IYA2009 Updates
Website Launched For Astronomers to Report Observations Of Unexplained Aerospace Phenomena
15 October 2009
A website has been launched that will give amateur and professional astronomers a formal mechanism for reporting any unexplained phenomena they observe when studying the night sky. Within the framework of International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009), the Unidentified Aerospace Phenomena (UAP) Observations Reporting Scheme aims to provide a global focus for sightings by astronomers and contribute towards a better understanding of transient phenomena occurring in the atmosphere.
The reporting scheme has been set up by amateur astronomer, Philippe Ailleris, who proposes to use the unique opportunity of IYA2009 to collect additional and more rigorous information on UAPs, more popularly referred to as UFOs.
"These phenomena are mainly seen in the night sky, a domain that astronomers have long considered their own, and it is important to collect testimonies from members of the population that are trained observers. We aim to approach this controversial field of UAP sightings from a professional, rational point of view and without any preconceived ideas. Certainly whenever there are unexplained observations, there is the possibility that scientists could learn something new by further study," said Ailleris.
Ailleris has developed a questionnaire that requests precise details of the sightings, including the location, time, elevation, velocity, apparent size and distance of the UAP, as well as a description of the terrain and weather conditions at the observation point and any sketches, photos, audio or video footage. A short and long version of the questionnaire in English and French can be downloaded from a dedicated website, www.uapreporting.org.
The website will also give information on common nocturnal and daytime misidentifications, such as sightings of satellites, weather balloons, rockets and natural phenomena such as meteors, planets, ball lightning, sprites and mirages. There will also be links to relevant websites where people can further check charts and details.
"As well as allowing people to double check their sighting against explainable causes, we hope that the website will be a useful tool for the astronomy community to redirect enquiries from the general public and to help engage with the public in discussions about the science behind what is seen in the sky," said Ailleris.
The scheme is being launched in the run up to the IYA2009 Cornerstone Project, Galilean Nights, which will see amateur and professional astronomers around the globe taking to the streets on 22-24 October, pointing their telescopes to the wonders that Galileo observed 400 years ago.
"Many IYA2009 observers will be scanning the skies with all kinds of technical equipment -telescopes, binoculars, video-cameras, cameras with spectrographs - which creates an excellent opportunity to obtain supplementary data," said Ailleris. "This is also a great opportunity to engage with the general public and discuss some of the challenges astronomers face in determining various parameters such as coordinates, altitude, distance, speed and size. I hope we can use this opportunity to enthuse young (and not so young) people and prompt them to start looking upwards and outwards to make sense of their place in the Universe."
Further Information: UAP Observations Reporting Scheme website: http://www.uapreporting.org. or Philippe Ailleris (E-mail: contact@uapreporting.org)
Live Webcast from Cassini Scientist for a Day: Saturn Question & Answer Session with Students
15 October 2009
Cassini scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory will answer questions
about Saturn from students who entered the Cassini Scientist for a Day essay
contest.
This live event will air on the "NASAJPL" channel on Ustream TV at:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasajpl on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009, beginning at noon
Pacific Time (3 p.m. Eastern Time, or 19:00 UTC). This program will also be archived for later viewing.
More information on the Cassini mission is available at:
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/ and http://www.nasa.gov/cassini
U.S. IYA2009 Updates - October 2009
14 October 2009
White House Star Party Links, compiled as of 9 October 2009
Videos of the President speaking about astronomy:
President's speech at the White House Star Party from NASA TV
http://www.whitehouse.gov/video/President-Obama-Presents-a-Night-of-Astronomy/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSgtXggeUKA
Text of the President's speech:
President's earlier speech awarding the national medals for science and technology
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/33212402#33212402
Photos from the White House Star Party:
http://www.wisn.com/slideshow/slideshows/21233931/detail.html
NASA Flickr site for posting White House Star Party photos:
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=White+House+star+party
(or go to Flickr.com and search on "White House Star Party")
White House announcement
on the main page of WhiteHouse.gov; see the link to the left under the WH blog
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/White-House-to-Host-Star-Party/
Astronomy Education Activities done at the WHSP
http://informal.jpl.nasa.gov/museum/ShowcasePublic/index.cfm?FileName=Showcase
Most widespread news story about the WHSP (with a great quote!):
Associated Press (many newspapers)
White House aims middle schoolers eyes to stars
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091007/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_stars_1
So with the telescopes, astronomers, and costumes, was there an element of geekiness on the White House lawn? "Does the geekiness need to be questioned?" answered Howarth, who hadn't quite donned his Newton costume yet. "The nice thing is that people are paying attention to geeks."
