IYA US NewsCenter

Reach for the Citizen Sky — During IYA2009 and Beyond!

admin — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 04:09:11 +0000

Image by Brian Thieme and courtesy www.citizensky.org

This fall a bright star will begin a puzzling transformation that only happens every 27 years. To help study this event, astronomers have launched a new citizen science project called “Citizen Sky” at www.CitizenSky.org.

Epsilon Aurigae is a bright star that can be seen with the unaided eye even in bright urban areas of the Northern Hemisphere from fall to spring. This fall it is predicted to gradually lose half its brightness until early winter. It will remain faint during all of 2010 before slowly regaining its normal brightness by the summer of 2011.

Since its discovery in 1821, the cause of this dip in brightness has remained a mystery to astronomers. But this time they have a powerful new resource to help study the upcoming event: thousands of citizen scientists.

“This star is too bright to be observed with the vast majority of professional telescopes, so this is another area where public help is needed,” said Dr. Arne Henden, director of the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO).

Supported by a three-year grant from the National Science Foundation, Citizen Sky will recruit, train, and coordinate public participation in this project. What makes this project different from previous citizen science projects is its emphasis on participation in the full scientific method. Participants are not being asked simply to collect data. They will also be trained to analyze data, create and test their own hypotheses, and to write papers for publication in professional astronomy journals. Participants can work alone on all phases of the project or they can focus on one stage and team up with others.

“Citizen science can be much more than data collection. Participants often have real-world experience and/or advanced degrees in areas that can be applied to astronomy. Our goal is to introduce the public to authentic science and at the same time use this talent to help astronomers,” Henden said.

The lead astronomer for this project is Dr. Robert Stencel, the William Herschel Womble Professor of Astronomy at Denver University. Dr. Bob, as the amateur astronomy community knows him, studied the last event in 1982-84 while working at NASA. “This is truly an amazing star system. It contains both a supergiant star and a mysterious companion. If the supergiant was in our solar system, its diameter would extend to Earth, engulfing us,” Stencel said. “The companion only makes its presence known every 27 years and is a type of ‘dark matter’ in that we indirectly detect its presence but don’t know what it is.

“To make things even more fun, we also have some evidence of a substantial mass, perhaps a large planet, spiraling into the mysterious dark companion object. Observations during the upcoming eclipse will be key to understanding this and predicting what will happen if the putative planet does eventually fall into the star,” Dr. Bob added.

Citizen Sky is a collaboration of the AAVSO, Denver University, Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum, Johns Hopkins University, and the California Academy of Sciences. The United Nations and the United States Congress have both endorsed 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy (IYA). Citizen Sky was developed as part of the coordinated United States’ IYA effort.

Shopping Centers Across the U.S. to Experience “The World At Night”

admin — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 01:30:03 +0000

An exhibit of stunning photographs of the night sky as viewed over many of the most beautiful natural, historic and cultural landmarks in the world is being shown at 24 shopping centers across the United States from now through November 8.

Known as “The World At Night,” the exhibit is a special project of the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009), an ongoing global celebration of the science of astronomy and its contributions to society over the 400 years since Galileo’s first use of the telescope.

Among the well-known sites featured in “The World at Night” (TWAN) are Yellowstone National Park in the United States, the Parthenon in Greece, and magnificent monuments across Asia, all set against the grandeur of the starry sky. Supported by Developers Diversified Realty for the properties it manages, this exhibition is the largest showing of TWAN mounted in the
United States during IYA2009, according to the organizers. More than 30 countries have hosted TWAN exhibits this year.

“We have found that TWAN images not only capture the public’s imagination, but also bring educational value,” says Project Director Babak Tafreshi. Each of the shopping centers hosting a TWAN exhibit will add localized educational elements such as contests, family workshops in astronomy, Dancing Under the Stars” or “Movies Under the Stars,” and the participation of Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts working toward their astronomy merit badges.

TWAN is collaborating with a variety of venues around the world to hold major exhibitions and educational events during IYA2009 and beyond. These exhibitions are meant to enhance the offerings of any museum or public space with eye-catching photographs produced by the TWAN team of specialized photographers. The exhibitions are designed to be shown either indoors or outdoors, and can be organized either as standalone exhibits or in conjunction with other IYA2009 exhibits or cultural or educational activities.

TWAN exhibitions will take place in a variety of U.S. cities, large and small:

August 1 – August 16:

Aspen Grove, Littleton, CO

Buena Park Downtown, Buena Park, CA

Deer Park Town Center, Deer Park, IL

Prairie Hills Mall, Dickinson, ND

Berlin Mall, Berlin, VT

Quincy Place Mall, Ottumwa, IA

August 22 – September 6:

Tamarac Square, Denver, CO

The Pike at Rainbow Harbor, Long Beach, CA

Times Square Mall, Mt. Vernon, IL

Paul Bunyan Mall, Bemidji, MN

The Waterfront, Homestead, PA

Copper Country Mall, Houghton, MI

September 12 – September 27:

Town Center Plaza, Leawood, KS

Paseo Colorado, Pasadena, CA

Village at Stone Oak, San Antonio, TX

Westgate Mall, Brainerd, MN

Liberty Fair Mall, Martinsville, VA

Tiffin Mall, Tiffin, OH

October 3 – October 18:

Great Northern Plaza, North Olmsted, OH

Christown Spectrum Mall, Phoenix, AZ

The Shops at Midtown Miami, Miami, FL

Birkdale Village, Huntersville, NC

Tri-County Mall, Cincinnati, OH

October 25 – November 8:

Watertown Mall, Watertown, SD

Sample Images:

