The Orion constellation as seen over the Mayall 4-meter Telescope on Kitt Peak.
Credit: J. Glaspey and NOAO/AURA/NSF
International Year of Astronomy Kicks Off With Strong Support from the National Science Foundation
News story originally written on January 15, 2009
International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA 2009) has begun!
IYA 2009 is a celebration of astronomy and its effects on society and culture. There will be IYA2009 activities around the world!
One of the cool ways to get involved is by participating in the The Dark Skies Awareness Project, which features three citizen scientist programs: GLOBE at Night, Great World Wide Star Count, and How Many Stars. These campaigns help scientists map light pollution globally while educating participants about the stars. Each provides opportunities for you to get involved! Check out the above web sites and start observing the night sky!
The National Science Foundation, one of the main sponsors of IYA2009, is also involved in the Galileoscope Project, an official cornerstone project of IYA2009. The Galileoscope will let children make observations through a very inexpensive ($10/each) telescope. The Galileoscope is perfect for looking at bright objects like the Moon and planets.
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