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ASTRONOMY

YOURS TO DISCOVER

THE UNIVERSE

INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF


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Colliding Antennae galaxies

(NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team STScI/AURA)

Catherine Cesarsky

IAU President

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) launched 2009

as the Internat ional Year o Astronomy (IYA2009) under the

theme, The Universe, Yours to Discover. IYA2009 marksthe 400th anniversary o the rst astronomical observation

through a telescope by Galileo Galilei. It will be a global

celebration o astronomy and its contributions to society

and culture, with a strong emphasis on education, public

engagement and the involvement o young people, with

events at national, regional and global levels throughout

the whole o 2009. UNESCO has endorsed the IYA2009

and the United Nations proclaimed the year 2009 as the

International Year o Astronomy on 20 December 2007.

Astronomy is one o the oldest undamental sciences. Itcontinues to make a proound impact on our culture and

is a powerul expression o the human intellect. Huge

progress has been made in the last ew decades. One

hundred years ago we barely knew o the existence o

our own Milky Way. Today we know that many billions

o galaxies make up our Universe and that it originated

approximately 13.7 billion years ago. One hundred years

ago we had no means o knowing whether there were

other solar systems in the Universe. Today we know o

more than 200 planets around other stars in our galaxy

and we are moving towards an understanding o howlie might have rst appeared. One hundred years ago

we studied the sky using only optical telescopes and

photographic plates. Today we observe the Universe

rom Earth and rom space, rom radio waves to gamma

rays, using cutting edge technology. Media and public

interest in astronomy have never been higher and major

discoveries are rontpage news throughout the world.

The IYA2009 will meet public demand or both inorma-

tion and involvement.

There are outstanding opportunities or everyone to par-ticipate in the IAU IYA2009 events. This brochure outlines

some o the events planned at the global level, which

will be supported by thousands o additional national and

regional activities.

The IAU, UNESCO and our Organisational Associates

wish everyone a year rich in astronomical experiences

as we all celebrate the International Year o Astronomy

2009!

VolkerSteege


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The International Year of Astronomy 2009 is a global effort initiated by the International

Astronomical Union and UNESCO to help the citizens of the world rediscover theirplace in the Universe through the day- and night-time sky, and thereby engage a

personal sense of wonder and discovery.

VisionThe vision o the International Year o Astronomy is to help people rediscover their place in the Universe through the sky,and thereby engage a personal sense o wonder and discovery. Everyone should realise the impact o astronomy and otherundamental sciences on our daily lives, and understand how scientic knowledge can contribute to a more equitable andpeaceul society.

IYA2009 activities will take place locally, nationally, regionally and internationally. National Nodes have been ormed ineach country to prepare activities or 2009. These nodes will establish collaborations between proessional and amateurastronomers, science centres and science communicators to prepare activities or 2009. More than 100 countries are alreadyinvolved, and well over 140 are expected to participate eventually. To help coordinate this huge global programme and toprovide an important resource or the participating countries, the IAU has established a central Secretariat and an IYA2009website (www.astronomy2009.org) as the principal IYA2009 resource or public, proessionals and media alike.


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Vision and goals of the

International Year of Astronomy 2009

GoalsIncrease scientic awareness among the general public through the communication o scientic results in astronomy and1.related elds, as well as the process o research and critical thinking that leads to these results.

Promote widespread access to the universal knowledge o undamental science through the excitement o astronomy and2.sky-observing experiences.

Empower astronomical communities in developing countries through the initiation and stimulation o international3.collaborations.

Support and improve ormal and inormal science education in schools as well as through science centres, planetariums4.and museums.

Provide a modern image o science and scientists to reinorce the links between science education and science careers,5.and thereby stimulate a long-term increase in student enrolment in the elds o science and technology, and an apprecia-tion or lielong learning.

Facilitate new, and strengthen existing, networks by connecting amateur astronomers, educators, scientists and com-6.munication proessionals through local, regional, national and international activities.

Improve the gender-balanced representation o scientists at all levels and promote greater involvement by underrepre-7.sented minorities in scientic and engineering careers.

Facilitate the preservation and protection o our global cultural and natural heritage o dark skies and historical astronomical8.sites, through the awareness o the importance and preservation o the dark skies and astronomical sites or the naturalenvironment and human heritage.

