International Year of Astronomy 2009, United States Node

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Crab Nebula: a Dead Star Creates Celestial Havoc
NASA, ESA, CXC, JPL-Caltech, J. Hester and A. Loll (Arizona State Univ.), R. Gehrz (Univ. Minn.), and STScI

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Welcome To IYA

In the year 2009, the world celebrated the International Year of Astronomy as it commemorated the 400th anniversary of Galileo's use of a telescope to study the skies, and Kepler's publication of Astronomia Nova. 2009 was also the anniversary of many other historic events in science, including Huygen's 1659 publication of Systema Saturnium. This is modern astronomy's quadricentennial, and the 2009 Year of Astronomy is be an international celebration of numerous astronomical and scientific milestones. Events are still being planned, and you are invited to tell us how you want to celebrate. This page is a product of the U.S. 2009 IYA team, and we want to help you make 2009 a year long celebration to remember.

Spread the word: the Universe is yours to discover. Celebrate IYA 2009.

Many International Year of Astronomy Programs Continuing

The International Year of Astronomy 2009 is closing with a full moon, a "Blue Moon" that seems a fitting conclusion to such an event-filled year.

We would like to thank everyone for the many hours of dedicated volunteer time that went into making IYA2009 such a huge success! Although IYA2009 is coming to an end, many programs and events will be continuing. Please download a listing of the Continuing Programs as well as a Calendar of Astronomy Events that are coming up in 2010 and beyond.

Jan 11th, 2010

Beyond IYA2009: U.S. Legacy Includes Telescope Kit, Dark-Skies Awareness, New Media and Image Exhibitions

Although the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009) comes to a formal close this weekend with a ceremony in Padua, Italy, numerous core programs conducted during the year will carry on in 2010 and beyond, including many led by educators and outreach professionals in the United States and elsewhere in North America.

“Thanks to the support of the National Science Foundation, NASA, the American Astronomical Society and the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, as well as the hard work of hundreds of volunteers, we were able to conduct a vigorous, fun and wide-ranging set of programs and events throughout 2009,” says Douglas Isbell, the U.S. Single Point of Contact (SPoC) for IYA2009. “We are thrilled that so many of these efforts will continue to grow, mature, and morph into new projects in the years ahead.”

Click here to see the details of these projects and where they are heading.

Beyond

IYA2009: U.S. Legacy Includes Telescope Kit, Dark-Skies Awareness, New Media and Image Exhibitions

Although the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009) comes to a formal close this weekend with a ceremony in Padua, Italy, numerous core programs conducted during the year will carry on in 2010 and beyond, including many led by educators and outreach professionals in the United States and elsewhere in North America.

“Thanks to the support of the National Science Foundation, NASA, the American Astronomical Society and the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, as well as the hard work of hundreds of volunteers, we were able to conduct a vigorous, fun and wide-ranging set of programs and events throughout 2009,” says Douglas Isbell, the U.S. Single Point of Contact (SPoC) for IYA2009. “We are thrilled that so many of these efforts will continue to grow, mature, and morph into new projects in the years ahead.”

Jan 11th, 2010

Join the Dark Skies Rangers Program

Through the Dark Skies Rangers Program, students learn about the importance of dark skies and experience activities that illustrate proper lighting, light pollution’s effects on wildlife, and how to measure the darkness of your skies. A highlight of the program is the citizen science project, GLOBE at Night , which enlists the help of students to collect data on the night sky conditions in their community and contribute to a worldwide database on light pollution. To learn more about the program and its activities, see Dark Skies Rangers.

Nov 11th, 2009

Great Observatories Explore Galactic Center

(Click to view image in higher detail)
Today, in celebration of Galileo’s telescopic achievements and as part of the International Year of Astronomy, NASA has used its entire fleet of Great Observatories, and the Internet, to bring the center of our Galaxy to you.
Pictured above, in greater detail and in more colors than ever seen before, [...]

Oct 23rd, 2009

View Jupiter Better Than Galileo Did

Sidewalk Astronomy to Span the U.S. in Celebration of “Galileo Nights”
Astronomy enthusiasts across the globe are breaking out their telescopes this weekend (October 22-24) in a coordinated effort to help hundreds of thousands of people experience their own “Galileo moment” of awe and discovery when seeing the planet Jupiter and its four largest moons. More [...]

Oct 21st, 2009

Join the Great World Wide Star Count, Oct 9-23

A centrepiece of the IYA2009 Dark Skies Awareness (DSA) Cornerstone project has been the citizen science programmes inviting children and the general public to find out how many stars are lost due to light pollution in their night sky. The DSA Task Group requests your help in spreading the word about one of the DSA [...]

Oct 19th, 2009

U.S. Shoppers Getting Great Deal on “The World At Night”

Twenty-four shopping centers in 18 states are celebrating IYA2009 with free exhibitions of photographs from The World at Night (TWAN), an IYA2009 Special Project. The photographs feature international landmarks shown at night under starry skies or celestial events. This is the largest set of TWAN exhibitions in the US to date. More 20 countries on [...]

Oct 13th, 2009

Astronomy Night At The White House

President Obama kicked off Astronomy Night on the South Lawn of the White House. Some 150 middle school students from the Washington area got to learn more about their universe using more than 20 telescopes provided by NASA and other organizations. They observed Jupiter, the moon and selected stars. Other activities included science presentations with [...]

Oct 13th, 2009

From ‘Earth to the Universe’ Exhibit Opens at UA Museum

The University of Alabama’s Museum of Natural History announces the opening of “From Earth to the Universe,” a photographic exhibit on display in the Museum’s Atrium Gallery. This exhibition stretches around the globe. This installation has the added feature of a research partnership with the new Planetario Habana in Cuba where these prints are [...]

Oct 13th, 2009

International Space Station Student Competition

Looking for a space-related project to engage students with and participate in the 2009 International Year of Astronomy? Students for the Exploration and Development of Space is pairing up with the International Year of Astronomy to provide a contest geared towards educating students about the largest international cooperation project in space today – the International [...]

Oct 6th, 2009

Great World Wide Star Count – October 9-23

Join thousands of other students, families, and citizen scientists
counting stars in 2009 for the Great World Wide Star Count! This
international event encourages everyone to go outside, look skywards
after dark, count the stars they see in certain constellations, and report
what they see online. This Windows to the Universe citizen science
campaign is designed to encourage learning in [...]

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