From prusso at eso.org Fri Nov 6 18:21:39 2009
From: prusso at eso.org (Pedro Russo)
Date: Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:21:39 +0100
Subject: [Iya2009_newsletter] IYA2009 Updates
Message-ID: <4AF45B23.4050905@eso.org>
Dear friends,
Here are some IYA2009 updates from the last week.
IYA2009 astronomical exhibit in Monaco
An astronomical exhibit took place last September in Monaco, where
amazing images from the astrophotographer Serge Brunier were displayed
on the atrium of the renowned Casino de Monte-Carlo. This initiative, in
the framework of IYA2009, had the patronage of the HRH Prince Albert II
de Monaco. A print of the magnificent image of the Milky Way, signed by
the HRH Prince Albert II de Monaco and the NASA astronaut Buzz Aldrin,
was auctioned in Monaco in order to gather money to help children in
Kenya, suffering from extreme poverty and abandonment caused by the
severe drought. This event was organised by the Lions Club International
of Monaco. Monaco became the 148th IYA2009 National Node this week. More
information on the website: http://www.lions-monaco.com/
Jupiter: Project24
Four hundred years ago Galileo Galilei turned his telescope on the
planet Jupiter, and his discoveries changed forever the way humanity
thinks about the Universe. In 2009 we are commemorating this 400th
anniversary in the International Year of Astronomy, the IYA. To
celebrate Galileo's discoveries, on 22 November we will undertake the
Jupiter: Project24, 24 hours of continuous radio observation of the
planet Jupiter using the radio telescopes of NASA's Deep Space Network,
the DSN. More information: http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/583/
Special issue of UNESCO World Heritage Magazine
The latest issue of UNESCO's World Heritage Review has been released,
with astronomy and world heritage as its theme. This is a significant
product of the Astronomy and World Heritage IYA2009 Cornerstone project.
Currently only the English version is out; it will be joined by French
and Spanish translations within two weeks and then will be available to
purchase for five Euros. See the contents here:
http://whc.unesco.org/en/review/54/
Nobel Laureate answers your questions
YouTube viewers worldwide have the opportunity to ask questions to a
renowned and highly respected scientist. John Mather, an astrophysicist
from NASA, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics 2006, which he
received with George Smoot for their discoveries regarding the echoes of
the Big Bang - providing extraordinary glimpses of the beginning of the
Universe. Nobelprize.org, the official web site of the Nobel Foundation,
is offering anyone the chance to pose their questions directly to a John
Mather via the YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/thenobelprize
Twitter Lists help amateur astronomers follow their societies
A recently released Twitter feature called Lists lets users compile sets
of related feeds, helping to organise information and updates. A list
has been created for amateur astronomy societies, making it easier than
ever to keep up-to-date with groups all over the world. See the list
here: http://twitter.com/willgater/astronomy-societies and
http://twitter.com/willgater/astronomy-societies/members
Science Film Festival features IYA2009 movies
The Science Film Festival is being held this year in Thailand, between
17 and 27 November. IYA2009 has been adopted as a major theme for the
Festival, so astronomy history films are on the agenda. For information
about the astronomy aspects, please visit:
http://www.goethe.de/ins/th/prj/wif/art/enindex.htm
From Earth to the Universe Update
http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/582/
Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra performs ?The Planets? by Gustav Holst in
special IYA2009 concert
The Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Rosel?n Pab?n
has performed the concert "The Planets". Each movement was accompanied
by the presentation of images of the planets which the public could view
on two screens set above the musicians. The selected images included
samples from the "From Earth to the Universe" (FETTU) Cornerstone
project. See http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/581/ for more.
Nepal?s largest school science event ready for November 10 and 11
The Inter School Young Scientists' Fair is Nepal's largest event on
school science activities. Held this year on 10 and 11 November at Nepal
Academy, Kamaladi, Kathmandu, the Science Fair is an excellent
opportunity for students to learn more about science as they search for
answers to specific problems. It also helps to develop an understanding
of the scientific method while having fun. Students are encouraged to
come up with a project that would be interesting to them. This year has
particular emphasis on astronomy, to mark IYA2009. For more information
and entry forms, please visit http://www.youngscientistsnepal.org/
German TV channel 3Sat dedicated a week to astronomy
With programmes on astronomy topics from stars to telescopes, the
week-long celebration was welcomed by viewers with burning questions
about our cosmos. See the schedule here:
http://www.3sat.de/dynamic/sitegen/bin/sitegen.php?tab=2&source=/specials/138661/index.html
Galilean Nights update
http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/578/
IYA2009 and dark skies raised in UK Parliament
The British Prime Minister has been quizzed by David Heathcoat-Amory,
representative for Wells, over IYA2009 and the Campaign for Dark Skies.