Future ALMA Array Composite Image

(ESO)


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UNESCO unctions as a laboratory o ideas and a settero standards to orge universal agreements on emergingethical issues. The Organization also serves as a clear-inghouse or the dissemination and sharing o inormationand knowledge, while helping Member States to build theirhuman and institutional capacities in diverse elds. In short,UNESCO promotes international cooperation among its 193Member States and six Associate Members in the elds oeducation, science, culture and communication.

UNESCO is working to create the conditions or a genuinedialogue between nations based on respect or shared

values and the dignity o each civilisation and culture.The world urgently requires global visions o sustainabledevelopment based upon the observance o human rights,mutual respect and the alleviation o poverty, all o which lieat the heart o UNESCOs mission and activities.

The IAU IYA2009 SecretariatThe central hub o the IAU activities or the IYA2009 is theSecretariat. This was established to coordinate activities dur-ing the planning, execution and evaluation o the Year. The

Secretariat will liaise continuously with the National Nodes,Task Groups, Partners and Organisational Associates, themedia and the general public to ensure the progress o theIYA2009 at all levels.

The IYA2009 website (www.astronomy2009.org) has beenset up and more than 100 member countries have estab-lished national committees and appointed Single Points oContact (SPoCs). The Secretariat and the website are themost important coordination and resource centres or all thecountries taking part, but most particularly or those devel-

oping countries that lack the national resources to mountmajor events alone. Based on its previous experience o thepublic communication o astronomical events, such as solareclipses and the Venus transit, the IAU condently expectsmany tens, even hundreds, o millions o hits on the IYA2009website.

The International Astronomical UnionThe International Astronomical

Union (IAU) is the initiator and inter-national leader o IYA2009. The IAUwas ounded in 1919 and maintains asmall secretariat in Paris. Its mission

is to promote and saeguard the science o astronomythrough international cooperation. The Individual Membersare proessional astronomers active in research and educa-tion in astronomy all over the world. The IAU is a grassrootsorganisation run by its members or the benet o astronomyworldwide. It maintains riendly relations with organisationsthat include amateur astronomers in their membership.Currently the IAU has nearly 10 000 Individual Members in

87 countries. In addition to arranging scientic meetings,the IAU promotes astronomical education and research indeveloping countries through its International Schools orYoung Astronomers, Teaching or Astronomy Developmentand World Wide Development o Astronomy programmesand through joint educational activities with UNESCO andother bodies.

The IAU acts as a catalyst and coordinator or IYA2009 at theglobal level, largely, but not exclusively, through the IYA2009website and the Secretariat. The IAU will organise a small

number o international events such as the global astronomyweb portal, global image exhibitions and the Galileoscopeproject. The IAU will be the primary interace with bodiessuch as UNESCO and the United Nations.

The next triennial General Assembly o the IAU takes placein Rio de Janeiro in August 2009. Some 2500 astronomersrom all over the world will attend. Considerable mediaattention is always given to the General Assemblies, withregular briengs and news releases provided. Naturally theprogramme o the General Assembly will be closely linkedto the themes and activities o the IYA2009, and this willprovide a urther opportunity or the partners o the IYA2009to promote their activities through displays and speakersat dedicated sessions, particularly those devoted to com-munication and education.

UNESCOUNESCO the United Nations Educational, Sci-entic and Cultural Organization was ounded on

16 November 1945. It is a specialisedagency o the United Nations that,through its day-to-day work in educa-tion, the social and natural sciences,culture and communication, aims tobuild peace in the minds o men.

The team behind the scenes


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Organisational Associates

European Southern Observatory American Astronomical Society

LInstitut National des Sciences delUnivers

Canadian Astronomical Society

Sterrewacht Leiden

National Research Council Canada

Swiss Academy o Sciences

Pedro Russo IAU Coordinator or IYA2009Pedro coordinates the implementation o the IYA2009 globally. He is the rst point o contactor international matters concerning IYA2009. Pedro supports external requests rom SinglePoints o Contact, journalists, scientists and the general public, prepares generic and event-related outreach material and interaces with the hundreds o national and organisationalIYA2009 nodes.

Mariana Barrosa IYA2009 Coordination AssistantMariana supports the planning, coordination, preparation, implementation and revision o theInternational Year o Astronomy 2009 and other joint programming processes.

