WHAT IS THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF ASTRONOMY (IYA2009)?

IYA2009 is modern astronomy’s quadricentennial and an international celebration of numerous astronomical and scientific milestones. It marks the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s first use of a telescope to study the skies and Kepler’s publication of Astronomia Nova. It is designed with the purpose of rediscovering milestones in astronomy and engaging the public in the beauty and wonder of space. The celebration features a variety of programs and activities throughout the year that focus on learning about our Universe. We encourage you to participate and celebrate along with us!

Check out the New York K-6 International Year of Astronomy Contest!

DARK SKIES AWARENESS activities
GALILEO activities

PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES
A wide variety of programs and activities are planned to celebrate this quadricentennial event. We invite you to discover the Universe through the many resources and activities available.

K-12 TEACHERS! Please take a few minutes to take our survey about IYA professional development opportunities. We need to know what you want and what will work for you.
Thanks!

NASA SCIENCE FEATURE OF THE MONTH
Every month of IYA2009, NASA will feature a different planet or body in space as well as a different topic in astronomy.

January: Telescopes and Space Probes: Today's Starry Messengers; Venus
February: Our Solar System; the Moon
March: Observing at Night...and in the Day; Saturn
April: Galaxies and the Distant Universe; the Whirlpool Galaxy
May: Our Sun; the Sun
June: Clusters of Stars; the Hercules Cluster
July: Black Holes; Our Galaxy: the Milky Way
August: Rocks and Ice in the Solar System; Perseids
September: Planets and Moons; Jupiter
October: What is the Fate of the Universe?; Andromeda
November: The Lives of Stars; the Crab Nebula
December: Discovering New Worlds; the Orion Nebula

JPL "What's Up" short videos each month on IYA themes

IYA2009 SITES FOR MORE INFORMATION:
International IYA Site
U.S. IYA Site
NASA IYA Site

Sign up as a New York IYA Galileo School if you will be celebrating the International Year of Astronomy

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