Heathcoat-Amory asked whether the Prime Minister agrees that lights in
public places and 10 Downing Street (the Prime Minister's residence)
should be turned off or dimmed. See the question and response here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bO6hwPud5YY
Dark Skies Ranger Campaign
The Dark Sky Awareness (DSA) and the Galileo Teacher Training Program
(GTTP) decided to launch a joint effort: "Dark Skies Ranger Campaign",
for the new school year joining both cornerstones' goals. Students will
enhance their awareness of the growing light pollution problem, learn
how to assess this problem and at the same time engage in the use of the
science research method and techniques to evaluate it. Read more here:
http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/576/
Vatican City State celebrates IYA2009
The Governorate of the Vatican City State and the Vatican Observatory
organised a celebration of the International Year of Astronomy 2009 in
Vatican City on 30 and 31 October. The two-day celebration included an
address at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences by Prof. John Huchra of
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and President of the
American Astronomical Society with the title "From Galileo to Hubble:
Astronomy in the 21st Century". More:
http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/575/
If you need any assistance, remember that the Secretariat is always
available for you.
Pedro, Mariana and Lee
IYA2009 Secretariat
--
_________________________________________________
Pedro Russo
International Year of Astronomy 2009 Coordinator
Editor-in-Chief CAPjournal
International Astronomical Union
e. prusso at eso.org
p. +49 (0) 89 320 06 195
f. +49 (0) 89 320 06 703
w. http://www.eso.org/~prusso/
w. www.astronomy2009.org / www.capjournal.org
a. IAU IYA2009 Secretariat
ESO education and Public Outreach Department
Karl-Schwarzschild-Strasse 2
D-85748 Garching bei M?nchen
Germany
From mbarrosa at eso.org Fri Nov 13 13:43:44 2009
From: mbarrosa at eso.org (Mariana Barrosa)
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:43:44 +0100
Subject: [Iya2009_newsletter] IYA2009 updates
Message-ID: <4AFD5480.7070901@eso.org>
Dear friends,
Here are some IYA2009 updates from the last week.
*Send a message to Venus*
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is enhancing people's
interest in space and the Earth by holding a message campaign. People
are invited to send messages that will be printed in fine letters on an
aluminium plate and placed aboard the Venus Climate Orbiter AKATSUKI.
Find out how to register your message by visiting
http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/596/
*Leonid meteor shower expected to wow stargazers on 17 November*
The annual Leonid meteor shower will be peaking in the hours before dawn
on 17 November. Most observers from dark locations away from light
pollution hope to see a meteor every few minutes during this peak of
activity. See http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/603/
for more.
*IYA2009 supporters urged to sign Welsh dark skies petition*
Unlike most of the UK, Wales still has some areas free from light
pollution, where the stars can be seen in all their glory. Members of
Cardiff Astronomical Society have been working hard to protect these
areas, by holding an exhibition at the Senedd of the Welsh Assembly, and
presenting a seminar for Assembly Members with world-renowned speakers.
They are currently organising a petition to the Welsh Assembly to bring
attention to the dangers of light pollution and the need for clear
guidelines. If you would like to help, please visit
http://tinyurl.com/cfds-petition and sign the petition. You do not need
to reside in the UK to sign. Registration is necessary but e-mail
addresses are only used for logging on, and will not be disclosed. The
Assembly fully adheres to data protection requirements and is
statutorily bound to debate all petitions.
*Communicating Astronomy with the Public 2010 - Third Announcement -
Updated*
The SOC has been very pleased with the response to attend and present
papers at CAP2010 and is now in the process of selecting oral
presentations and organising sessions. However, we have decided to
extend the deadline as we have heard from a number of people that the
timing was not optimum and they would like to submit in November. The
deadline for abstract submission has now been extended to December 4th.