The exhibition in Prairie Hills Mall, Dickinson, North Dakota

http://www.twanight.org/newTWAN/news/6035-1.jpg

The exhibition in Buena Park Downtown Shopping Center, California

http://www.twanight.org/newTWAN/news/6035-4.jpg

http://www.twanight.org/newTWAN/news/6035-7.jpg

The global map of locations for the TWAN-US exhibition

http://www.twanight.org/newTWAN/news/6035-2.jpg

The World at Night logo

http://www.twanight.org/newtwan/Resource/TWAN-black.jpg

TWAN description poster: http://www.astronomy2009.org/static/archives/posters/large/iya2009_twan_poster.jpg

TWAN promotional image (in high resolution):

http://www.twanight.org/hr/OnePeople-OneSky.jpg

Photographer copyright: Babak Tafreshi/The World at Night

Background:
The World At Night (TWAN) is an international program by Astronomers Without Borders to create and exhibit a collection of stunning photographs and time-lapse videos of the world’s most beautiful and historic site against a nighttime backdrop of stars, planets and celestial events. More than 40 of the best landscape photographers, coordinators and consultants in 25 countries have contributed to TWAN.

TWAN aims to be a bridge between art, humanity, and science. “The eternally peaceful sky looks the same above all the landmarks and symbols of different nations and regions, attesting to the truly unified nature of Earth as a planet rather than an amalgam of human-designated territories,” says Project Director Babak Tafreshi. “We are all one family under one sky.”

See more than 1,500 images from TWAN: http://www.twanight.org.
International Year of Astronomy 2009: http://www.astronomy2009.org
Astronomers Without Borders: http://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org
Stars Over Developers Diversified Realty program: http://www.starsoverddr.com
IYA2009 U.S. Web site: http://astronomy2009.us

For Further Information:
Babak Tafreshi
TWAN Director
Email: btafreshi@twanight.org

Douglas Isbell
U.S. Single-Point-of-Contact for IYA2009
Phone: 520-991-0380
Email: disbell@astronomy2009.us

Mike Simmons
President
Astronomers Without Borders
26500 West Agoura Road
Suite 102-618
Calabasas, CA 91302
Phone: 818-597-0223
Email: twan@astronomerswithoutborders.org

Lisa Wieting
Stars Over Developers Diversified Realty
Phone: 303-839-1415
Email: Lisa@CohnMarketing.com

Conference on Archaeoastronomy of the American Southwest Concludes

admin — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:00:09 +0000

The American Southwest was one of the early and fruitful areas of cultural astronomy study, and remains so to this day. However, the opportunity for professional and avocational archaeoastronomers to share their research has been limited. To mark the International Year of Astronomy 2009, and to provide a forum to promote research and a better understanding of the cultural significance of astronomical knowledge among American Southwest cultures, the first biennial Conference on Archaeoastronomy of the American Southwest (CAASW) was held from June 11-13, 2009. The theme of the conference, held in Camp Verde, Arizona, was “Creating Sustainability in American Southwest Archaeoastronomy Research.”
Thomas Hockey began the conference with a workshop on publishing archaeoastronomy articles. Todd Bostwick followed with a workshop on standardizing archaeoastronomy recordation. Oral and poster presentations covered a number of significant locations including the Chaco Canyon World Heritage Site, Chimney Rock Colorado and the Mesa Verde National Park. The prehistoric astronomy of the Hohokam, Mogollan and Sinagua cultures was also addressed. Todd Bostwick, Anna Sofaer, J. McKim Malville, E.C. Krupp, and Von Del Chamberlain were some of the paper presenters. Stephen McCluskey was presented with the first Distinguished Service Award in Archaeoastronomy of the American Southwest.
The purpose of the CAASW is to advance the study and practice of archaeoastronomy of the American Southwest. The CAASW is committed to recognizing significant contributions to knowledge and the importance of research, professional standards and excellence in the study of archaeoastronomy, effective dissemination and presentation of archaeoastronomical knowledge, and innovation and originality of approach. To continue to build upon the success of this conference, plans are being made for a two-day technical workshop for March 2010 in Phoenix to include such topics as methodological principles, surveying techniques, mathematical modeling, and standardization of terms and forms.
Additional information about the Conference on Archaeoastronomy of the American Southwest can be obtained at http://www.caasw.org, or by email to information@caasw.org.

Year of Astronomy 2009 raises millions of eyes to the skies

admin — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:23:57 +0000

As the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009) reaches its six-month milestone, over a million people have already looked at the sky through a telescope for the first time, and even more have newly engaged in astronomy. This is just one of many achievements, as countless ongoing projects and planned initiatives indicate that the IYA2009 is well on the way towards achieving many of its goals.

UNESCO and the International Astronomical Union (IAU) launched 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy under the theme “The Universe, Yours to Discover”. The IYA2009 is a global celebration of astronomy and its contributions to society and culture, with events at national, regional and global levels throughout the whole of 2009. Now, halfway through 2009, much has been achieved and even more can be expected in the future.

The Galileoscope project headlines the IYA2009. With the aim of providing low-cost telescopes that offer views far better than those obtained by Galileo Galilei some 400 years ago, the venture has picked up significant pace since the IYA2009 began. By the end of July, the first 60 000 Galileoscopes will have been shipped, and a further 100 000 are currently in production. More than 4000 Galileoscopes have been generously donated by the IYA2009 and individuals to organisations and schools in developing countries. This gesture aptly demonstrates the commitment of astronomy enthusiasts to the IYA2009 goal of making the skies accessible to all.

