IYA2009 Updates
The World at Night Newsletter
5 October 2009
News and Report
- TWAN Director Receives Lennart Nilsson Award : Babak Tafreshi of The World at Night shares the 2009 Lennart Nilsson Award with the NASA's Cassini Imaging Director Carolyn Porco.
- Three Million Views and Counting : The World at Night website reaches 3 million views and 1 million unique visitors from 197 countries and territories since its launch in the 2008 New Year eve.
- TWAN on PBS NewsHour : NewsHour, a long-standing and respected PBS program, has given coverage to TWAN. This includes feature videos available to view online.
- The Sky of the Earth by Serge Brunier : French TWAN photographer, Serge Brunier, has released his yearlong unique effort to picture the whole night sky from both hemispheres as seen from some of the darkest and most transparent observing locations on the planet.
- The World at Night in collaboration with Dark Skies Awareness project, organize the International Year of Astronomy 2009 Earth and Sky Photo Contest on the importance of dark skies. It is open to anyone of any age, anywhere in the world. 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
- Scorpion and Lava by Wally Pacholka
- Aurora or Airglow? by Wally Pacholka
- Bryce Canyon Galactic Scene by Wally Pacholka
- Autumn Sky in Starry Nights Festival by Wally Pacholka
Canada
- Aurora Over Yellowknife by Yuichi Takasaka
- Amazing Aurora Display (time-lapse video) by Yuichi Takasaka
- Yellowknife Aurora Dance (time-lapse video) by Yuichi Takasaka
- NLC in Motion (time-lapse video) by Yuichi Takasaka
Chile
- Night with Moais, by Stephane Guisard
- Easter Island Starry Night by Stephane Guisard
- 3D Video of Paranal (time-lapse video) by Stephane Guisard
- Lagoon Milky Way by Stephane Guisard
Europe
France
- Venus Rise (time-lapse video) by Laurent Laveder
- Horizon to Horizon by Laurent Laveder
- Light from the Solar System Dust by Laurent Laveder
- Zodiacal Light in Brittany by Laurent Laveder
Sweden
- Morning Show by P-M Heden
- Beehive and Rosette by P-M Heden
- Family Stargazing by P-M Heden
- Return of Autumn by P-M Heden
Norway
Midnight Sun from North Cape by by Juan Carlos Casado
Greece
- Greek Sunset by Anthony Ayiomamitis
Hungary
- Equinox Sunset by Tamas Ladanyi
- Moon, Venus, and Cathedral by Tamas Ladanyi
- Lake Balaton Rays by Tamas Ladanyi
- Tihany Moonrise by Tamas Ladanyi
- Space Station and Shuttle Discovery by Tamas Ladanyi
Asia and Middle East
Iran
- Stargate by Babak A. Tafreshi
- Empire Moonrise by Babak A. Tafreshi
- Sky Dream by Babak A. Tafreshi
- Mars and Volcano by Babak A. Tafreshi
- Welcome to the Night Sky by Babak A. Tafreshi
- Stargazer by Babak A. Tafreshi
- Earth and Milky Way by Oshin D. Zakarian
- Cosmic Loneliness by Oshin D. Zakarian
- Poet of Astronomers by Oshin D. Zakarian
- Colorful Trails by Oshin D. Zakarian
Turkey
- Night View of an Ancient Amphitheater by Tunc Tezel
- Scorpion Rise in Western Turkey by Tunc Tezel
- Equinox Fisheye View by Tunc Tezel
- The City of Aphrodite by Tunc Tezel
Australia and Pacific
Australia
- Earth Hour by John Goldsmith
- Celestial Meeting in Northern Australia by David Malin
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:
- Scorpion above Babele (Romania) by Cristina Tinta-Vass
- Ancient Rock Art of Iran (Iran) by Amir H. Abolfath
- Moon, Venus, and Mars from Friuli (Italy) by Marco Candotti
- Freeport Crescent Moon (Portugal) by Miguel Claro
- Road Sign to the Milky Way (Romania) by Cristina Tinta-Vass
- Wild Poppies (Iran) by Amir H. Abolfath
- Crescent Moon over Turin (Italy) by Stefano De Rosa
- Auroras in Saariselka (Finland) by Bernd Margotte
- Milky Way and Bucegi Sphinx (Romania) by Alex Conu
- Ancient Petroglyphs of Iran (Iran) by Amir H. Abolfath
Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD), a NASA's world-known website, has featured new photos by TWAN photographers:
- Gigagalaxy Zoom: Milky Way by Serge Brunier
- Gigagalaxy Zoom: Galactic Center by Stéphane Guisard
- Equinox Sunset by Tamas Ladanyi
- Aurora Over Yellowknife by Yuichi Takasaka
- Summer Night in Astronomy Town 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
U.S. President Obama to host star party at the White House
5 October 2009
A White House star party is taking place this Wednesday, 7 October. President Obama will kick-off the event with a brief address to be streamed live on the whitehouse.gov website (estimated beginning at 8pm EDT) and broadcast on NASA TV. The programme at the White House includes more than 20 telescopes set up on the White House lawn focussed on Jupiter, the Moon and select stars; interactive dome presentations, and hands-on activities including scale models of the Solar System, impact cratering, and investigating meteorites and Moon rocks.
