Creative Review is more respectful, so thanks to them. Although a comment on that page reads "Wow it's the international year of astronomy? No one told me." Sad face :(
Courier Journal has what must be photo of the week: Sinister scientist Crabolo and Galileo in Madcap Productions Puppet Theatre’s “Look Out Galileo!” Yes that's right, Muppet-esque puppets celebrating IYA2009 with a stage show. "More than a dozen puppets are in the show, some of which are 7 feet tall, including the ancient Egyptian sun god Ra." We should *all* see that.
Aimed a slightly older audience is Philip Glass' new opera, Kepler. See if you can guess what it's about. New Scientist's CultureLab blog has the details, including a video.
What have you got for us, Springfield News-Sun? An exhibition of never-before-seen photos from Hubble and Spitzer, to be shown at Urbana University to celebrate IYA2009? Most excellent! Maybe they're linked to the Margaret C. Woodson Planetarium at Horizons Unlimited pictures, as highlighted by Salisbury Post.
Hello, Bridgeport News. They say that planetary astronomer Heidi Hammel will be giving a lecture at their Discovery Museum on 10 December. There will also be *more* image unveilings. This certainly seems to be the year for unveiling images. Maybe it's the International Year of Unveiling Images 2009.
Did you see any Leonid meteors last week? This writer didn't - it looked a bit chilly out. Imprint, the University of Waterloo's official student paper (do they have an unofficial one, too?) has some coverage. The science staff put a bit of effort in, and set up an observing session. Apparently "Also, 2009 is the International Year of Astronomy, which reached its peak after midnight on November 17." Do they mean the meteors peaked or IYA2009 did? Maybe both. TIP FOR THE STUDENT REPORTER: don't start your article with a dictionary definition. That's awfully... studenty.
Talking of awfully studenty, remember that the next news round-up will be out on Friday 4 December. Note that in your diary. Then circle it. Now use a highlighter. Sorted.
Learn about space probes with a new infographic
27 November 2009
An interactive tool called Space Probes makes it easy to see the history of unmanned Solar System exploration. Keyboard controls allow you to zoom and strafe the Sun and planets, and an option menu can be used to skip straight to a specific mission.
See the infographic (with Brazilian text) here: http://super.abril.com.br/multimidia/info_345143.shtml
IYA2009 movie and book achieves MEDEA Award 2009 finalist status
27 November 2009
The MEDEA awards recognise, encourage, and reward excellence and creativity in media in education. Eyes on the Skies, the International Astronomical Union's DVD and book combination, has been marked as a finalist in the 2009 awards.
Eyes on the Skies consists of a 60-minute DVD and a 132-page, full-colour book, exploring the development of the telescope over the four centuries following Galileo's breakthrough, along with all the astronomical riches this instrument has revealed. The DVD gathers animations, simulations and stunning photographs, displaying the heavens revealed by astronomers while the film's host and narrator explain these unveiled cosmic answers, as well as pointing out areas of continuing mystery. It contains superb subtitles in many languages. Rounding out the Eyes on the Skies package is a sturdy, hardcover textbook that complements the film, creating a comprehensive educational experience.
Comments from the judges include "Science and astronomy are a difficult topic that the general public might not consider interesting at first, but Eyes on the Skies combines a well-produced book and a DVD that is in itself an inspiring, fascinating presentation that can capture the viewer."
See the MEDEA Awards 2009 page here: http://www.medea-awards.com/eyes-on-the-skies
Visit the Eyes on the Skies website: http://www.eyesontheskies.org/
Dark Skies book made into a Spanish video for IYA2009
27 November 2009
Copies of Bob Crelin's book "There Once was a Sky Full of Stars" were given to Chilean teachers and students as part of a kit from the Dark Skies Awareness Cornerstone project. Taking the initiative, these recipients then translated it into Spanish, and created a video. This has been put online, and is available for all to see and enjoy.
See the video in Spanish (with English subtitles) here: http://concurso.educarchile.cl/index.php/videoteca?task=videodirectlink&id=189
Dark Skies Awareness: http://www.darkskiesawareness.org/
Astronomy education Summer School for teachers, 26 November to 1 December
27 November 2009
The European Association for Astronomy Education is the first all-European network for teachers interested in astronomy. This year the institution is organising a specific course for teachers in order to offer them access to new educational materials and methods and the chance to exchange experiences. This course is open to all secondary school teachers who work in European countries.
The course will take place from 26 November to 1 December and will be held in Madrid. At this event several different kinds of activities will be presented by astronomers, university professors, and secondary school teachers. The course is for school teachers interested in astronomy even if they only have limited knowledge in this field. The course is not aimed at experts. The preliminary theme is "Adventure in teaching Astronomy". The aim of the organisers is to promote very active participation and the exchange of ideas.
For more information, please visit: http://www.eaae-astro.org/EAAE_2009_info.html
U.S. winners of Cassini Scientist for a Day announced
27 November 2009
The U.S. winners of the Cassini Scientist for a Day essay contest are now online. This international essay contest is an IYA2009 Special project. Students chose one of three images the Cassini spacecraft would take on a given date and time set aside for education, and they each wrote a 500-word essay explaining why their choice would yield the best science results. Winners and their classes are invited to participate in teleconferences with Cassini scientists.
Photos of the U.S. winners, along with their essays and the images of Saturn and its rings and moons taken by the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn, are included on the webpage.
Other countries had later deadlines, and judging is still underway; these winners will be announced soon.
See the U.S. winners here: http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/education/scientistforaday8thedition/sfad8thview/
Search IYA2009 Updates
National Nodes: 148
Organisational Nodes: 40
Organisational Associates:33
National Websites: 111
Cornerstone Projects: 12
Special Task Groups: 11
Special Projects:16
Official Products:8
Media Partners:22
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