Galilean Nights Oct. 22-24
Please register your Galilean Nights events now! 65 U.S. events have been registered so far.
Galileoscope eBay Auction
Read a blog post by Pamela Gay on the Galileoscope and the eBay auction. http://networkedblogs.com/p12393749
Galileoscope boxes were autographed during the most recent Dragon*Con convention by celebrities from Battlestar Galactica and Ghost Hunters International and were auctioned off on eBay in order to buy Galileoscopes for schools in need of science equipment. The auction raised $470! Thank you to Pamela Gay for making this happen!
First Galileo Teacher Training Program Workshop in the US is a Success
"In the Footsteps of Galileo", an initial 2-day workshop to train US teachers on how to convey basic astronomical concepts in a hands-on way, took place near San Francisco on Sept. 12 & 13, 2009, as part of the 121st Annual Meeting of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP). Approximately 30 teachers from around the United States participated, and were joined by five astronomy education specialists (from as far away as Australia and Israel) who want to replicate the workshop locally. The workshop was led by Andrew Fraknoi (of Foothill College & the ASP) and Dennis Schatz (of Seattle's Pacific Science Center). Other presenters included Connie Walker and Robert Sparks (National Optical Astronomy Observatories) and Suzy Gurton (ASP). Among the areas covered in the workshop were:
* Research on Student Learning and Hands-on Science
* Jupiter's Moons: Galileo's Experiment
* Building and Using a "Galileoscope"
* Paper-Tape Solar System: An Easy Scaling Activity
* Measuring the Dark: Activities on Light Pollution
* The Moon Doesn't Phase Me: Understanding the Changing Appearance of the Moon
* Who is Your Hero: Creating Your Own Constellations.
Participants received a wide range of activity handouts and astronomy resource materials that can be put to direct use in
the 3rd through 12th grade classroom.
More information will be posted at:
Galileo Teacher's Workshop in Hawaii Educators from across the Big Island attended the recent Galileo Teacher's Workshop in celebration of the International Year of Astronomy. Teachers were given a Galileoscope to build and take back to their classroom. The Galileoscope is a cornerstone project for IYA, which honors the 400 years of telescope's advancement in astronomy. The workshop was sponsored by Gemini Observatory, TMT (Thirty Meter Telescope), Big Island Toyota and NELHA. For more information regarding future workshops, contact Janice Harvey at jharvey@gemini.edu or visit http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/somk/.