Lars Lindberg Christensen IYA2009 Secretariat ManagerLars manages the IYA2009 Secretariat, i.e. oversees the strategy o the project, the budget(including undraising) and ensures a smooth daily workfow.

Science & TechnologyFacilities Council

Ministerio de Educacin y Ciencia(Spain)

Nederlandse Onderzoekschool VoorAstronomie

The Society or Popular Astronomy

National Astronomical Observatory oJapan

European Science Foundation

Deutsches Zentrum r Lut- undRaumahrt

The Planetary Society

National Aeronautics andSpace Administration

Centre National dEtudes Spatiales

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency

European Space Agency

NelsondAires

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sCalada

Sddeu

tscheZeitu

ng


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Roadmap

In July 2003, at the IAU General Assembly in Sydney, Australia, the IAU votedunanimously in avour o a resolution asking the United Nations to declare theyear 2009 as the International Year o Astronomy. In October 2005 UNESCOendorsed the IYA2009 and on 20 December 2007 the United Nationsproclaimed 2009 as the International Year o Astronomy.

The year 2008 will be spent on preparing the Year and all its activities, and2009 will naturally be the ocal point or all these activities. In 2010 the IYA2009organisers will scrutinise perormance at all levels and assess public perceptiono the IYA2009 experience with the intention o answering the ollowingquestions: Were the objectives o the IYA2009 met? Has public appreciationo science changed as result o the IYA2009? What were the unexpectedoutcomes o the IYA2009?

The Bubble Nebula

(T.A. Rector/University of Alaska Anchorage, H. Schweiker/WIYN and NOAO/AURA/NSF)


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07

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Inception

Planning

Preparation

Implementation

Evaluation


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International networks now and in the future

The IYA2009 will promote and acilitate the creation o international networks tooster a global appreciation o the role and value o science and astronomy as auniying activity or humanity. IYA2009 will start up, connect and support networkso proessional and amateur astronomers, educators and astrophysicists rom allover the world, so that all these valuable sources o knowledge can be shared. Thenetworks o hundreds, i not thousands o astronomical organisations, nationallyand internationally, will be one o the legacies o the IYA2009 that will last ar beyondthe year 2009.

The activities o the IYA2009 will largely take place at the national level: ater onlynine months, a signicant global network has already been created. This networkhas reached more than 115 countries and a total o 140 are eventually expected tojoin, making it possible to reach out to 97% o the worlds population.

Young Stars in Their Baby Blanket of Dust

(NASA/JPL-Caltech/Harvard-Smithsonian CfA)

Icy Promethei Planum

(ESA/ DLR/ FU Berlin (G. Neukum))


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IYA2009 Global Projects

The International Year o Astronomy 2009 is supported by eleven Cornerstoneprojects. These are global programmes o activities centred on a specic themeand are some o the projects that will help to achieve the IYA2009s main goals;whether it is the support and promotion o women in astronomy, the preservationo dark-sky sites around the world or educating and explaining the workings o the

Universe to millions, the eleven Cornerstones will be some o the key elements inthe success o the IYA2009.

The Cornerstone projects are supported by a number o Special projects, whichwill develop interactions and link up the dierent initiatives and projects withinIYA2009. These projects provide extra means to achieve the IYA2009s main goalsand objectives. The Cornerstone projects and one Special project are outlined in

more detail on the ollowing pages.


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100 Hours of AstronomyAn event 400 years in the making

This is a 100-hour, round-the-clock, round-the-globe event,including live webcasts rom research observatories, publicobserving events and other activities around the world. Oneo the key goals is to allow as many people as possible tolook through a telescope, as Galileo rst did 400 years ago.The 100 Hours o Astronomy will take place rom 25 April.The Moon is at rst quarter on 2 April, so it is at a goodphase or early evening observing over this period.

This event consists o two parts:

Live observatory webcasts, observing events and other1.activities connecting large observatories around theworld, coordinated by the European Southern Observa-tory (ESO).

A 100-hour sidewalk observing event to allow as many2.people as possible to look through a telescope, and seewhat Galileo saw, managed by Astronomers WithoutBorders (AWB).