IYA2009 supporters are encouraged to follow this event, and host their own star parties to follow the example set. Indeed, the time has never been better with IYA2009 in full swing, World Space Week making headlines, and preparations in overdrive for the upcoming Cornerstone project Galilean Nights.
The official statement from the White House Office of the Press Secretary reads: "On Wednesday, the President will award the National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation in a ceremony at the White House. The President will also meet with his national security team on Afghanistan and Pakistan. In the evening, the President and First Lady will host an event at the White House for middle-school students to highlight the President's commitment to science, engineering and math education as the foundation of this nation's global technological and economic leadership and to express his support for astronomy in particular - for its capacity to promote a greater awareness of our place in the universe, expand human knowledge, and inspire the next generation by showing them the beauty and mysteries of the night sky."
Useful links:
White House star party information letter: http://astronomy2009.us/Content/Documents/WHSPUpdateforDistribution3Oct2009.pdf
NASA TV: http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html
White House website: http://www.whitehouse.gov/
U.S. IYA2009 website: www.astronomy2009.us
List of other upcoming US and Global astronomy events:
October 4-10 -- World Space Week www.worldspaceweek.org
October 9 -- NASA's LCROSS impact www.lcross.arc.nasa.gov/education.htm and www.groups.google.com/group/lcross_observation
October 13 -- Hubble's Amazing Rescue premieres on NOVA www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/hubble
October 9-23 -- Great World Wide Star Count www.starcount.org
October 19-25 -- Fall Astronomy Week, including Fall Astronomy Day on Saturday, October 24, with the Astronomical League www.astroleague.org
October 22-24 -- IYA2009 Galilean Nights global star party www.galileannights.org
November 10-30 -- NASA's Image Unveiling www.hubblesource.stsci.edu/events/iyafinale
My Moon Campaign set to launch UN–declared World Space Week
4 October 2009
My Moon Campaign is the first joint effort of the Galileo Teacher Training Program (GTTP), one of the Cornerstones of the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009), and the World Space Week Association (WSWA), a global celebration of space taking place between 4-10 October every year. In 2009 several important dates are marked including the 400th anniversary of Galileo's observations, 150 years of Charles Darwin's "Origin of Species", and the 40th anniversary of the first Apollo Moon landing. The Moon is the ideal target for this campaign as it presents a perfect link between all these important turning points in science history.
Students around the world will engage in the study of several different aspects of the Moon, using whatever means they have available to reach this purpose: naked eye observations, small telescopes, binoculars, astrophotography, robotic telescopes, webcams, image databases, imagination, and creativity. They will then submit a report, present a project, an essay, anything and everything that will make our natural satellite worthy of being called "My Moon" by the student.
During World Space Week a forum will be opened to connect classrooms from around the world, giving students the opportunity to interact with astronomers and space scientists. The My Moon Campaign builds up to fellow IYA2009 Cornerstone project Galilean Nights, where over three nights students, astronomers and enthusiasts will share their knowledge for the Universe by encouraging as many people as possible to look through telescopes. Students will be participating in several initiatives:
- The Great World Wide Star Count, a project which invites everyone to go outside, look skywards after dark, count the stars they see in certain constellations, and report what they see online in a global effort to monitor the ecological effects of light pollution.
- You are Galileo, a project devoted to excite participants in the recreation of Galileo's discoveries.
- An astrophotography campaign.
- And many other very challenging ideas.