FETTU Forum for Organizers
We've set up a blog page that we hope will serve as a forum for FETTU organizers -- and those who wish to become FETTU organizers -- can communicate with one another. The idea is that this blog will allow people who are done with their FETTU materials to share with those who may like to use them. Please see:
http://www.fromearthtotheuniverse.org/blog/main.php
FETTU Braille Exhibit
As part of the "From Earth to the Universe" (FETTU) project, a NASA-funded tactile and Braille exhibit for the visually impaired community was launched in July 2009. FETTU panels for the visually impaired were produced featuring tactile displays as well as Braille versions of the caption material for a subset of the FETTU images with materials based on the book "Touch the Invisible Sky". The tactile exhibit is currently at the Atlanta Center for the Visually Impaired (Atlanta, Georgia), the Perkins School for the Blind (Boston, Massachusetts) and Columbia University (New York, New York) and will move on to additional locations this fall in Maryland, Arkansas, and Puerto Rico. For more information on the tactile display, visit http://www.fromearthtotheuniverse.org/tactile.php
Hubble's Amazing Rescue Premieres on NOVA Tuesday, October 13, 2009 After nearly 20 years in space and hundreds of thousands of spectacular images, the Hubble Space Telescope's gyroscopes and sensors were failing, its batteries running down, and some of its instruments were already dead. NOVA weaves together the compelling story of this dangerous 12-day mission and its five pressure-filled spacewalks. For two years leading up to launch, NOVA followed the mission closely, with unprecedented access to every aspect of the endeavor, from NASA's training facilities for flight preparation to the historic mission itself. Hubble's Amazing Rescue premieres Tuesday, October 13, 2009 at 8PM ET/PT on PBS (please check local listings). For more information, visit www.pbs.org/nova/hubble
NASA's Multiwavelength Image Unveiling
NASA's Great Observatories - the Hubble Space Telescope, Spitzer Space Telescope, and Chandra X-ray Observatory - will release a new multiwavelength image to celebrate the culmination of the International Year of Astronomy. 152 institutions will unveil prints of the Hubble-Spitzer-Chandra view of the core of our Milky Way Galaxy in local events to be held between November 10 and November 30, 2009. High-resolution files will be available after November 10 for institutions that would like to create their own prints. Visit http://hubblesource.stsci.edu/events/iyafinale/ for more information.
Doug Isbell's Book
Congratulations to Doug Isbell, US SPoC, on the publication of his book, Observatories of the Southwest: A Guide for Curious Skywatchers. It is available on Amazon here:
IYA2009 in the Columbus Day Parade
Donald Lubowich is planning to march with a float in the NYC Columbus Day Parade on Oct. 12 in NYC on 5th Avenue honoring Galileo while promoting IYA2009 and his NASA-funded Music and Astronomy Under the Stars program. There will be at least 30 seconds of airtime on NBC (live broadcasts) and broadcast live to Italy. I have been told that NBC plans to have a 3-4 minute segment on Galilei to lead off the broadcast.
NASA Launches Virtual Trip to Jupiter
NASA invites the public to travel to Jupiter from the comfort of one of 38 Science On a Sphere theaters around the globe. Viewers will feel like they are in orbit around the largest planet in our solar system as images based on data from NASA missions are projected onto a 6-foot sphere in the center of the theater. Called "LARGEST", the free, seven-minute presentation opens September 15. "The movie has incredible visual appeal," said astrophysicist Amy Simon-Miller of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., who was a scientific consultant for the production. "We think it will engage people and get them interested in learning more about Jupiter and planetary exploration."
To find the nearest Science on a Sphere theater, and for more images and information about Jupiter, refer to: http://www.nasa.gov/largest http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/multimedia/largest/index.html
IYA at CAP2010 in S. Africa - Call for Registration The "Communicating Astronomy with the Public 2010" (CAP2010) conference will take place in Cape Town, South Africa, from 15 to19 March, 2010. Following the previous conferences in this series, it aims to address the modern challenges in astronomy communication through a global perspective. Major themes of CAP2010 will be the outcome and legacy of the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009) as well as techniques for how to make public astronomical knowledge global and accessible to everyone across national, language, political, social and cultural borders and to those with impairment limitations. Abstract Deadline: 1 November 2009 Registration Deadline: 15 November 2009 http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/472/
IYA in the News
The Physics Teacher-Oct. Issue Vol. 47 pgs. 428-433 The International Year of Astronomy: New Approaches and Novel Resources for Physics Classrooms by Stephen Pompea and Douglas Isbell - wonderful and colorful article on IYA2009
NPR-October 1, 2009 Smithsonian Opens Observatory on National Mall by Renee Montagne http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113375026
PBS in Arizona-September 1, 2009 Galileo Telescope: Celestial Views by Pam White http://ondemand.azpm.org/videoshorts/watch/2009/9/3/kuat-galileo-telescope/ - nice interview/piece with Steve Pompea on the Galileoscope
Resource Guide to the Moon for Educators
An annotated list of resources for helping students and the public to understand and appreciate the Moon is now available on the web site of the nonprofit Astronomical Society of the Pacific at: http://www.astrosociety.org/education/family/resources/moonguide.html
The guide -- for educators, amateur astronomers, and everyone who would like to know more about the Earth's only natural satellite -- covers our scientific understanding of the Moon as a world, the appearance of the Moon in our skies, and tips for observing the Moon through binoculars or small telescopes. It also suggests a few ways to learn more about the Moon in popular culture and historical events.