Co-chairs: Douglas Pierce-Price ([email protected]) &Mike Simmons ([email protected])

www.100hoursofastronomy.org

ChicagoSidew

alkAstronomy

Club

Gemini North Mauna Kea, Hawaii

(Gemini Observatory)


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The GalileoscopeMillions looking at the sky

Who does not remember the rst time they looked at theMoon through a telescope and were amazed by the detailso the mountains and craters? The same is true or Jupiterscloud belts and its Galilean moons, Saturns rings and re-mote sparkling star clusters. Observing through a telescopeor the rst time is an experience that shapes our view othe sky and the Universe. The IYA2009 programme wantsto share this observational and personal experience withas many people as possible across the world and is col-laborating with the US IYA2009 National Node to developa simple, accessible, easy-to-assemble and easy-to-usetelescope that can be distributed by the millions. Ideally,every participant in an IYA2009 event should be able to takehome one o these little telescopes. This simple telescopeenables people to build and observe with a telescope that issimilar to Galileos. Sharing these observations and makingpeople think about their importance is one o the main goalso IYA2009: Promote widespread access to new knowledge

and observing experiences. A do-it-yoursel Galileoscope

could be the key to pursuing an interest in astronomy be-yond IYA2009, especially or people who cannot aord tobuy a commercial telescope.

We aim to give 10 million people their rst look through anastronomical telescope in 2009. This is achievable i, orexample, 100 000 amateur observers each show the sky to100 people. Millions o small telescopes are sold every year,but anecdotal evidence suggests that most are rarely usedor astronomy. A worldwide Telescope Amnesty programme

will invite people to bring their little-used telescopes toIYA2009 events, where astronomers will teach people howto use them and oer advice on repairs, improvements and/or replacements, encouraging more people to stay involvedin the hobby. We encourage the organisers o IYA2009celebrations in all countries to promote similar activities, witha common goal o giving 10 million people worldwide theirrst look through an astronomical telescope.

Chair: Rick Fienberg ([email protected])

www.galileoscope.org


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Cosmic DiaryThe life of an astronomer

The Cosmic Diary is not about the science o astronomybut rather what it is like to be an astronomer and a scientist.The Cosmic Diary aims to put a human ace on astronomy.Proessional astronomers will blog in text and images abouttheir lie, amilies, riends, hobbies and interests, as well astheir work, their latest research ndings and the challengesthey ace in their research. The bloggers represent a vibrantcross-section o working astronomers rom around theworld. They will write in many dierent languages and comerom ve dierent continents. Outside the observatories,laboratories and oces, they are musicians, parents, pho-tographers, athletes, amateur astronomers. At work, they aremanagers, observers, graduate students, grant proposers,instrument builders and data analysts.

At some point during this project all the bloggers will beasked to explain one particular aspect o their work to thepublic. In a true exercise o science communication withthe public, these scientists will be asked to translate the

nuts and bolts o their scientic research into more popularlanguage. This will be their challenge.

These explanations will be highlighted on the web at regu-lar intervals and they will be used as the basis or a book anda documentary, which will be released during the IYA2009as the legacy o this project.

Chair: Mariana Barrosa ([email protected])

Observing the Universe

(TWAN/Babak Tafreshi)

www.cosmicdiary.org

AndrRoqu

ette

AntnioS


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Portal to the UniverseA one-stop universe of news

The Portal to the Universe (PTTU) seeks to provide a global,one-stop portal or online astronomy content, serving asan index, an aggregator and a social networking site orastronomy content providers, laypeople, press, educators,decision-makers and scientists. The PTTU will eature news,image, event and video aggregation; a comprehensivedirectory o observatories, acilities, astronomical societies,amateur astronomy societies, space artists, science com-munication universities; and Web 2.0 collaborative tools,such as the ranking o dierent services according to popu-larity, to promote interaction within the astronomy multimediacommunity. In addition, a range o widgets (small applica-tions) will be developed to tap live into existing live data.Modern technology and the standardisation o metadatamake it possible to tie all the suppliers o such inormationtogether with a single, semi-automatically updating portal.

The vision or the Portal is threeold:

Enabling access:1. To aggregate (pull) rom contentproviders, including all astronomy-related dynamiccontent (e.g. RSS eeds o blogs, images, news, etc) anddistribute (push) to users.