Rosa Doran, GTTP Chair, elaborates: "The Galileo Teacher Training Program, one of the Cornerstones of IYA2009, aims to create a worldwide network of Galileo Teachers trained in the effective use and transfer of astronomy education tools and resources into classroom science curricula. Through workshops, online training tools and basic education kits, the products and techniques developed by this programme can be adapted to reach locations with few resources of their own, as well as computer-connected areas that can take advantage of access to robotic optical and radio telescopes, webcams, astronomy exercises, cross-disciplinary resources, image processing and digital universes such as web and desktop planetaria. With the objective of further inspiring Galileo Teachers in the use of modern resources for science education GTTP will invite educators to participate in programmes and campaigns such as the World Space Week. This is the first joint GTTP and World Space Week effort and we hope to keep on building on the good experience this campaign will bring and suggestions we hope to receive."
My Moon Campaign begins 4 October and ends 10 November and offers the following:
Prizes that can be won:
- For teachers, World Teachers' Day falls on 5 October within World Space Week.
Educational Awards of $500 are available for the most creative use of space in the classroom.
- For students, books, DVDs, models of the Apollo lander and the International Space Station, and other prizes especially made available by the European Space Agency.
- For the class as a whole, you can participate in a Virtual Telescope session with guidance and presentation by Dr. Gianluca Masi. The Virtual Telescope will also have interactive sessions during Galilean Nights (22-24 October).
All projects should be submitted by e-mail to: gttp-event@worldspaceweek.org and info@galileoteachers.org. The deadline of entering into the competition is 10 November.
Send us your class creation and win prizes! Please include the name of your school, class and your teacher's name. Also mention your location (city and country). There shall be only one entry per class. This means your class has to work as a team and/or make a team decision to send the best creation or make a compilation. Each class will receive a participation certificate and as we will put up a gallery on our website, all entries will get global recognition!
The following tasks are proposed. Suggested resources to assist educators and students in all these tasks can be found on the GTTP webpage devoted to the My Moon Campaign.
1) Observe the Moon: by naked eye, small telescopes, robotic telescopes, webcams, cameras, image databases, and so on.
Suggestion of projects to be submitted: sketch of the Moon done by hand, Moon pictures, pictures / drawings, tales.
2) Exploring the Moon
Suggested Projects: write an essay / produce a presentation on the importance of space exploration, make a drawing or a picture of the Moon as you observed it and identify features on the Moon, identify the Apollo Landing spots, measure Moon craters and find one with the same size of your city, propose an exploration mission.
3) Faces and phases of the Moon
Suggested Projects: write a tale explaining the phases and faces of the Moon. Write an essay / produce a presentation on what we know about the far side of the Moon. Build a model to help explain the phases of the Moon and the synchronous rotation. Build an activity using Stellarium or Celestia to explain the different views of the Moon in different parts of the world.
4) Size of the Moon and the eclipses
Suggested Projects: write a tale explaining why eclipses happen. Write an essay / produce a presentation rebuilding the history of men's perception of what eclipses are. Build a selection of digital images using Celestia or Stellarium reproducing a solar and a lunar eclipse from different points of observation on Earth, Moon and Sun.
5) The Moon's importance for life on Earth
Suggested Projects: write an essay / produce a presentation spotting the relevant aspects of our natural satellite that makes it so important to life on Earth. Write an essay / produce a presentation exploring the possibilities of life existing elsewhere in the Solar System.
6) Moon exploration in our daily lives
Suggested Projects: produce a video in your school selecting everything whose development started in space exploration. Write an essay / produce a presentation on the impact of astronomy and space exploration in our daily lives.
7) Careers and technology transfer in space exploration
Suggested Projects: write an essay / produce a presentation on all possible careers a student might choose related to space exploration. Write an essay / produce a presentation on how industry largely benefits from space exploration.
Notes for Editors:
World Space Week is an international celebration of science and technology, and their contribution to the betterment of the human condition. The United Nations General Assembly declared in 1999 that World Space Week will be held each year from October 4-10.
World Space Week is celebrated all over the world and is open to all government agencies, industry, non-profit organizations, teachers, or even individuals can organize events to celebrate space. This week is coordinated by the United Nations with the support of World Space Week Association and local coordinators in many countries. As the theme of World Space Week 2009 is "Space for Education" we encourage in particular the participation of educational establishments to join us in celebrating our 10th Anniversary.
The Galileo Teacher Training Program (GTTP) is a Cornerstone project of the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009). This celebration of astronomy and its contribution to science and society aims to boost the quality of education for children and young adults and GTTP is at the forefront of these efforts. The core concept is that by training teachers better, and equipping them with the right resources to tackle astronomy in the classroom, the effect will be significant and long-lasting, enduring far beyond 2009.