This also applies to the special rate for on-site hotel accommodation.
For existing registrants, please ensure that you have selected your
accommodation as soon as possible to make sure that you have a booking.
Due to the annual Cape Town cycle tour, the Ritz hotel no longer has
rooms available for the night of the 14th March 2010. We have
successfully negotiated the same rates with the Cape Manor Hotel, which
is 3 blocks away from the Ritz hotel, until the 15th March 2010.
Bookings are being made on a first-come, first served basis. Please book
your accommodation as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
More info: http://www.communicatingastronomy.org/cap2010/
*Western Connecticut IYA2009 enthusiasts unveil impressive scale Solar
System*
On 14 November a magnificent "true scale" model Solar System was being
installed. It will be spread across over 6 miles of New Milford,
Connecticut as part of local IYA2009 celebrations. The scale is set by a
six foot diameter Sun that is on the Observatory grounds, and each
object is on public property (most on school grounds), out to a distance
of over 6 miles where the Oort Cloud and the "gateway to the Galaxy"
will reside. Each object is cast in bronze, and sits atop a 5 foot
stainless steel pyramid. For more, see:
http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/600/
*Summary of the International Conference of Young Astronomers 2009*
The International Conference of Young Astronomers (ICYA2009) took place
in Krakow, Poland between 7 - 13 September. The conference gathered
almost 150 young scientists, researchers and advanced amateur
astronomers from 30 countries and five continents. The summary is
online: http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/599/
*NASA's Great Observatories celebrate International Year of Astronomy 2009*
A never-before-seen view of the turbulent heart of our Milky Way galaxy
is being unveiled by NASA on 10 November. This event will commemorate
the 400 years since Galileo first turned his telescope to the heavens in
1609. In celebration of this International Year of Astronomy 2009, NASA
is releasing images of the galactic centre region as seen by its Great
Observatories to more than 150 planetariums, museums, nature centres,
libraries, and schools across the country. Learn more here:
http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/598/
*Radio telescopes around the world ready for unprecedented observation
project*
Thirty-five radio telescopes around the world will conduct an
unprecedented continuous 24-hour observation of nearly 250 remote
quasars this week. The collection of quasars, whose positions in the sky
are precisely known, forms the core (or defining sources) of a grid of
celestial landmarks called the International Celestial Reference Frame
(ICRF2), which was officially recognized as the fundamental reference
system for astronomy by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in
August 2009. The ICRF2 has 295 defining sources that are spread evenly
over the sky and out of which 243 will be observed. See more:
http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/597/
*"Sounds of the Stars" enchant at German IYA2009 concert*
One of the cultural highlights of IYA2009 in Germany has been a concert
by the Bochum Symphonic Orchestra at the largest auditorium of Bochum
University on 6 November. Not only was the music astronomy-themed, the
whole performance was also sumptuously illustrated by space vistas
panning over a giant projection screen. Read more:
http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/595/
*IYA2009 news from Congo*
The African nation of Congo has been working hard to popularise
astronomy. Next year many African countries will celebrate their 50th
birthday after independence. There will be large festivals in August
2010. In Congo, plans are being developed to take this opportunity to
speak to a wide audience about science in general and astronomy in
particular. See a preview here:
http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/594/
I*YA2009 Special project: "Millions of Earths" sheds light on exoplanets*
Exoplanet hunters are specialists working at the frontier of science. A
new documentary film called "Millions of Earths" follows them in their
exciting research, sharing their dreams and discoveries. The film visits
observatories from Chile to Germany, and talks with scientists from all
over the world. It weaves threads together into a story to captivate and
educate. "Millions of Earths" is a Beta Prod production. See their
website here: http://www.betaprod.fr/spip.php?page=sommaire-EN
*Irish Science Week opens with astronomy exhibition*
The exhibition "Over us All is the SElfsame Sky" (OASES) opened at 11:00
am on Monday 9 November in the Rotunda Gallery, St Patrick's Trian,
Armagh with a performance of music, poetry and dance by pupils from
Mount St. Catherine's Primary School, Armagh and the Armagh Rhymers. The
launch coincides with the beginning of the science week in Ireland. See
more here: http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/592/
*Galileo lecture available to watch online*
Professor William Shea, Galileo's Chair from the University of Padua,
recently gave a talk called "The New World of Galileo" to mark IYA2009.
