Meeting Announcement: Preparing for the International Year of Astronomy (2009)
Held in conjunction with the summer meeting of the American Astronomical Society, this exciting meeting will consist of hands-on workshops (over the weekend) and then a three-day symposium to help educators, scientists, public information professionals, and everyone working in astronomy and space-science outreach prepare for the year-long celebration of 400 years of astronomy (since Galileo first turned his telescope to the skies).
Endorsed by the United Nations, UNESCO and the International Astronomical Union, the 2009 International Year of Astronomy (IYA) aims to stimulate worldwide interest in science through engagement in astronomy activities — with the central theme of “The Universe: Yours to Discover.” More than 100 countries are organizing events. The U.S. effort has the aim to provide “an engaging astronomy experience to every person in the country, to nurture existing partnerships, and to build new connections to sustain public interest in astronomy.”
To learn more about the meeting program as information becomes available, visit and bookmark: www.astrosociety.org/2008meeting (you can sign up for e-updates there).
Presentations at the meeting can be made in the following formats:
A. 3.5-hour weekend hands-on workshops for specific audiences (teachers, museum educators, amateur astronomers, scientists wanting to do outreach, weather forecasters, etc.).
B. Poster papers (for describing local activities and plans or previewing specific materials).
C. 10-minute oral presentations (informational presentations on activities, plans, or programs of wider interest).
D. 90-minute interactive presentations (hands-on program/activity demonstrations or interactive panels, training on a suite of materials — typically with more than one presenter).
Note that an individual may be a first author/primary presenter on a maximum of one oral/interactive/workshop and one poster. For the 90-minute sessions, groups working in the same area are encouraged to join forces.
If you are interested in presenting a workshop (A in the list above), please send a preliminary proposal to the ASP Symposium Program Committee no later than March 1, by e-mailing: 2008meeting@astrosociety.org . Please include a title, a brief description of your plans, and the names, institutions, and emails of the presenters.
Registration and abstract submissions for symposium posters and presentations (B, C and D above) will be available via the American Astronomical Society registration and submission web pages for the AAS summer 2008 meeting (check at www.aas.org ).
Poster and presentation proposals should reflect one or more of the following topical strands, which parallel the major U.S. IYA themes designated by the AAS IYA Program Committee:
1. Looking through a Telescope/Sidewalk Astronomy Activities.
2. A Simple Telescope of Your Own (Galileoscope) and Other Hands-on Optics Activities.
3. Astronomy for Classrooms, Afterschool Programs, and Families.
4. Dark Skies Awareness Activities (including programs to measure local sky brightness).
5. Reaching the Public through New Media (Facebook, Second Life, Podcasts, etc.).
6. Astronomy in the Arts and Entertainment.
7. Storytelling Activities and Cultural Astronomy.
8. Research Experiences for Schools and Citizens.
9. Programs at Science Centers, Planetaria and Observatory Visitor Centers.
10. Image Exhibits: Traveling & Local Displays of Astronomical Imagery.
We ask that all presenters pay particular attention to:
1. How your poster or presentation connects with the goals and programs of IYA.
2. How to publicize and disseminate your activity or materials widely.
3. How to reach underserved audiences and those new to science.
4. How to evaluate the effectiveness of your programs.
5. How we can sustain our efforts beyond 2009.
For posters and presentations (B, C and D above) there is no need to send a preliminary proposal to the ASP Symposium Program Committee; please submit your abstracts via the AAS abstracts submission site when it is ready. If you have questions about the interactive presentations, please first look at the ASP meeting website If you need more guidance email: 2008meeting@astrosociety.org
The IYA Symposium and associated workshops represent a coordinated effort by the ASP and the AAS to prepare scientists, educators, science communicators and other groups to use the International Year of Astronomy as a vehicle to engage the American public in astronomy, education, and science literacy. We hope you will participate in this landmark meeting.
Full meeting announcement here.