But perhaps the most impressive figures for the IYA2009 have come from the national activities that have brought together hundreds of thousands of people in many countries for astronomy-themed events. For example, more than 400 000 people gathered for the Sunrise Event on New Year’s Day in Busan City, South Korea. In Brazil, the 2009 Brazilian Olympiad of Astronomy and Astronautics saw more than 750 000 students participate from 32 500 schools. In Paraguay, the IYA2009 launch featured a concert with more than 1600 musicians and an audience of over 15 000. In Norway, every student from grades 5-11 will soon receive a free astronomy kit, including a Galileoscope and an educational guide. For the first time in postal service history, and in just six months, more than 70 postal agencies around the world have issued over 140 new stamps inspired by astronomy.

IAU President Catherine Cesarsky says, “It’s amazing to see just how far the International Year of Astronomy 2009 has progressed over the last six months. The hard work put in by professional and amateur astronomers is making the IYA2009’s theme, ‘The Universe, Yours to Discover’ a reality.”

The many other signature events of the IYA2009 have further enabled astronomy enthusiasts to share their excitement. In April, the highly anticipated 100 Hours of Astronomy extravaganza kicked off. This planet-wide celebration involved over 100 countries and thousands of events, with more than two million people taking part in observing events. Widely regarded as an outstanding success, 100 Hours of Astronomy brought people from all seven continents together with the help of a live 24-hour webcast called “Around the World in 80 Telescopes”. This groundbreaking broadcast was watched by over 150 000 individuals.

Astronomical images have the power to inspire people to think about our place in the Universe, a fact used by From Earth To The Universe (FETTU), a project to run exhibitions in unusual locations around the world, like train stations and shopping malls. So far, over 60 countries around the world have signed up to host FETTU exhibitions in more than 200 separate locations.

Dark Skies Awareness is an ongoing initiative to combat light pollution and raise awareness of the importance of deep darkness for appreciating and studying the cosmos. As part of this effort, the GLOBE At Night project encourages members of the public to become citizen scientists by performing star-counts and reporting their findings. The 2009 campaign, held this March, garnered 15 700 measurements, nearly 80 percent more than the previous record in 2007.

The Cosmic Diary Cornerstone project continues to flourish. Professional scientists are blogging about their lives and work, giving the public an insight into what it is really like to be a researcher. Since its launch on 1 January 2009, the Cosmic Diary has recruited 60 professional astronomers from 28 countries. There have been over 1000 blog posts, attracting more than 97 000 visitors.

Further impressive web statistics are provided by the Portal To The Universe (PTTU), a global, one-stop clearinghouse for online astronomy content. The PTTU serves as an index and aggregator for astronomy content for laypeople, press, educators, decision-makers, scientists and more. During its first two months of operation, the PTTU has featured more than 2500 press releases, almost 1500 podcast episodes, 10 000 blog posts and received almost 100 000 visitors.

Universe Awareness (UNAWE) is an international outreach initiative that uses the beauty and scale of the Universe to inspire very young children in underprivileged environments. To date, programmes have been organised in 30 countries, producing many hundreds of educational resources. For example, in Tunisia more than 40 000 children have participated in UNAWE activities since January 2009.

The Cornerstone project Developing Astronomy Globally (DAG) has surveyed the status of astronomy research and education in more than 45 countries. To support projects and activities in developing regions, the IYA2009 provided seed funding for development initiatives coordinated via DAG. Proposals from the following countries have been selected: Nepal, Uganda, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, Gabon, Rwanda, Uruguay, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Tajikistan. More global educational activities come courtesy of the Galileo Teacher Training Program, which is running workshops in 25 countries.

Astronomical heritage is a strong theme running through the IYA2009. The IAU’s Working Group on Astronomy and World Heritage, along with the International Council on Monuments and Sites, has begun the first Thematic Study in any field of science heritage. The results of the study will be reported to UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee, bringing the protection and preservation of important astronomy sites to the world’s attention. The Thematic Study’s findings will also form the basis for developing specific guidelines for UNESCO member states on the inscription of astronomical properties.

It is fitting that cutting-edge astronomical research is reaching new heights in 2009. The IYA2009 logo and motto was proudly displayed on the Ariane 5 rocket that sent two forefront space observatories into space in May: ESA’s Herschel and Planck flagship missions. Herschel, the largest-ever infrared space telescope, will study the birth and evolution of stars and galaxies. Planck will measure tiny fluctuations in the relic radiation from the Big Bang, opening the way for theories that can more fully describe the origin of the Universe. These two space missions are set to break new ground in Astronomy. Also in May, astronauts performed repairs and equipped the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope with the latest in instrument technology. To honour the IYA2009, astronaut Mike Massimino took onboard with him a replica of Galileo’s telescope as well as an IYA2009 flag.

Although IYA2009’s achievements to date are certainly impressive, it has only reached its halfway point and many new initiatives are in the works. For example, 23-24 October will see the launch of Galilean Nights, the follow-up to the highly successful 100 Hours of Astronomy presentation. “Events such as this, in conjunction with ongoing projects, will ensure that the IYA2009 sprints to the finish, and will leave a legacy that lasts long into the future,” says Cesarsky.

Notes

The vision of the IYA2009 is to help the citizens of the world rediscover their place in the Universe through the day and night-time skies the impact of astronomy and basic sciences on our daily lives, and understand better how scientific knowledge can contribute to a more equitable and peaceful society.

The aim of the IYA2009 is to stimulate worldwide interest, especially among young people, in astronomy and science under the central theme‚”The Universe, Yours to Discover”. IYA2009 events and activities will promote a greater appreciation of the inspirational aspects of astronomy that embody an invaluable shared resource for all countries.

