International Year of Astronomy 2009, United States Node

Hubble Captures a "Five-Star" Rated Gravitational Lens
ESA, NASA, K. Sharon (Tel Aviv University) and E. Ofek (Caltech)

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

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.