Indexing and archiving:2. To collect and maintain a centralrepository o useul inormation, including resources suchas educational materials and addresses or all astronomystakeholders such as amateur clubs, planetariums andobservatories.

Enabling communication and collaboration:3. To cre-ate and maintain a network o all stakeholders, includinga social network or everyone interested in astronomy.

Chair: Lars Lindberg Christensen ([email protected])

www.portaltotheuniverse.org


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She is an AstronomerBreaking down misconceptions

Promoting gender quality and empowering women is oneo the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. TheIYA2009 Cornerstone project, She is an Astronomer, willpromote gender equality in astronomy (and in science ingeneral) and tackle gender bias issues by providing a webplatorm where neutral inormation and links about genderbalance and other related useul resources are collected.

Approximately one quarter o all proessional astronomers arewomen. The eld continues to attract women and benetsrom their participation, but there is a wide global variation.In some countries there are no emale astronomers, whilein others more than hal the proessional astronomers areemale. Moreover, the signicant number o emale drop-outs suggests that scientic careers are heavily aected bysocial and cultural actors and are not determined solely byability.

The project targets a varied audience, including proessionaland amateur astronomers, students and all those who sharean interest in the gender-equality problem in science and inastronomy in particular. The project will develop around itsown dedicated website, which will host a special PortraitDiary section where emale astronomers will present theirown career paths, some aspects o their private lives andthe diculties they may have encountered in their proes-sional lie and during their education, set in the context o

gender equality issues. As par t o a voluntary ambassadorprogramme proessional astronomers will talk to emalestudents in schools, colleges and universities near wherethey live and work.

Co-chairs: Francesca Primas ([email protected]) & EnikPatkos ([email protected])

Saturns rings

(NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute)

www.sheisanastronomer.org


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Dark Skies AwarenessSeeing in the dark

The arc o the Milky Way seen rom a truly dark site is parto our planets cultural and natural heritage. It is now moreurgent than ever to preserve and protect dark night skies inplaces such as urban cultural landscapes, national parksand sites connected with astronomical observations, aswell as to support the goals o UNESCOs thematic initiative,

Astronomy and World Heritage, to preserve sites o astro-nomical importance or posterity. The ongoing loss o a darknight sky or much o the worlds population is a serious andgrowing issue that not only impacts astronomical research,but also human health, ecology, saety, secu-rity, economicsand energy conservation. According to the United Nations,2008 will be the rst year in which 3.3 billion people, over halo the worlds population, will live in cities. With the growtho large cities in Arica and Asia, the number o people livingin cities could climb to 5 billion by 2030. As cities grow, sodoes their impact on the global environment.

For this Cornerstone project the IAU will collaborate withthe US National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO),representatives o the International Dark-Sky Association(IDA), the Starlight Initiative and other national and interna-tional partners in dark sky and environmental educationon several related themes. The ocus will be on three maincitizen-scientist programmes to measure local levels olight pollution. These programmes will take the orm o starhunts or star counts, providing people with a un and directway to acquire heightened awareness about light pollutionthrough rsthand observations o the night sky. Together the

three programmes will cover the entire International Year o Astronomy 2009, namely GLOBE at Night (in March), theGreat World Wide Star Count (in October) and How ManyStars (January, February, April through September, Novem-ber and December).

Partnerships are under discussion with existing programmes

such as the World Night in Deence o Starlight (April 20),supported by UNESCO and the IAU; Earth Hour (March 28),(Inter)national Dark Sky Week, International Sidewalk Astron-omy Night, Astronomers Without Borders, and The World atNight, as well as other IYA2009 Cornerstone projects suchas the 100 Hours o Astronomy and the Galileo TeachersProgram.

Chair: Connie Walker ([email protected])

www.darkskiesawareness.org


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Astronomy and World HeritageUniversal treasures

UNESCO and the IAU are working together to implement aresearch and education collaboration as part o UNESCOsthematic initiative,Astronomy and World Heritage. The mainobjective o this initiat ive is to establish a link between scienceand culture on the basis o research aimed at acknowledg-ing the cultural and scientic values o properties connectedwith astronomy. This programme provides an opportunityto identiy properties related to astronomy located aroundthe world, to preserve their memory and save them romprogressive deterioration. The support rom the internationalcommunity is needed to implement this activity and to pro-mote the recognition o astronomical knowledge includingthrough the nomination o sites that celebrate achievementsin science.