The IYA2009 activities are taking place at the global and regional levels, and especially at the national and local levels. National Nodes in each state have been formed to prepare activities for 2009. These Nodes establish collaborations between professional and amateur astronomers, science centres, educators and science communicators in preparing activities for 2009. The International Year of Astronomy was proclaimed by the United Nations on 20 December 2007.

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.

For more information

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

Further contacts

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

Volunteers Put a New Spin on Galaxy Rotation

admin — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 00:34:31 +0000

The International Year of Astronomy has brought success to Galaxy Zoo (www.galaxyzoo.org), an innovative online collaboration between astronomers and more than 200,000 members of the public. During IYA’s 100 hours of astronomy, April 2-5 2009, Galaxy Zoo users provided more than 2.5 million classifications of galaxies drawn from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, smashing the 1 million click target the team had set. In all, Zoo visitors have contributed more than 32 million classifications since the launch of Galaxy Zoo 2 on February 17, 2009.

Galaxy Zoo 2 builds on the success of the original Galaxy Zoo, which asked users to sort galaxies into one of six categories according to their shape. Zoo 2 asks for more detailed classifications of 250,000 of the best and brightest of the Sloan galaxies, recording information on galaxy bars, spiral arm properties and more. Between Galaxy Zoo 1 and 2, more than 100 million classifications have been recorded – the equivalent of a single PhD student working for almost 20 years without sleep or coffee breaks. IYA New Media chair Pamela Gay said ‘Without the help and hard work of the Galaxy Zoo volunteers throughout the International Year of Astronomy, our understanding of galaxies wouldn’t be as rich and as colorful.

As of April 2009, the combined efforts of Galaxy Zoo and Galaxy Zoo 2 had produced over 100 million galaxy classifications leading to new understandings in galaxy evolution, the isotropy of the universe, galaxy mergers, and more.

The latest Galaxy Zoo science result shows that spiral galaxies which share a neighborhood (within a region 65 million light-years across) are likely to rotate in the same direction – but only if they formed the vast majority of their stars more than 10 billion years ago. The work is further confirmation that spectacular mergers between galaxies are the driving force behind more recent galactic evolution, disrupting the galaxies’ alignment while triggering star formation. Project lead Raul Jiminez (ICREA and the Institute of Space Sciences, Spain ) said, ‘It is very exciting to see this result from Galaxy Zoo – now it is time to go back to theory and simulations and understand better what it all means!’

An earlier Galaxy Zoo paper (Slosar et al.) provided support for the theory that spiral galaxies acquire their angular momentum from the large-scale structure from which they form. As nearby galaxies will have formed in the same environment, they would be expected to share – on average – a direction. Later interactions and mergers which are known to trigger star formation may also have randomized the spin directions of the participating galaxies, producing the correlation between star formation and spins seen in the latest paper. No physical parameter other than star formation history is correlated with the galaxies.
Mergers have long been believed to contribute to the observed evolution of galaxy populations; a head-on collision between two spirals, for example, will often produce ellipticals. This new result suggests that mergers are also an important influence on spiral galaxies themselves. In two companion papers, the Galaxy Zoo team examine the properties of the largest merger catalogue to date, consisting of 3000 systems selected from the almost one million galaxies in SDSS.

Other results from Galaxy Zoo have investigated the role of blue elliptical galaxies and red spirals in galaxy evolution and followed up unusual objects like Hanny’s Voorwerp. As project principal investigator Chris Lintott remarked, ‘With the Zoo 2 target of 40 million classifications in sight, participants in this IYA project will soon truly have made the Universe theirs to discover.

This work has been made possible by the more than 100,000 volunteers in the original Galaxy Zoo project. Their individual contributions are acknowledged at http://www.galaxyzoo.org/Volunteers.aspx

Galaxy Zoo is a proud part of the International Year of Astronomy. Learn more about Galaxy Zoo at http://www.galaxyzoo.org, and explore the International Year of Astronomy at http://www.astronomy2009.us and http://www.astronomy2009.org

Funding for the SDSS and SDSS-II has been provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Participating Institutions, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Japanese Monbukagakusho, the Max Planck Society, and the Higher Education Funding Council for England. The SDSS Web Site is http://www.sdss.org/.

The SDSS is managed by the Astrophysical Research Consortium for the Participating Institutions. The Participating Institutions are the American Museum of Natural History, Astrophysical Institute Potsdam, University of Basel, University of Cambridge, Case Western Reserve University, University of Chicago, Drexel University, Fermilab, the Institute for Advanced Study, the Japan Participation Group, Johns Hopkins University, the Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics, the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, the Korean Scientist Group, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (LAMOST), Los Alamos National Laboratory, the Max-Planck-Institute for Astronomy (MPIA), the Max-Planck-Institute for Astrophysics (MPA), New Mexico State University, Ohio State University, University of Pittsburgh, University of Portsmouth, Princeton University, the United States Naval Observatory, and the University of Washington.

Contact:
Dr. Pamela L. Gay
pgay@siue.edu

Dr Chris Lintott
cjl@astro.ox.ac.uk

Prof Raul Jimenez
raul@ieec.uab.es

Public Celebration of IYA2009 in Pasadena on June 6

admin — Wed, 13 May 2009 02:29:40 +0000

The public is invited to a celebration of the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009) on Saturday, June 6, from 4-8 p.m. at the Pasadena (Calif.) Convention Center, followed by public stargazing with small telescopes on the convention center plaza until 9:30 p.m.