Links
- Galileo Teacher Training Program website: http://www.galileoteachers.org
- World Space Week : http://www.worldspaceweek.org
- Great World Wide Star Count website: http://www.windows.ucar.edu/citizen_science/starcount/
- Galilean Nights: http://www.galileannights.org/
- You are Galileo: http://www-irc.mtk.nao.ac.jp/~webadm/Galileo-E/index.php
- My Moon Campaign Forum: http://groups.google.co.uk/group/my-moon
For more information:
Rosa Doran
Galileo Teacher Training Program Chair
Email: rosa.doran@nuclio.pt
Alexandra Ruths
Media Director, World Space Week Association
Email: aruths@worldspaceweek.org
IYA2009 News Round-up
2 October 2009
All hail Sky & Telescope, for they have gone and done good by writing an article about the upcoming astronomy-fest that is Galilean Nights. Penned by Kelly Beatty, he gets the main points across: observe between 22 and 24 October, organize (organise) an event, register it, enter the photo competition. SORTED.
Examiner.com has an article aimed at the home-school market of Denver, U.S.A, but the educational tips and tricks are applicable to all those wanting to help children make the most of IYA2009. The constellation flashlight (torch) in particular sounds like it's worth a go.
Where do discoveries begin? The National Science Foundation, according to their tagline. Let's give them the benefit of the doubt, as they've made an excellent article and video about the Universe Quest project. This venture taught a group of girls all about astronomy during a week-long summer camp. There are some good quotes along with the message that building confidence in science, engineering, technology and math (maths) is definitely worthwhile.
Let's wheel back round to Sky & Telescope, as they have another story worth flagging up. The World At Night (TWAN) superstar Babak Tafreshi is joint-winner of the 2009 Lennart Nilsson award, given for outstanding work in scientific photography. TWAN is an IYA2009 Special project, and Babak is its founder. He also serves as a member of the Board of Trustees for TWAN's parent organization (organisation), Astronomers Without Borders. Nice one, Babak.
The Time of India often writes about IYA2009-related stories, and they've not disappointed this week. The ancient observatory of Jantar Mantar is moving ever-closer to becoming an UNESCO World Heritage Site, after an official team of representatives "did the round of the monument." Doesn't sound very official or thorough, but hey. The article says that getting this far in the selection process is very difficult, but IYA2009 has helped a lot. So that's nice.
Joburg has taken a moment to look at the stars this week and encourages all residents of Johannesburg to do the same. It's a fairly detailed article, and certainly worth perusing as it covers many aspects of IYA2009. So be sure to CLICK.
That's your lot. If you're hungry for more, hunt down news stories in your own language from local sources, and gorge until satisfied.
IYA2009 Update
2 October 2009
From Earth To The Universe exhibited in the Parliament of Iran
The Parliament of Iran has hosted a From Earth To The Universe (FETTU) exhibition, inaugurated by Professor Yousef Sobuti, "father of modern astronomy in Iran", in the presence of Ali Larijani, chairman of Iranian Parliament, members of the Parliament, and Iranian professional astronomers. Read more here: http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/495/
Spanish Senate joins IYA2009
To celebrate IYA2009, the Spanish Senate organised an astronomical multimedia show of music, images and dance entitled "Revising the Planets". The show rendered tribute to the night sky, the main protagonist of IYA2009. It was performed by the Atlantic Art Ensemble Band and had its premier on this special occasion. See the story and additional links here: http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/494/
Three new projects join the list of IYA2009 Special Projects
Planets and Pictures World Tour:
Gustav Holst's The Planets and Astronomical Pictures at an Exhibition are two suites of high-definition astronomical videos to accompany live performances of classical music works. http://www.astronomy2009.org/globalprojects/specialprojects/planets/
Scienceface:
Scienceface has created 15 science-oriented videos about black hole science that are provided on www.scienceface.org - together with further information - and on YouTube for the use of young people, teachers, and other interested non-scientists. http://www.astronomy2009.org/globalprojects/specialprojects/face/
The Lives of Galileo:
For the first time, astronomy and Galileo are presented in an historical, accessible and humoristic comic book. http://www.astronomy2009.org/globalprojects/specialprojects/lives/
New French film gives insight into the work of astronomers
A new film called Astronomy and Space Careers is giving an insider-view into the world of professional astronomy. It shows astronomers describing their jobs, what they do, why they chose their paths, and even gives hints for others that want to follow in their footsteps. IYA2009 seeks to make astronomy accessible to all, and highlighting the vital work conducted by professional astronomers is an important aspect of this. The film is in French, with English subtitles. Cosmic Diary blogger Athena Coustenis worked on this film, and has written about it here: http://cosmicdiary.org/blogs/athena_coustenis/?p=18
A teaser of the film, featuring Athena, can be viewed here: http://atmosphere.en.images.free.fr/documentaire2.html
Universe Quest "opens new worlds for young explorers"
