Global launch for From Earth to the Universe project

Worldwide exhibitions of large-scale astronomical images are being launched in over 40 countries around the world. The IYA2009 Cornerstone project, From Earth to the Universe (FETTU), is designed to bring the undeniable beauty of astronomy to the general public in a series of free showings across the world.

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Fantastic images of the Universe are captured by the world’s fleet of ground- and space-based telescopes, and they belong to everyone. The grandeur of popular images of the cosmos captivates people, but their allure also presents an opportunity to learn the science behind them.

IYA2009 is an unprecedented opportunity to present astronomy to the global community in a way that has never been done before. The Cornerstone project, From Earth to the Universe, is an exhibition arranged by the IYA2009 that will showcase images of a great variety of astronomical objects to a wider audience in non-traditional venues such as public parks and gardens, art museums, shopping malls, airports and metro stations around the globe.

The FETTU images – highlighting planets, comets, stars, nebulae, galaxies, clusters and more – have been selected for their stunning beauty to engage members of the general public who might normally overlook or pass up astronomy. With short, yet informative, captions on each panel, the goal is introduce some basics of the science once an individual has been drawn to the image. In an attempt to bring astronomy to a wider audience, FETTU panels for the visually impaired are being prepared with support from NASA.

“A key aim of the IYA2009 is to bring astronomy to the attention of everybody. The stunning images from space have always resonated with the wider public in a way no other piece of science data can.” said Kim Kowal Arcand of the Chandra X-ray Center and co-chair of the FETTU Cornerstone project. Her co-chair Megan Watzke, also of the Chandra X-ray Center, adds “This IYA20009 Cornerstone project is very exciting because we will be using astrophotography in a new way and hopefully surprise the public by putting astronomy in places you wouldn’t expect.”

With 2009 underway, FETTU is already being showcased in a variety of formats – both physically and digitally – in over 40 countries across the globe. These worldwide exhibits have been funded through a variety of local resources and are organised by each individual location. For a full list of FETTU exhibits visit www.fromearthtotheuniverse.org/table_events.php.

FETTU is one of 11 global Cornerstone projects being supported by the International Astronomical Union’s IYA2009 efforts. To learn more about IYA2009 internationally, the Cornerstone projects and other activities please visit www.astronomy2009.org.

Notes

The IAU is the international astronomical organisation that brings together almost 10 000 distinguished astronomers from all nations of the world. Its mission is to promote and safeguard the science of astronomy in all its aspects through international cooperation. The IAU also serves as the internationally recognised authority for assigning designations to celestial bodies and the surface features on them. Founded in 1919, the IAU is the world’s largest professional body for astronomers.

Links

• From Earth to the Universe: http://www.fromearthtotheuniverse.org
• IYA2009 website: http://www.astronomy2009.org

For more information:

Megan Watzke
FETTU Task Group co-chair
Chandra X-ray Center
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Tel.:+1 617 496 799
E-mail: mwatzke@cfa.harvard.edu

Kimberly Kowal Arcand
FETTU Task Group co-chair
Chandra X-ray Center
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Tel.:+1 617 4967860
E-mail: kkowal@cfa.harvard.edu

Further contacts

Pedro Russo
IAU IYA2009 Coordinator
ESO ePOD, Garching, Germany
Tel: +49 89 320 06 195
Cellular: +49 176 6110 0211
Fax: +49 89 320 23 62
E-mail: prusso@eso.org

Yolanda Berenguer
UNESCO Focal Point for the International Year of Astronomy 2009
UNESCO HQ, Paris
Tel: +33 1 45684171
E-mail: y.berenguer@unesco.org

Dr. Karel A. van der Hucht
General Secretary, International Astronomical Union
IAU Secretariat, Paris, France
Tel: +33 1 43 25 83 58
E-mail: K.A.van.der.Hucht@sron.nl

Lars Lindberg Christensen
IAU Press Officer
ESO ePOD, Garching, Germany
Tel: +49 89 3200 6761
Cellular: +49 173 3872 621
E-mail: lars@eso.org

Texas Legislature Honors University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University for Joint Efforts in Astronomy

AUSTIN, Texas —The 81st Legislature of the State of Texas today (Feb. 24) will honor the state’s two flagship universities with a joint resolution, recognizing their cutting-edge research and outreach efforts in astronomy in celebration of 2009 as the official International Year of Astronomy.