A variety of fun, family oriented, hands-on activities and exhibit booths will be provided, including solar observing and a 100-foot scale model solar system, presented by organizations attending the subsequent summer meeting of the American Astronomical Society, with special additions from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Representatives from the popular Astronomy Cast podcast and the Galaxy Zoo citizen-science project will be among the exhibitors in the indoor “AstroZone.” Special indoor presentations will be made using a portable planetarium and a digital data immersion environment from the Rochester Institute of Technology.

For updates on exhibits and organizations at the event, visit the AstroZone Web site . For more information on the SCUBE digital immersion environment, see their website.

“Pasadena and greater Los Angeles is one of the world’s leading centers of astronomy, both historically and today,” said Douglas Isbell, the U.S. single point of contact for IYA2009. “We look to this public event on
June 6 to help us get the second half of the International Year of Astronomy off to a stellar start, as we anticipate the distribution of many thousand copies of our new Galileoscope telescope kit around the world, and several exciting citizen-science projects.”

Driving directions to the Pasadena Convention Center and information on parking is available at the Web site. The outdoor astronomy activities and bazaar will be held in the central plaza marked by a rose and purple background on the street map posted there.

The telescope viewing, and some of the afternoon outdoor activities on June 6 are weather dependent. The planet Saturn, in particular, will be well positioned for viewing that evening. Small telescopes for public viewing will be provided by members of the Old Town Sidewalk Astronomers.

Commemorating 400 years since Galileo first used a telescope for astronomical research, IYA2009 is designed to help the citizens of the world to rediscover their place in the Universe through viewing the day- and night-time skies, to appreciate the impact of astronomy and basic sciences on our daily lives, and to better understand how scientific knowledge can contribute to a more equitable and peaceful society. Astronomers and educators in 140 countries aim to stimulate worldwide interest in astronomy and science, especially among young people, under the central IYA2009 theme‚”The Universe, Yours to Discover.”

Major IYA2009 events to come include collaboration with the Year of Science 2009 in July, featuring a public imaging contest using NASA’s MicroObservatory network, globally connected star parties focused on observing the Moon on August 1 and Jupiter (and its moons) on October 23-24, the Great World Wide Star Count from October 9-23, and further expansion of the new Portal to the Universe Web site .

To learn more about IYA2009, visit www.astronomy2009.org. Additional information on the U.S. plans and programs for IYA can be found at www.astronomy2009.us.

The U.S. IYA2009 program is supported by the National Science Foundation and NASA, and by private donations. The American Astronomical Society is the U.S. liaison to the IYA2009 program via the International Astronomical
Union. Key U.S. partners include the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, the National Optical Astronomy Observatory, the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, and the National Radio Astronomy Observatory.

The California Institute of Technology in Pasadena manages JPL for NASA.

Contacts:
Douglas Isbell
U.S. Single-Point-of-Contact for IYA2009
Phone: 520-991-0380
Email: disbell@astronomy2009.us

Jake Noel-Storr
Rochester Institute of Technology
Phone: 585-475-2521
Email: jake@cis.rit.edu

IYA2009 Boosts GLOBE at Night to Record Number of Dark-Skies Observations

admin — Mon, 04 May 2009 02:54:10 +0000

The global citizen-science campaign GLOBE at Night 2009 recorded 80 percent more observations of the world’s dark skies than the program’s previous record—including double the number of digital measurements—thanks in large part to active participation and publicity from the network of 140 countries currently celebrating the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009).

Now in its fourth year, GLOBE at Night encourages people everywhere to observe the prominent constellation Orion at least once over a two-week period and compare the number of stars that are visible using their unaided eyes with a series of charts that show how Orion would appear in skies ranging from very dark to very bright skies. The program is designed to aid teaching about the impact of excessive artificial lighting on local environments, and the ongoing loss of a dark night sky as a shared natural resource for much of the world’s population.

The 2009 campaign, held from March 16-28, garnered 15,300 geographically “mappable” measurements of Orion, nearly 7,000 more than the previous record of 8,491 that were contributed in 2007. Only 1 percent of the 15,456 observations in 2009 were “flagged” as not mappable. The percentage of flagged observations was reduced markedly this year thanks to a new online tool that helps identify the country from which the observation originated.

Measurements were received from more than 70 countries in the 2009 campaign, with 17 countries reporting more than 100 Orion measurements. About 73 percent of the total measurements came from the United States (approximately 11,270 observations), including all 50 states and the District of Columbia, followed by Chile (about 900), the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom (both over 200). Other countries reporting more than 100 observations were Argentina, Australia, Canada, Colombia, Finland, Germany, Macedonia, Mexico, Poland, Romania, South Africa, Spain and Turkey.

In addition, 19 countries contributed another 1,474 “mappable” digital measurements using handheld Sky Quality Meters (SQMs). Two-thirds of the SQM measurements were from the US, with nearly 200 from Chile. Romania and Mexico followed, with over 70 and 60 SQM measurements, respectively.

The full data set will be posted soon for download and local use at www.globe.gov/GaN/analyze.html; a map viewer that can compare GLOBE at Night data across the years is already available there.

“There were particularly spirited GLOBE at Night SQM measurement campaigns in the U.S. states of Indiana, Oklahoma and Connecticut, and in the country of Chile,” said Dr. Connie Walker, associate scientist at the National Optical Astronomy Observatory in Tucson, Arizona, and chair of both the U.S. and international IYA2009 working groups on dark-skies awareness

For example, a campaign in and around Mishawaka, Indiana, led by astronomy outreach coordinator Chuck Bueter, produced 3,400 Orion measurements. Bueter worked with 14 schools in the Penn-Harris-Madison (PHM) School Corporation in northern Indiana to have students answer the question, “How much of the night sky have we already lost?”