A summer academy encouraging girls to get involved with astronomy has been hailed as a great success. 21 participants in the San Francisco Bay area spent a whole week at the camp, taking part in hands-on activities. Featuring professional astronomers as tutors, the emphasis was on exploration rather than traditional classroom fact-learning. It is hoped that the participants' interest in science, engineering, technology and maths will keep growing and help empower the next generation with the skills needed to follow challenging but immensely rewarding careers. Universe Quest is a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded programme. See an article and video clip here: http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/science_nation/index.jsp
Turkish astronomy enthusiasts build 100 working telescopes
As part of its commendable IYA2009 agenda, the Istanbul Kültür University (IKU) organised and ran a workshop for amateur telescope making in Turkey, between 4 - 9 July 2009. The venue was "Solar Beach" in Kilyos, a village by the northern coast of Istanbul, far from the city. More than half of all 100 participants were science teachers working in primary and high schools from various regions of Turkey. This impressive story is available to read online: http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/490/
Astronomy portal brings IYA2009 to French speakers around the globe
"Porte aux étoiles", a French-language astronomy portal, is seeking to expand its readership to new heights. Created during IYA2009, it aims to become the go-to site for those wanting to learn about the Universe. An key additional feature is an exhaustive list of astronomy societies and planetaria. From this one site, members of the public can access current events, educational content, practical astronomy tips, outing ideas, and much more. Visit the Portal here: http://www.porteauxetoiles.org/
Sky & Telescope: Get Ready for Galilean Nights
"The International Year of Astronomy is still in full swing, though many of the celebration's signature events have already come and gone. In particular, ‘100 Hours of Astronomy' was a smash hit. For four days, April 2-5, you could visit 80 professional observatories worldwide via a live, round-the-clock online tour, and more than a million people got telescopic views of the cosmos for the first time. In the end, ‘100HA' was so successful that IYA organizers decided to have an encore - "Galilean Nights" - later this month (October 22-24)." Read more here: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/home/63090802.html
She is an Astronomer launches web forum
She is an Astronomer, an IYA2009 Cornerstone project, has launched a web forum for female professional and amateur astronomers, students, and those interested in the gender equality problem in science. Visit it here: http://forum.sheisanastronomer.org/
European astroparticle physicists to celebrate 100 years of cosmic ray experiments
Four hundred years ago, Galileo was the first one to look at the sky with a telescope. About 100 years ago a new era for astrophysics began with the first astroparticle physics experiments that led to the discovery of cosmic rays. European physicists take the opportunity of IYA2009 to celebrate this anniversary. Read more here: http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/486/
Astronomy enthusiast creates song and video for IYA2009
IYA2009 supporter Michael A. Davis decided to do something special to celebrate this most astronomical of years. It was around September 2008 that the seeds were first sown in Michael's mind. His astronomer friend Jerry Langhals was spreading the word about IYA2009, hoping that it would help encourage people to go stargazing even if light pollution was a problem. This appealed to musical Michael, who had already written a song about insects (including lyrics such as "I got no problem with bugs / I just don't want them in my coffee cup"). Events had been set in motion: an IYA2009 song was destined to be created. Read the whole story here: http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/485/
Galileoscopes signed by celebrities up for auction
Two Galileoscopes have been signed by stars of the screen and auctioned, in order to raise funds to donate more telescopes to children unable to obtain them. See the story: http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/484/
New UNESCO Venice Portal is dedicated to IYA2009
This new IYA2009 portal is run by UNESCO Venice, which contributes to IYA2009 by supporting side events in Venice and in the South East Europe region. View the site here: http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=46424&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
IYA2009 photographer Babak Amini Tafreshi wins the 2009 Lennart Nilsson Award
Iranian photographer, journalist, and staunch IYA2009 supporter Babak Tafreshi has been declared joint-winner of the 2009 Lennart Nilsson Award, sharing the honour with NASA's Cassini Imaging Director Carolyn Porco. For more information, please visit: http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/482/
New York Times blog makes quiz for IYA2009
Tierney Lab, a New York Times blog, has marked IYA2009 by releasing an astronomy quiz based on From Earth To The Universe images. The 20 questions include topics such as the Sun, galaxies, the electromagnetic spectrum, and the planets. Take the quiz and see how your astronomical knowledge ranks! Click here for the blog post: http://tierneylab.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/11/the-beautiful-universe-astronomy-quiz/
From Earth To The Universe exhibited in the Parliament of Iran
2 October 2009
The Parliament of Iran has hosted an From Earth To The Universe (FETTU) exhibition, inaugurated by Professor Yousef Sobuti, "father of modern astronomy in Iran", in the presence of Ali Larijani, chairman of Iranian Parliament, members of the Parliament, and Iranian professional astronomers.