(This resource list is part of a series of guides for educators from the 120-year old Society, which is dedicated to improving the public understanding of astronomy and advancing science literacy. See all their materials at: http://www.astrosociety.org/education.html )
Honolulu to Host Largest Astronomy Meeting Ever in 2015
The worlds largest meeting of professional astronomers is coming to the Hawaii Convention Center in 2015. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) will hold its triennial General Assembly August 3-14, 2015, in Honolulu, on the island of Oahu. A vote at this years General Assembly in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, selected Hawaii as the location of the 2015 meeting. IAU General Assemblies are held every three years.
The XXVII General Assembly held last month in Rio de Janeiro attracted more than 2,200 registered participants, exhibitors, and science journalists as well as additional accompanying family members. The next one will take place in August 2012 in Beijing, China. The August 2015 meeting in Hawaii is expected to attract some 4,000 attendees and will likely include the largest astronomy-related exhibition ever held at an IAU General Assembly.
First UNAWE Program in the United States: Discovering My Universe
"Discovering My Universe" is a Riverside County Library System program for a network comprised of 33 library branches and museum located in southern California. The program is designed to provide outreach to the immediate community of three million in the county area, over 40% of which are Hispanic, and to the broader community in southern California and beyond.
The program introduces young children to their universe via a series of monthly library based pre-school and primary grade bi-lingual storytimes and related crafts during the International Year of Astronomy 2009 along with celebrating a special day of astronomy on or near October 24, 2009, in conjunction with the Astronomical League Fall IYA2009 activities. In subsequent years, the project will coordinate special library based storytimes on or near International Astronomy Day.
The project will also add free downloadable Astronomy related storytime reading selections and craft templates on the Riverside County Library System website for educators or the general public to access, along with increasing the number of links to children friendly Astronomy sites on the Riverside County Library System Web site. For more information, see: http://bit.ly/FaDhU
"Out of this World: The Landscapes of Our Solar System" in Moraga, CA
You are invited to the Grand Opening of "Out of this World: The Landscapes of Our Solar System" a new art exhibition at the Hearst Gallery October 11 - December 13 and "The Top Tourist Sights of the Solar System: Where Bill Gates' Great-Granddaughter Might Go on Her Honeymoon" A Free Public Talk by Astronomer Andrew Fraknoi at the LeFevre Theater both at St. Mary's College of California in Moraga Sunday Oct. 11, 2009 starting at 2 pm. (Talk and panel from 2 to 3:15 pm, reception 3:30 to 5)
The exhibit features the paintings of some of the best known artists, depicting scenes of alien worlds. There will also be computer simulations, a scale model of the Mars Rover, films, Hubble, Mars Rover, and Cassini planetary images, and more. The curators of this special show are Carrie Brewster, the Gallery Director, and Ronald Olowin, Professor of Physics and Astronomy at St. Mary's. For information and directions, see: http://www.hearstartgallery.org
Cultural Astronomy Working Group Update and Events
Two requests from Jarita Holbrook <holbrook@u.arizona.edu>
I will be in Australia and New Zealand in November and am trying to arrange showings of Hubble's Diverse Universe while I am there. We will be in Sydney and the South Island. If anyone has contacts let me know.
Elizabeth Wallace who is running the Skies Alive Film Competition would like more IYA Volunteers to join her team. She can be contacted at efwallace@aol.com. We hope to show the prize winning films at the IYA Closing ceremonies. Also, contact Elizabeth if you would like promotional materials.