Along with Art Klinger, director of the PHM planetarium, Bueter worked with hundreds of teachers and thousands of students preparing them to answer this question.

Nearly 6,500 students in grades 3-8 quantified sky glow across the district through 3,391 visual observations of Orion. A small group of students from each PHM school also measured their local sky glow with hand-held SQMs. After all the classes discuss and interpret the results, teams from each school will build a model out of LEGO® blocks to show visually how much has been lost. A subset of students will then present recommendations to the school district’s energy education manager and to the PHM School Board.

Fourteen schools in Chile took visual and SQM measurements during GLOBE at Night in partnership with Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) in La Serena and the Centro de Apoyo a la Didactica de la Astronomia (CADIAS). Dr. David Orellana (director of CADIAS), Daniel Munizaga (staff assistant at CADIAS) and Hugo Ochoa (outreach coordinator at CTIO) worked with the Ministry of Education to identify 14 “star teachers” who excel in science. Even though many of the classrooms were at remote locations, Orellana, Ochoa and Munizaga traveled to the schools to train the teachers and students on how to use the SQMs.

As a result, 793 Orion measurements and 74 SQM measurements were reported from Chile. An additional 112 Orion and 112 SQM measurements were taken by Orellana, Ochoa and Munizaga around CTIO in an effort to monitor year-to-year changes in the night-sky brightness around NOAO observatories.

In Norman, Oklahoma, high school students, their teachers and local amateur astronomers produced a map of nearly 500 SQM measurements that canvassed their city. Local teacher and amateur astronomer Eileen Grzybowski, with students Brittany, Emily and Braden, then made a well-received presentation of the results to their local Environmental Control Advisory Board.

“They want us to partner with them and be the outside agitating voice in the newspapers and elsewhere to put the issue of revising our lighting ordinances front and center,” Grzybowski reported. “They made suggestions as to how the presentation could be revised to make a bigger impact. They want us to obtain pictures taken from the sky down to the Earth from an airplane and pictures of our ground-based sites of high light pollution and dark oases, and they want us to include data about security issues and cost savings. Our next step is to go before the City Council and do the light demo and discuss our preliminary results.”

Three elementary schools in Willemantic, Connecticut, and Three Rivers Community College in Norwich, Connecticut. collaborated with national and international partners on the GLOBE at Night program. Their partners included a fifth grade class in Waynesville, OH, a sixth grade science class in Mirimichi, New Brunswick, Canada, a high school class in Slatina, Romania, and a school in Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. In all, their team consisted of 10 teachers and about 150 students.

As with the PHM schools in Indiana, the Connecticut-based team had several training sessions for students and teachers. The first session introduced “light pollution,” Orion, moon phases and how to build a simple telescope. Each classroom then held training sessions on how to record the measurements, access the GLOBE at Night Web site and use the SQM. Also, during the new moon phase, the students practiced using an SQM at home so that they would be ready for Globe at Night. Finally, the schools had a Skype/Bridgit session with Walker, as the GLOBE at Night international coordinator, and that included all of their long distance partners in a final training and questions and answers session.

Other special training in GLOBE at Night and related dark-skies awareness activities delivered to groups such as the “Astronomy from the Ground Up” network of small science and nature centers fostered by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) and the National Science Foundation, 146 amateur astronomers that are part of the ASP-NASA Night-Sky Network, and the Association of Science-Technology Centers, also played a role in the greater participation this year, according to Walker.

Workshops at several science teacher and professional astronomy conferences also helped to broaden audience participation, Walker said. As a partner in the Dark Skies Awareness cornerstone, the International Dark-Sky Association highlighted GLOBE at Night and dark skies outreach at its annual meeting as well with resources online. Using technology to provide a multitude of platforms to fit people’s needs made trainings more widely accessible via online forums, videoconferencing, teleconferencing, and blogs.

More audiences were reached by promoting GLOBE at Night through various list serves such as for IYA, professional and amateur astronomical societies, and Astronomers Without Borders. An educational kit available through the training process, which will continue to be available, provided the coordinator or educator with a simple but effective light shielding demonstration, a Sky Quality Meter, and a CD and two DVDs with resources on dark skies education and GLOBE at Night.

Dark-Skies Awareness is one of 11 global cornerstone projects being supported by the International Astronomical Union’s IYA2009 effort. “Through the International Year of Astronomy, the GLOBE at Night campaign was able to reach a wider and more diverse audience,” Walker said. “Its simplicity in approach and adaptability to different audiences, as well as the access to effective educational resources that it provides, has also helped increase the level of participation. In the coming year, the GLOBE at Night team plans to keep the momentum going and to increase people’s connectivity with astronomy and dark skies awareness.”

For more information on a variety of IYA2009 dark-skies awareness programs, including its three primary star-hunting projects (such as the Great World Wide Star Count from October 9-23), a planetarium show, a presence in Second Life, and joint programs with U.S. national parks, amateur astronomers and some of the greatest environmental photographers in the world, see www.darkskiesawareness.org.

To learn more about IYA2009 internationally, the cornerstone projects, and other activities please visit www.astronomy2009.org. Additional information on the U.S. plans and programs for IYA can be found at www.astronomy2009.us.

The U.S. IYA2009 program is supported by the National Science Foundation and NASA, and by private donations. The American Astronomical Society is the U.S. liaison to the IYA2009 program via the International Astronomical Union. Key U.S. partners include the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, the National Optical Astronomy Observatory, the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, and the National Radio Astronomy Observatory.