Chair: Anna Sidorenko-Dulom ([email protected])

Planet Earth at Night

(IAU & NASA)

www.whc.unesco.org

TWAN/P.K.

Chen

TWAN/P.K.

Chen


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Galileo Teacher Training ProgramTeaching the teachers

and radio telescopes, webcams, astronomy exercises,cross-disciplinary resources, image processing and digitaluniverses (web and desktop planetariums).

Co-chairs: Jim Manning ([email protected]) &Rosa Doran ([email protected])

The International Year o Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009) providesan excellent opportunity to engage the ormal educationcommunity in the excitement o astronomical discovery as avehicle or improving the teaching o science in classroomsaround the world. An incredibly rich store o useul astronomyresources is available or such an eort, much o it in digitalorm and reely available on the internet. However, experi-enced educators and outreach specialists identiy a criticalimpediment: many teachers lack the training to understandthese resources or use them eectively in their curricula.To address this problem and to sustain the legacy o theIYA2009, the IAU in collaboration the National Nodes andleaders in the eld such as the Global Hands-On Universeproject, the US National Optical Astronomy Observatoryand the Astronomical Society o the Pacic is embarkingon a unique global eort to empower teachers by develop-ing the Galileo Teacher Training Program (GTTP). The GTTPgoal is to create a worldwide network o certied Galileo

Ambassadors by 2012. These Ambassadors will train

Galileo Master Teachers in the eective use and transero astronomy education tools and resources into classroomscience curricula. The Galileo Teachers will be equipped totrain other teachers in these methodologies, leveraging thework begun during the IYA2009 in classrooms everywhere.Through workshops, online training tools and basic educa-tion kits, the products and techniques developed by thisprogramme can be adapted to reach locations with ewresources o their own, as well as computer-connectedareas that can take advantage o access to robotic optical

www.galileoteachers.org


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Universe Awareness (UNAWE) is an internationalprogramme that exposes very young children in under-privileged environments to the scale and beauty o theUniverse. Universe Awareness illustrates the multicultural ori-gins o modern astronomy in an eort to broaden childrensminds, awaken their curiosity in science and stimulate globalcitizenship and tolerance. Using the sky and childrens natu-ral ascination with it as common ground, UNAWE createsan international awareness o our place in the Universe andour place on Earth.

Chair: Carolina dman ([email protected])

Universe AwarenessOne place in the Universe

UNAWE

www.unawe.org

Kev

inGov

ender/UNAWE

UNAWE


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From Earth to the UniverseThe beauty of science

The International Year o Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009) is anunprecedented opportunity to present astronomy to theglobal public in the orm o beautiul image exhibitionsworld-wide.

The Cornerstone project, From Earth to the Universe (FETTU)endeavours to bring wonderul astronomical images to a

wider audience in non-traditional venues. In delivering theseimages and the science behind them to public parks, metrostations, art centres and other locations, we wish to engageindividuals who might normally ignore or even dislike as-tronomy, or science in general.

Co-chairs: Kimberly Kowal Arcand ([email protected]) & Megan Watzke ([email protected])

www.fromearthtotheuniverse.org

IYA2009/FETTU


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The World at NightOne people, one sky

The World at Night (TWAN) will create and exhibit a collec-tion o stunning photographs and time-lapse videos o theworlds most beautiul and historic sites against a night-timebackdrop o stars, planets and celestial events. These im-ages will present the night sky to the public in an accessibleand understandable manner. The sky rises above all thelandmarks and symbols o dierent nations and regionscreating a bridge to understanding and riendship. Whenborders vanish, political and cultural dierences becomeirrelevant. The universal nature o astronomy provides themeans to connect people worldwide through this commoninterest. TWANs parent organisation, Astronomers withoutBorders, has several projects designed to work towards thisgoal. TWAN is an innovative new approach to expandingthis global perspective.

TWAN brings together photographers, astronomers andorganisations worldwide to create a new internationalteam. Material released by TWAN will include pho-tographs, descriptions o the subject sites, the siteshistorical, cultural or environmental signicance, howTWAN was conducted, how TWAN aected participatingphotographers and related issues o global importancesuch as peace, ecology and light pollution. TWAN willcooperate with the IYA2009 Cornerstone projects to sup-plement their outreach eorts and willl seek venues or aworldwide exhibition and educational events in 2009.