UA Ghana Astronomy Study Abroad: The deadline for registration is Oct 15th. The program will go if 24 students or more register. There are five $1200 scholarships to go towards airfare available for minority students. http://studyabroad.arizona.edu/
Celestial Cinema: Hubble's Diverse Universe will be shown during the Women in Astronomy Conference in October, at Goddard Space Flight Center in November, and at Space Telescope in November. In 2010 it will be shown at AAS Jan and NSBP Feb. We plan to release DVD copies in 2010. If you want to schedule local showings in November and December get in touch with Jarita.
(Jarita will be in Australia and New Zealand in November and is trying to arrange showings of Hubble's Diverse Universe while she is there. She will be in Sydney and the South Island. If anyone has contacts please let Jarita know.)
Skies Alive film Competition:
There are several categories of film that will be accepted. There is a submission fee but the project also needs about $1000.00. Film submission will be accepted through Nov 15th. Please circulate to potential filmmakers. Also, volunteers are needed, contact Elizabeth Wallace (efwallace@aol.com) if you are interested or if you would like promotional materials. See website: http://ursa.as.arizona.edu/~iya2009cast/SkiesAlive.htm
Cultural Astronomy Lectures: We have created an "Events" page in which we want to post upcoming cultural astronomy and storytelling lectures from all over the United States. Right now there are listed two lectures by me and one by David Dearborn. See our shadow pages: http://ursa.as.arizona.edu/~iya2009cast/Events.htm and http://ursa.as.arizona.edu/~iya2009cast/opportunities.htm
News from Puerto Rico
We had 483 students and teachers visit the poster areas and exhibits at the Division of Planetary Sciences Conference on Monday, October 5, 2009. The scientists talked with the students and gave them 30 minute talks. We have the Galileoscope on display and expect more students on Wednesday. This link is an article prepared by the IYA student volunteers (Starry Messengers): http://dialogodigital.com/en/node/2921
News from Canada
Q2CFestival.com will take a global audience from the strange subatomic world to the outer frontiers of the universe with the help of an international roster of 60+ cutting-edge scientists, writers, and thinkers. Perimeter Institute's 'Quantum to Cosmos: Ideas for the Future' festival, launching October 15, 2009, will provide one of the world's most interesting online destinations during this International Year of Astronomy. The event will also commemorate the 10th anniversary of Perimeter Institute's creation and contribute to Canada's National Science and Technology Week activities. Join them online at www.Q2CFestival.com
FETTU Opening in Iranian Parliament
"From Earth To The Universe" astronomy photo exhibition in Parliament of Iran inaugurated by Professor Yousef Sobuti, father of modern astronomy in Iran on September 27, 2009. FETTU and a selection of astro-photos of the sky of Iran photo exhibition inaugurated in the presence of Ali Larijani, chairman of Iranian Parliament, members of the Parliament and Iranian professional astronomers.
Dr. Sadollah Nassiri Gheydari, professional astronomer, member of strategic council of Iranian National Observatory (INO) and member of education committee in Iranian Parliament, was the one who suggested an astronomy photo exhibition in Iranian Parliament. "I intended to bring astronomy among members of the Parliament and let them see the glory and beauty of the heavens" he said.
Astronomical Society of Iran with cooperation of StarPeace non-profit NGO, organizer of StarPeace IYA Special Project, has organized the photo exhibition. As Dr. Jamshid Ghanbari, the head of Astronomical Soceity of Iran told, "this collection is going to be exhibited in other provinces of Iran and in International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA) 2009 in Iran."
FETTU exhibition in Parliament of Iran is the only one of its kinds in Iran. It is a selection of 30 telescopic images of celestial objects and 20 photos of glory of the night sky above Iran's historical and cultural symbols. Report by Irene Shivaei
USA Science & Engineering Festival
The inaugural USA Science & Engineering Festival -- a multicultural, multigenerational, multidisciplinary celebration of science and technology -- will be held in Washington, DC, next fall. It will culminate with an expo on the National Mall that will give more than 500 science and engineering organizations from all over the U.S. the opportunity to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers. Participating organizations are asked to create engaging, hands-on activities to be presented in a10-by-10-foot tent (or multiples thereof) during the expo. The goal of the festival is to have 1 million people celebrating science and technology on the Mall.