GLOBE at Night is a collaboration between the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) in Tucson, AZ; The Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Program, in Boulder, CO; the Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI) in Redlands, CA; the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) in Tucson, AZ; and the Centro de Apoyo a la Didactica de la Astronomia (CADIAS) in Altovalsol, Chile. NOAO (www.noao.edu) is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc. (AURA), under a cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation.

An IYA2009 Activity Puts “Astronomy in the Classroom”

admin — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 17:31:14 +0000

The University of Hawaii’s Institute for Astronomy (IfA) and Interstellar Studios, the producers of the PBS special 400 Years of the Telescope, have created a unique learning opportunity for classroom students and teachers. Starting in April 2009, teachers can log their students onto the “Astronomer in the Classroom” online conference room for dynamic interactions with astronomers and technicians from the world’s leading observatories.

Each half-hour session will begin with a 5-10 minute presentation including imagery, PowerPoint slides and video, followed by a question and answer period where your students and you get to pose your questions directly to the presenters. Hundreds of scientists are volunteering to participate in this International Year of Astronomy activity. The best thing about it – you choose in which of the daily presentations your classroom will participate.

Three daily sessions will be held to allow each of the North American time zones to participate. As an educator, all you need to do is select the astronomers and times that work best with your curriculum and schedule. This is also an excellent opportunity for libraries and science centers. Using the Adobe Connect Web conferencing solution, an unlimited number of classrooms can join in on the lectures.

Participating is easy.

o Visit http://www.AstronomerInTheClassroom.org

o Select a lecture from the calendar

o Click on the provided link on the date/time of the selected lecture.

o Once in the virtual classroom, students can participate in the lectures by typing questions to the speaker.

Requirements: Any computer with an Internet browser connected to the Internet (ADSL or cable broadband is recommended). No additional software is required.

Don’t miss out on this invaluable International Year of Astronomy resource. Bring the Universe to your students!

For more information contact:
Kris Koenig
Interstellar Studios
11 Ilahee Lane
Chico, CA 95973

kris@interstellarstudios.com
(530) 343-5635

California Symphony to Take Audiences on a 3-D Space Odyssey on May 3 & 5

admin — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 17:07:39 +0000

Unprecedented event marks world premiere of first-ever live symphonic concert in 3-D

Boldly going where no orchestra has ventured before, the California Symphony will take audiences on a virtual space odyssey, when it presents the world’s first live symphonic concert in 3-D on May 3 and 5, 2009.

Commissioned by trailblazing Music Director Barry Jekowsky, the unprecedented event will feature Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition performed to a suite of high-definition videos created by noted astronomer and visualizer Dr. José Francisco Salgado of the prestigious Adler Planetarium in Chicago.

Composed in 1874, Mussorgsky’s popular work is a suite of ten piano pieces commemorating his friend, the artist and architect Viktor Hartmann, who died suddenly the year before. Inspired by a posthumous exhibition of over 400 of the artist’s works in St Petersburg, Mussorgsky’s creative interpretation took the form of an imaginary musical tour around such a collection. Each movement is filled with vivid musical images to convey the moods and feelings of a different painting, separated by interludes to create the feeling of walking through the gallery.

“Astronomical Pictures at an Exhibition,” the film, begins in a virtual gallery filled with cosmic “paintings.” As the camera moves through the works of art, audience members, wearing polarized 3-D glasses, enter space and fly past Earth, planets, stars, black holes, and galaxies. “Many astronomical images are so beautiful they look like artwork. It’s like nature is creating works of art,” says Dr. Salgado, who used actual photographs, as well as science visualizations of the cosmos and his own astronomy-inspired artwork in making it.

“The neat thing is that it’s based on scientific data. It’s not science fiction,” Salgado adds. “Basically, you’re taking scientific data and using it to create visuals to get a better insight into how the universe looks like and behaves. As long as you know the distance (the coordinates of those objects), you can virtually navigate through them. Then you can see large-scale structures that are not visible from Earth, and you don’t have to physically go there to see what the universe looks like.”

“The brilliance of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition will be enhanced as the astronomical images on the screen dance and fly through the auditorium. Never before has technology and symphony created such an imaginative roller coaster of sight and sound,” says Jekowsky of the groundbreaking multi-media extravaganza.

The event is just the latest in a series of innovative programs in which Jekowsky and the California Symphony have been dazzling audiences with the unexpected. At a time when classical orchestras around the country are struggling to sell tickets, the 22-year-old East Bay orchestra has been enjoying record attendance – boosted by Jekowky’s flair for fusing classical music and pop culture to appeal to a wider audience. “For some time, it’s been obvious that the symphonic experience has to evolve in order to compete with the growing number of entertainment options available today,” he says.

“Astronomical Pictures at an Exhibition” marks the second time the California Symphony has collaborated with Dr. Salgado. In October 2007, CSO presented the West Coast premiere of his “Gustav Holst’s The Planets” at two standing-room only concerts. “It was a huge success!” says Stacey Street, the California Symphony’s Executive Director. “We had tons of new audience members, many of whom became regular patrons or subscribers. The interest that has already been generated by this upcoming concert is phenomenal.”

Among the unusual challenges of mounting the 3-D “Astronomical Pictures at an Exhibition” was the need for a silver screen and high definition projectors, as well as special technicians and two extra days in the auditorium, including for installation. “Without the support of the Diablo Regional Arts Association, we would not be able to mount a production of this scale,” says Street of the substantial grant awarded by the DRAA to cover the additional costs.