The idea of hosting the exhibition in Iranian Parliament was first suggested by Dr. Sadollah Nassiri Gheydari, professional astronomer, member of strategic council of Iranian National Observatory (INO), and member of education committee in Iranian Parliament. He says, "I intended to bring astronomy among members of the Parliament and let them see the glory and beauty of the heavens."
The exhibition was organised by the Astronomical Society of Iran with the cooperation of the StarPeace non-profit NGO. As Dr. Jamshid Ghanbari, head of the Astronomical Society of Iran said, "this collection is going to be exhibited in other provinces of Iran and in International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA) 2009 in Iran."
This FETTU exhibition is the only one of its kind in Iran. It is a selection of 30 telescopic images of celestial objects and 20 photos of the night sky above Iran's historical and cultural symbols.
Based on a report by Irene Shivaei.
Spanish Senate joins IYA2009
2 October 2009
Madrid, Spain. 29 September 2009. To celebrate IYA2009, the Spanish Senate organised an astronomical multimedia show of music, images and dance entitled "Revising the Planets". The show rendered tribute to the night sky, the main protagonist of IYA2009. It was performed by the Atlantic Art Ensemble Band and had its premier on this special occasion.
After midnight, teachers and students of Universidad Complutense de Madrid performed an astronomical observation on the terrace of the Senate building. The images captured by a telescope provided with a video camera were projected onto a large screen in Plaza de la Marina Española, location of the Senate headquarters. The high-quality images could be observed by the general public, who followed the detailed explanations given by the observers. This activity was accompanied by jazz background live music performed by the Cantaloupe Jazz Quartet.
Pictures from the event: http://picasaweb.google.com/iya2009ucm/2009_09_Madrid_Senado#
The Spanish Senate recognises with this event the importance of the world-wide IYA2009 celebration": http://www.astronomia2009.es
Three new projects join the list of IYA2009 Special Projects
2 October 2009
Planets and Pictures World Tour:
Gustav Holst's The Planets and Astronomical Pictures at an Exhibition are two suites of high-definition astronomical videos to accompany live performances of classical music works.
http://www.astronomy2009.org/globalprojects/specialprojects/planets/
Scienceface:
Scienceface has created 15 science-oriented videos about black hole science that are provided on www.scienceface.org - together with further information - and on youtube for the use of young people, teachers, and other interested non-scientists.
http://www.astronomy2009.org/globalprojects/specialprojects/face/
The Lives of Galileo:
For the first time, astronomy and Galileo are presented in an historical, accessible and humoristic comic book.
http://www.astronomy2009.org/globalprojects/specialprojects/lives/
New French film gives insight into the work of astronomers
2 October 2009
A new film called Astronomy and Space Careers is giving an insider-view into the world of professional astronomy. It shows astronomers describing their jobs, what they do, why they chose their paths, and even gives hints for others that want to follow in their footsteps.
IYA2009 seeks to make astronomy accessible to all, and highlighting the vital work conducted by professional astronomers is an important aspect of this.
The film is in French, with English subtitles.
Cosmic Diary blogger Athena Coustenis worked on this film, and has written about it here: http://cosmicdiary.org/blogs/athena_coustenis/?p=18
A teaser of the film, featuring Athena, can be viewed here: http://atmosphere.en.images.free.fr/documentaire2.html
Universe Quest “opens new worlds for young explorers”
2 October 2009
A summer academy encouraging girls to get involved with astronomy has been hailed as a great success. 21 participants in the San Francisco Bay area spent a whole week at the camp, taking part in hands-on activities.
Featuring professional astronomers as tutors, the emphasis was on exploration rather than traditional classroom fact-learning. It is hoped that the participants' interest in science, engineering, technology and maths will keep growing and help empower the next generation with the skills needed to follow challenging but immensely rewarding careers.
Universe Quest is a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded programme.
See an article and video clip here: http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/science_nation/index.jsp
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