Chair: Babak Tareshi ([email protected])

A spectacular sky over the Grand Tetons

(TWAN/Wally Pacholka)

www.twanight.org

IYA2009 Special Projects

TWAN/StefanSeip


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IYA2009 Special Task Groups

Opening CeremonyThis ceremony will take place on 15 and 16 January 2009 at the headquarters o UNESCO in Paris. Leading gures in theworld o astronomy and young people rom all participating countries will attend.Chair: Franoise Combes ([email protected])

EU Seventh Framework ProgrammeThe IYA2009 has established a Special Task Group to investigate possible European Commission calls or proposals in the

ramework o the 7th Research and Development Framework Programme (FP7).Chair: Claus Madsen ([email protected])

KeplerThis Group will celebrate the 400th anniversary o KeplersAstronomia Nova , the cornerstone o modern astronomy, in the yearo the launch o NASAs Kepler mission to seek Earth-sized extrasolar planets.Co-chairs: Terence Mahoney ([email protected]) & David Koch ([email protected])

New Years Eve EventsThe main objective o this Special Task Group is to announce that 2009 is the International Year o Astronomy on 31 December2008.Chair: Helen Sim ([email protected])

Solar PhysicsThis Special Task Group aims to communicate the particular relation o the Sun with the rest o the Universe, and thereby theplace o solar science in astronomy.Co-chairs: Bruno Snchez-Andrade Nuo ([email protected]) & Phillippe Kobel ([email protected])

PhilatelyThis Special Task Group will create and maintain a global philatelic checklist o postal authority releases generated in celebra-tion o the IYA2009 and/or astronomy in general.Co-chairs: Michael Howell ([email protected]) & John Budd ([email protected])

EvaluationIYA2009 is an excellent opportunity to increase public understanding and awareness o astronomy. But will they achieve theirobjectives? What lessons will we learn?Co-Chairs: Pedro Russo ([email protected]) & Mariana Barrosa ([email protected])

New MediaThis Task Group provides online astronomy experiences where people work, play and learn; creates content to exposepeople to astronomy; distributes content or active and passive channels and uses a diverse suite o technologies to reachpeople on multiple platorms and in a range o online settings.Chair: Pamela Gay ([email protected])

GalileoThe aim o this task group is to raise Galileo Galileis public prole through intra-community communication, ormal andinormal education and public outreach.Chair: Paolo Galluzzi ([email protected])

Extrasolar PlanetsThis Task Group will operate in an area that is both easy or the general public to understand and one o the greatest scienticadventures o the 21st century: extrasolar planets and the search or lie on these planets. The Task Group will create andmaintain www.exoplanet2009.org, an international, multilingual website.Chair: Jean Schneider ([email protected])

Closing Ceremony

As the IYA2009 comes to an end, we will join in a celebration o astronomy and astronomical experiences.

Eagle Nebula

(NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope)


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The IYA2009 and theUN Millennium

Development Goals

The IYA2009 is, rst and oremost, an activity or everyonearound the world. It aims to convey the excitement opersonal discovery, the pleasure in sharing undamentalknowledge about the Universe and our place in it. The UNMillennium Development goals orm a blueprint agreed byevery country and the entire worlds leading developmentinstitutions. The inspirational aspects o the InternationalYear o Astronomy embody an invaluable resource or hu-manity and aim to contribute to our o the UN MillenniumDevelopment goals.

Help to achieve universal primary education

The IYA2009 programme intends to add to the quality o pri-mary education by providing access to basic astronomy toteachers and pupils all over the world. The night sky spansall nations. We just have to provide the guides to understandwhat we see and discover. Providing equal chances glo-bally to access knowledge will result in the development ointernational cooperation in scientic research and relevant

applications and in its broader eect will be to assist thedeveloping world to match the western world.

Help to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

An increase in scientic wealth has been shown to be as-sociated with an increase in economic wealth in developingcountries, thereby contributing to the ght against pov-erty, improving economic capacity and establishing goodgovernance. The IYA2009 programme aims to empowerastronomical communities in developing countries through

the initiation and stimulation o international collabora-tions. These small steps can contribute to increasing thescientic, technological and economic wealth in developingcountries.