The USA Science & Engineering Festival is modeled after similar events held in the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, India, Japan, and Australia. These are typically 1- to 2-week festivals; they draw between 100,000 and 1 million people and celebrate all aspects of science through lectures, activities, exhibits, contests, theater, comedy, poetry, art, and music.
The organizers of the USA Science & Engineering Festival created the highly successful San Diego Science Festival, which drew more than 200,000 people in March 2009 (see http://www.scivee.tv/node/12528). They're inviting all professional- and amateur-astronomy associations to participate in next fall's national festival and expo. There is no cost to participate if you indicate your interest by October 30, 2009 -- except the time, energy, and creativity to assemble and staff your booth. After October 30th, a small table-and-tent rental fee will be charged.
If you're interested in becoming involved with what promises to be the Woodstock of Science, contact Larry Bock at biobock@mac.com or 760-846-3473. For more information, see http://usasciencefestival.org/ or http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=46922645272.
D.C. January AAS Meeting
There will be two IYA Special Sessions on Tuesday, 5 January.
- 10:00 am, IYA2009 and Beyond: Global Overview and Cornerstone Projects
- 2:00 pm, IYA2009 and Beyond: Outreach and Citizen Science Programs
- 3:30 pm, splinter session on Beyond IYA planning with IYA leaders and working group chairs
- 6:30-8:00 pm, "Hubble's Diverse Universe" screening
Upcoming IYA Presentations at National Conferences
AGU - Steve Pompea and Doug Isbell (as invited speaker) Dec 14-18, 2009 in San Francisco.
Please let Andrea and Kristina know when you will be giving IYA presentations at national conferences. Afterwards, please tell us approximately how many people were in the audience.
If you have any other IYA news or publicity to report, please let us know!
Stephen Pompea, U.S. IYA Director, spompea@astronomy2009.us
Andrea Schweitzer, U.S. IYA Project Manager, aschweitzer@astronomy2009.us
Kristina Harding, U.S. IYA Project Assistant, kharding@astronomy2009.us
NASA release new film about the King of Planets
13 October 2009
A new astronomy film, LARGEST, examines gas giant Jupiter like a work of art, a destination of celestial wonder. Starting with the basics, the movie examines the gross anatomy of the immense planet. From swirling winds to astounding rotational velocity to unimaginable size, Jupiter demands nothing less than a list of superlatives. But where general description sets the stage, LARGEST parts the curtains on humanity's experience with the fifth planet. The movie takes us on a journey to this immense sphere via dramatic fly-bys with some of the most astounding robotic probes ever designed. Then, with NASA instruments trained on the striped behemoth, the drama really begins.
This novel movie has been produced for the Science On a Sphere platform. This is a novel cinema-in-the-round technology developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Viewers see Earth suspended in darkness as if they were in space. But just as thrilling as this unusual -- and unusually realistic -- look at the planet's structure and behaviour is the sheer fun and fascination of looking at a spherically shaped movie. Science On a Sphere literally bends the rules of cinema, revealing new ways to tell exciting, valuable stories of all kinds.
Official website: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/multimedia/largest/index.html
Science On a Sphere locations: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/multimedia/frozen/soas_locations.html
Sri Lankan space education seminar brings astronomy and IYA2009 into classrooms
13 October 2009
On 8 September, Sri Lanka's Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Modern Technologies hosted the Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum Space Education Seminar: Bringing Astronomy, Space Science and Technology and their Applications into the Classroom.
The Honorary Minister of Science and Technology of Sri Lanka, Prof. Tissa Vitarana, opened the workshop and spoke passionately about the importance of educating students in the high technology areas of science and engineering and how the context of space can be used to inspire students in these areas.
50 school teachers were selected from all over Sri Lanka to participate in the seminar. Experts from Australia, Japan and the Philippines were invited to participate and share their experiences of using space education materials to teach science.
Feedback from participating teachers was very positive and everyone left with new ideas, including the presenters.