The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University will be recognized at 10 a.m. in the House of Representatives Chamber in the State Capitol, and at about 11 a.m. in the Senate Chamber. I n House Concurrent Resolution 55 they will be cited for their commitment to unravel the mysteries of the cosmos through joint research projects such as the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX) and their participation in the forthcoming Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT).

T he universities will be acknowledged for their combined efforts to educate and excite the citizens of Texas about the wonders of the universe through diverse outreach programs to teachers, students and the public. This year’s outreach efforts include a year-long speakers’ series in cities across Texas commemorating the International Year of Astronomy, a world-wide celebration of the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s first astronomical use of the telescope in 1609.

Leaders of the two universities’ astronomy programs, along with Houston businessman and philanthropist George P. Mitchell, a significant financial contributor to both programs, will be present on the floor of the House and Senate chambers when the resolutions are read.

“We’re very glad to be working with Texas A&M on these research projects,” said Dr. David L. Lambert, director of The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory. “These are expensive endeavors that push the frontiers of astronomy. Thus, it’s to the benefit of all that the major public universities in the state, UT and Texas A&M, pool their talents.”

Dr. Edward S. Fry, professor and head of the Department of Physics at Texas A&M, said,  “The astronomy program at Texas A&M was initiated just a couple years ago, and since that time, it has been making extraordinary progress. This collaboration in astronomy between Texas A&M University and The University of Texas at Austin is a striking example of the benefits that will accrue to the state of Texas as a result of such partnerships — and there are many — between these great state institutions.”

Texas A&M has recently joined HETDEX, The University of Texas at Austin-led project to study “dark energy,” the mysterious force causing the universe’s expansion to speed up over time. Dark energy has been called the most important question in science today. The experiment will be carried out at The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory with the Hobby-Eberly Telescope — one of the world’s largest. The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M are collaborating in building the instrumentation that will be mounted on the telescope for this project, which is on track to provide results before any of the major federally funded dark energy projects.

T he universities are also both founding partners in a collaboration to build one of the largest new telescopes of the future, the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT). George Mitchell’s $1.75 million gift to Texas A&M in 2004 that was matched by The University of Texas at Austin paved the way for both universities’ partnership in the GMT. The telescope will be able to probe the cosmos more deeply than any telescope in use today, thanks to its seven mirrors that together provide the power of a single 25-meter mirror. GMT will be built in the Andes Mountains of Chile, at Las Campanas Observatory, a site owned by the Carnegie Institution for Science. Other founding partners in GMT include Carnegie, Harvard University, the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, The University of Arizona, Australian National University, Astronomy Australia Limited, and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute.

Next month will mark the debut event in a joint endeavor between The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M: the International Year of Astronomy Texas Speakers’ Series. The series will feature astronomers from both universities traveling to cities across the state to present their astronomical research to area audiences. D estinations include Amarillo, Arlington, Austin, Brownsville, College Station, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Davis, Houston, Laredo, Lubbock, Midland and San Antonio.— END —

Media Contacts: Rebecca Johnson, Astronomy Program, The University of Texas at Austin, 512-475-6763, rjohnson@astro.as.utexas.edu

Shana Hutchins, College of Science, Texas A&M University, 979-862-1237, shutchins@science.tamu.edu

For Additional Information:

Texas House of Representatives Concurrent Resolution 55
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/81R/billtext/html/HC00055I.htm

Online press kit with links to images and information on HETDEX, GMT, and Speakers Series
http://mcdonaldobservatory.org/iya/IYApresskit

University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory
http://mcdonaldobservatory.org

Texas A&M Astronomy
http://astronomy.tamu.edu