The world premiere of “Astronomical Pictures at an Exhibition” on May 3 and 5 coincides with the 2009 International Year of Astronomy, designated by the 62nd General Assembly of the United Nations. Among the historic milestones being commemorated around the world this year are the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s use of a telescope to study the skies, and Kepler’s publication of Astronomia Nova. For more information, visit www.astronomy2009.us.

About Dr. José Francisco Salgado

Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the Emmy-nominated host of Nuestra Galaxia, a weekly astronomy segment aired on Univision, earned his doctorate in Astronomy from the University of Michigan. He is a member of the Adler Planetarium Astronomy Department, where he combines Astronomy Research with Education and Graphic Design. Through his artwork, Salgado seeks to create visually appealing images to provoke curiosity and a sense of wonder about the Earth and the Universe. His artwork, photographs, and illustrations have been published in magazines and science books, and shown in San Juan, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Belgrade. For more information, visit www.AdlerPlanetarium.org.

About the California Symphony

The California Symphony, now in its 22th season, was designated “America’s Best Symphony Orchestra” by Reader’s Digest in 2005. Its founder, the distinguished Music Director, Barry Jekowsky, is regarded as one of the most innovative music directors today. The Juilliard-trained former Associate Conductor of the National Symphony in Washington, D.C., and winner of a Leopold Stokowski Conducting Prize was among the first in the nation to present at least one work by an American composer on every concert program, beginning 1986. Jekowsky has also provided numerous young gifted prodigies with their first-ever concert appearances in the U.S. – including violinist Sarah Chang, cellist Alisa Weilerstein and pianist Helen Huang, who went on to international fame. Concerned about where the next generation of American composers would come from, Jekowsky founded the California Symphony’s landmark Young American Composer-in-Residence Program (YACR) in 1991. The only training ground of its kind in the world, YACR nurtures the development of new American classical works through three-year residencies for emerging composers to hone their craft, using a professional orchestra as their laboratory. The program has been so successful that YACR alumni have gone on to win many of the world’s top honors and competitions – including two of the three BBC International Masterprizes awarded to date and four Rome Prizes. For more information, visit www.CaliforniaSymphony.org.

CONCERT DETAILS

WHAT: Music Director Barry Jekowsky and the California Symphony present the world’s first live symphonic concert in 3-D: “Astronomical Pictures at an Exhibition,” created by noted astronomer and visualizer Dr. José Francisco Salgado of the prestigious Adler Planetarium in Chicago. Also on the program will be the gifted young pianist Conrad Tao, performing Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G, and Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring.

DATES: Sunday, May 3, 2009, at 4 pm and Tuesday, May 5, 2009, at 7:30 pm.

WHERE: Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek, CA 94596

TICKETS: $39 – $59. Call (925) 943-SHOW or purchase online at www.LesherArtsCenter.org

MORE INFORMATION: www.CaliforniaSymphony.org

Special thanks to Bank of America (Season Sponsor), Chevron (Guest Artist Sponsor) and KPMG (Concert Sponsor), with additional support provided by the Diablo Regional Arts Association and the Adler Planetarium.

* * * the

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Lyla Foggia
Foggia Public Relations
(503) 622-0232
lyla@foggiapr.com

Stacey Street
Executive Director
California Symphony
(925) 280-2490
sstreet@californiasymphony.org

GETTING ASTRONOMERS INVOLVED IN THE IYA: ASTRONOMER IN THE CLASSROOM PROGRAM

admin — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 03:39:39 +0000

The University of Hawaii Institution for Astronomy and Interstellar Studios will be facilitating the exciting new International Year of Astronomy (IYA) educational program, Astronomer in the Classroom, starting next month. We are seeking astronomers that are interested in volunteering 3 hours to this worthy activity.

The Astronomer in the Classroom Program will provide astronomers with the opportunity to interface with school children across North America during the IYA2009. Using Abode Connect, a web conferencing solution, Interstellar Studios will host three 20-minute webcasts every school day in 2009 starting in mid-April.

The webcasts will be conducted at the same time each day, to accommodate national time zone differences and grade levels (3-5, 7-8, 9-12) allowing educators to drop-in when their curriculum and testing schedules allow it. This flexible scheduling will afford convenience to the teachers while avoiding bandwidth congestion.

A schedule of participating astronomers will be posted at www.astronomerintheclassroom.org with brief descriptions of the lectures allowing both the student and teacher a chance to plan for webcasts that they would like to participate in.

The Adobe Connect web-based interface will allow the astronomer to be viewed and heard over the web, as well as run a PowerPoint presentation live. Students can interact by typing questions to the conference. A Moderator will be provided to help facilitate the follow-up Q & A period.

Graduate students, post docs and active researchers who can give three hours to this worthy cause are invited to volunteer. The program should only require one hour of prep to create the presentation, ½-hour to upload and test the provided webcam and 1 ½-hours to do the three webcasts.

IfA has donated the cost of the Abobe licensing and Interstellar Studios is managing this free program. Volunteers need only provide a PC/Mac with a webcam and microphone. An Internet connection rated DSL or better is required

No special training is needed. Astronomers who are passionate about their research, and enjoy sharing their discoveries and news of their institution, have already met the most important criteria for participation. Participating astronomers are simply asked to keep in mind the grade levels’ attention capacity, and to describe the subject matter with grade appropriate vocabulary.

For astronomers whose institutions are expected to perform outreach, and /or participate in the IYA2009, the Astronomer in the Classroom Program offers a convenient, high-impact means to meet those objectives.

Make a difference during the IYA 2009! Inspire a child to look up and ask why!

Contact Information:

Interstellar Studios
11 Ilahee Lane
Chico, CA 95973
Telephone – (530) 343-5635