Based on a report available online: http://www.vssec.vic.edu.au/vssec-news/vssecnews_aprsaf.asp
New Turkish telescopes begin test observations during IYA2009
13 October 2009
Three large optical telescopes established in Turkey have begun test observations.
The first is the largest optical telescope in the country, boasting 122 cm aperture. It was founded at Çanakkale Astrophysics Research Center by the State Planning Commission. The other telescopes feature apertures in the 100 cm and 60 cm regions, and fit within the National Research Council framework.
The official opening ceremony was performed by Minister of Transport Binali Yildirim. These new instruments are very important to Turkish astronomy, and IYA2009 supporters join together in congratulating all those involved.
Cosmic Diary blogger Arif Solmaz is covering developments. Read his initial post here: http://cosmicdiary.org/blogs/arif_solmaz/?page_id=575
First Galileo Teacher Training Program Workshop in the US is a Success
12 October 2009
"In the Footsteps of Galileo", an initial 2-day workshop to train US teachers on how to convey basic astronomical concepts in a hands-on way, took place near San Francisco on Sept. 12 & 13, 2009, as part of the 121st Annual Meeting of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP). Approximately 30 teachers from around the United States participated, and were joined by five astronomy education specialists (from as far away as Australia and Israel) who want to replicate the workshop locally. The workshop was led by Andrew Fraknoi (of Foothill College & the ASP) and Dennis Schatz (of Seattle's Pacific Science Center). Other presenters included Connie Walker and Robert Sparks (National Optical Astronomy Observatories) and Suzy Gurton (ASP).
Among the areas covered in the workshop were:
* Research on Student Learning and Hands-on Science
* Jupiter's Moons: Galileo's Experiment
* Building and Using a "Galileoscope"
* Paper-Tape Solar System: An Easy Scaling Activity
* Measuring the Dark: Activities on Light Pollution
* The Moon Doesn't Phase Me: Understanding the Changing Appearance of the Moon
* Who is Your Hero: Creating Your Own Constellations.
Participants received a wide range of activity handouts and astronomy resource materials that can be put to direct use in the 3rd through 12th grade classroom.
More information on: http://www.gttpusa.org/
Peace and progress in International Astronautical Congress begins in South Korea
12 October 2009
The 60th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) was officially opened on 12 October in Daejeon, South Korea, where 3000 space experts from more than 70 countries are pooling their expertise. IAC 2009 Daejeon was officially opened by Lee Joo-jin, President of the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) and Bernndt Feurenbacher, President of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), in the presence of Lee Myung-Bak, President of the Republic of Korea.
The IAC is running from 12 to 16 October. It provides opportunities for networking and business interaction in space, science and technology by hosting a large variety of Technical Sessions and exhibitions.
The complete programme for IAC 2009 Daejeon can be found on the IAF website: http://www.iafastro.org/iac
Additional information can be found at: http://www.iac2009.kr/
Spa-goers treated to a dose of astronomy
12 October 2009
Throughout IYA2009 astronomy events are being hosted across the world in venues more varied than previously thought possible. Now news is circulating of an observing event in Vienna held at a spa. Visitors were treated to telescopic views of Jupiter and commentaries via a speaker system.
An event report with photos is available here: http://www.waa.at/bericht/2009/10/20091004ola.en.html
“The End of Night” book highlights the problems of light pollution for IYA2009
12 October 2009
"The End of Night" is the first comprehensive compilation of the severe problems arising from artificial night lighting and its almost exponential increase during the last century. Written in a format intelligible to all readers and exemplified with current case studies, it is an excellent source for those wanting to learn more about light pollution and the issues that surround it.
Topics covered include:
A brief history of lighting
Light pollution in Central Europe
Moths and artificial lights
Artificial lighting and birds
Sea turtles as victims of beach lighting
Moon light as external timer for the marine fauna
Artificial light and human health
"The End of Night" is in German, contains a large number of full-colour images and will be published at the beginning of November 2009 by Wiley Inc, an IYA2009 Media Partner.
Further information:: http://homepage.univie.ac.at/thomas.posch/endedernacht/buch.html
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