Promote gender equality and empower women

One o the IYA2009 goals is to improve the gender-balanced

representation o scientists at all levels and promote greaterinvolvement by underrepresented minorities in scientic andengineering careers. Gender equality is a priority concern othe whole scientic community regardless o its geographi-cal location. The problems and diculties are dierent in allregions and continents, so the IYA2009 has initiated specialprogrammes to meet local needs.

Develop a global partnership for development

Development relies on several actors, including the useo undamental science to develop and use practical ap-plications adequately. The IYA2009 programme will connectnetworks o proessional and amateur astronomers andastrophysicists rom all over the world, so that these valuablesources o knowledge can be shared. The aim o the Yearis to channel the inormation obtained to the right develop-ment projects and applications.

UNAWE


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Tarantula Nebula

(ESO)


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Are you ascinated by the Universe? Would you like to con-

tribute to the International Year o Astronomy? One o thegoals o the International Year o Astronomy is to enable asmany people as possible to experience the excitement opersonal discovery that Galileo elt when he rst saw lunarcraters and mountains, the moons o Jupiter and othercelestial wonders. The aim is to encourage us all to thinkabout how observations o the cosmos around us orce usto reconsider our understanding o the natural world.

If you are a newcomer or an astronomy enthusiast

I you are a beginner and would like to get some advice,contact your IYA2009 National Nodes, a local astronomyclub, planetarium or science museum. A list o the IYA2009

National Nodes can be ound on: www.astronomy2009.org. A list o other astronomy organisations worldwide can beound on: http://skytonight.com/community/organizationsor http://www.astronomyclubs.com.

If you are an amateur astronomerFor every proessional astronomer, there are at least 20amateur astronomers. The IAU is encouraging amateurastronomers to play a major role in the organisation oastronomy outreach activities. As an amateur astronomer,you can join a local astronomy club and plan some cool as-tronomy outreach activities. Lots o ideas can be taken rom

the IYA2009 activities pages do not be araid o adaptingthem to your own countrys history and culture. Get in touchwith science teachers in local schools and propose somepractical activities or students involving observation o thesky. The 100 Hours o Astronomy Cornerstone project is aglobal event that all amateur astronomers should take partin. Watch its page on the IYA2009 website or inormation.

If you are a professional astronomerYou can do all the above and contact your IYA2009 NationalNode (see www.astronomy2009.org) or national astronomi-

cal societies or advice and new ideas on what can be done

to promote astronomy in your region. You can coordinateactivities with amateur astronomers, help to publish resultsand contribute to science.

If you are an educatorYou can nd inspiration or activi ties, receive training throughthe Galileo Teacher Training Programme, and get assist-ance with relevant and exciting lesson plans that will takeyour students to another Universe.

If you have a new idea...I you have a new idea and it is not listed in the na-tional, regional and global activities pages, contact

the Single Point o Contact in your own country andpropose your ideas. Single Points o Contact are listedby country on the IYA2009 webpage: www.astronomy2009.org.

If you want to be a partner in the IYA2009...There are unrivalled opportunities to partner the mainIYA2009 events. Partners will receive enormous globalexposure through the events themselves and throughinternet and media coverage. We envisage dierent levelso support. Each level can provide direct and signicantsupport to IYA2009 nancially, or can contribute through in-

kind contributions. In return, the IYA2009 Partners will enjoybenets assigned by the IAU IYA2009 in proportion to theirspecic contributions.

There are many countries and groups deeply involved inthe IYA2009 project and thousands o activities are alreadyunderway. Please take some time to search the IYA2009webpage. Feel ree to contact us i you are interested ina specic activity. I you would like to know more aboutIYA2009 activities taking place in your country, pleasecontact your national Single Point o Contact.

Girls observing the Sun

(Kevin Govender)


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The Universe, Yours to Discover


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Astronomy is one of the oldest fundamental sciences. It continues to make

a profound impact on our culture and is a powerful expression of the human

intellect.

Catherine CesarskyIAU President


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ThalesAleniaSpace

ContactIAU IYA2009 SecretariatESO/ESA/ST-ECFKarl-Schwarzschild-Strasse 2D-85748 Garching bei Mnchen

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