The presentation can be seen online. View it here:
http://www2.geolsoc.org.uk/presentations/bh091026
*New initiative seeks to send astronomy books to developing nations*
There are many astronomical societies in developing countries run by
amateur astronomers. They organise many events throughout the year, and
participation is immense. However the lack of resources is not conducive
to long-term programmes. To overcome this difficulty, "Astro Book Drive"
works on getting spare books from wealthy countries across to developing
nations. See how to get involved by visiting
http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/590/
*Interferometry super-session to be held for IYA2009*
The International VLBI Service for geodesy and astrometry (IVS) is
organising an ambitious event in the framework of IYA2009. The IVS runs
a worldwide network of radio telescopes dedicated to monitoring the
Earth's rotation and establishing celestial and terrestrial reference
frames. The VLBI (Very Long Baseline Interferometry) technique connects
all antennas together, creating the equivalent of an Earth-size radio
telescope which allows one to map the targets (extragalactic radio
sources) with milliarcsecond angular resolution and measure their
astrometric positions to about 0.1 milliarcsecond or even better. On
18-19 November 2009, the IVS will run a 24-hour "super-session" as an
IYA2009 event. Learn more here:
http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/589/
If you need any assistance, remember that the Secretariat is always
available for you.
Pedro, Mariana and Lee
IYA2009 Secretariat
--
Mariana Barrosa
International Year of Astronomy 2009 Coordination Assistant
International Astronomical Union
e. mbarrosa at eso.org
p. +49 (0) 89 320 06 965
f. +49 (0) 89 320 06 703
w. www.astronomy2009.org
a. IAU IYA2009 Secretariat
ESO education and Public Outreach Department
Karl-Schwarzschild-Strasse 2
D-85748 Garching bei M?nchen
Germany
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From mbarrosa at eso.org Fri Nov 20 15:37:17 2009
From: mbarrosa at eso.org (Mariana Barrosa)
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:37:17 +0100
Subject: [Iya2009_newsletter] IYA2009 updates
Message-ID: <4B06A99D.5080500@eso.org>
Dear friends,
Here are some IYA2009 updates from the last week.
*IYA2009 retro-style posters now for sale*
A series of stunning IYA2009 posters, designed by talented graphic
designer Simon Page, are now available to purchase. There are nine to
choose from and they can be delivered internationally. See and buy them
here: http://simoncpage.inprnt.com/ Learn more about IYA2009 inspiring
graphic designers here: http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/618/
*Official Closing of the International Year of the Planet Earth in Lisbon*
From 20 to 22 November 2009, a worldwide event will be held to
highlight main results of the International Year of the Planet Earth
(IYPE) and to launch new initiatives building on the IYPE legacy.
Invited by the Government of Portugal, the Planet Earth Lisbon Event
2009 (PEL2009) is being organised by IYPE, the Portuguese National
Committee for IYPE and Bombazine, a professional event organising
company. More information: http://www.planetearthlisbon2009.org/
*Romanian IYA2009 enthusiasts release new web pages*
The Romanian Society for Meteors and Astronomy (SARM) has launched five
new web pages in its international super-project (led by Andrei Dorian
Gheorghe coordinator, Valentin Grigore SARM President, and Florin Stancu
web designer), continuing the sky chronology of 2009 through
astrophotography, artworks, astronomical poetry, journalism,
mini-dramas, humorous debates, and essays, including framing pages,
pillar pages and special pages. See these pages via
http://www.cosmopoetry.ro/astropoetrytoiya/
*Scotland's Galloway Forest awarded Dark Sky status*
Galloway Forest Park is the first place in the UK landscape where dark
skies are now safeguarded for people to experience for themselves after
being awarded Dark Sky Park status by the International Dark-Sky
Association. This marks a new high in the growing interest in the UK's
dark skies. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/617/
*Meteoroid explosion inspires Sudanese IYA2009 activities*
On 7 October 2008 a meteoroid exploded in the atmosphere 37 km above
Sudan's Nubian Desert. More information is available here:
http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/616/
*Stunning new photos and time-lapse videos on TWAN website*
There are new stunning photos and time-lapse videos on TWAN website,
featuring starry nights of the planet's landmarks from across the world.
http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/615/
*Telecommunication conference now registering attendees*
The conference "Wireless, Telecommunication, Spare: Frontier Research
from Marconi to the Future" will be held in Brussels on 3 December 2009.
Organised by the Embassy of Italy, it will celebrate the first centenary
of the award of the Nobel Prize for Physics to Guglielmo Marconi.
For more information please visit
http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/613/
*Limburg among the stars during IYA2009*
Europlanetarium in Genk, Belgium, has done something particularly
special. Noting that there are about 55 constellations visible from the
northern hemisphere and there are exactly 44 cities/communities in the
province of Limburg, Belgium, they asked every area to "adopt" their own
constellation. The aim was to place the province of Limburg in between
the stars! Every city/community in Limburg gladly accepted and all 44
now have their own constellation in the sky.
http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/612/
*40 years of Space Age & Beyond celebrated in Sri Lanka*
In support of IYA2009, the Royal College Astronomical Society has
organised an innovative programme called "40 years of Space Age &
Beyond". This is the largest school-based IYA2009 programme in Sri Lanka
and it consists of a workshop, science fiction competition and an
exhibition of Apollo 11 Moon rocks which will be held from 8 to 9
December 2009. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/611/
*Pakistan celebrates World Space Week in style*
As a part of IYA2009, Pakistan fully embraced World Space Week during
5-10 October. Many activities pertaining to space awareness were carried
out during the week. Students and teachers from various schools
participated fully in the entire event. For details please visit:
http://www.suparco.gov.pk/pages/wsw.asp?wswlinkid=2
*Video interview with Fiami, author of The Lives of Galileo*
Talented artist and author Fiami has been interviewed for a Swiss
Italian channel. His comic "The Lives of Galileo" shows that the history
of science is about sharing knowledge across the Earth over the
centuries. The sky and astronomy have no owners; we belong to the sky
and not the other way around. "The Lives of Galileo" shows this in a
humorous yet educational way. See the video here:
http://info.rsi.ch/it/home/networks/la1/telegiornale.html?po=6c0f5869-e5e6-486d-bc42-0d6d33e3dd36&pos=d23e09b8-52bd-4311-ae9d-1d21515f55c3&date=&stream=low#tabEdition
*New Russian IYA2009 resources help to promote space science*
A pair of new websites containing Russian-language resources are proving
to be popular.
Astronomical blog Nebula Cast: http://www.nebulacast.com/
Accompanying YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/bizbur08
These feature a monthly vodcast "Pulse of the Live! Universe" devoted to
most important astronomical news. There are almost no Russian speaking
analogues to this available on the internet. The YouTube channel is
currently averaging 1200 visits per day, impressive statistics which
demonstrate the potential in digital media.
*Star Peace event between Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq and Syria*
On 10 November 2009, members of the Star Peace organisation celebrated
World Science Day by holding an event for the people of Azerbaijan,
Iran, Iraq and Syria. Held in Erbil city in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region,
nearby 250 of students of Salahadin University were also invited to join
in this first Star Peace event of Iraq.
http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/607/
*BLAST! educational DVD now for sale*
BLAST!, a spectacular and suspenseful story of space exploration and
IYA2009 Special project, is now available on DVD in a double disc set,
specially designed for the educational and institutional markets.
Five-time Emmy winner Paul Devlin follows his brother Mark Devlin, PhD
to five continents, from the Arctic to the Antarctic to launch a
revolutionary new telescope on a NASA high altitude balloon to reveal a
hidden Universe. From catastrophic failure to transcendent triumph,
their adventure reveals the real life of scientists. To buy the DVD,
please visit: http://www.blastthemovie.com/buy.html
If you need any assistance, remember that the Secretariat is always
available for you.
Pedro, Mariana and Lee
IYA2009 Secretariat
--
Mariana Barrosa
International Year of Astronomy 2009 Coordination Assistant
International Astronomical Union
e. mbarrosa at eso.org
p. +49 (0) 89 320 06 965
f. +49 (0) 89 320 06 703
w. www.astronomy2009.org
a. IAU IYA2009 Secretariat
ESO education and Public Outreach Department
Karl-Schwarzschild-Strasse 2
D-85748 Garching bei M?nchen
Germany
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