Years Of Astronomy Research Articles

Astronomy in Mozambique

AbstractWe present the state of Astronomy in Mozambique and how it has evolved since 2009 following the International Year of Astronomy. Activities have been lead by staff at University Eduardo Mondlane and several outreach activities have also flourished. In 2010 the University introduced its first astronomy module, Introduction to Astronomy and Astrophysics, for the second year students in the Department of Physics. The course has now produced the first students who will be graduating in late 2012 with some astronomy content. Some of these students will now be looking for further studies and those who have been keen in astronomy have been recommended to pursue this as a career. At the university level we have also discussed on the possibility to introduce a whole astronomy course by 2016 which falls well within the HCD that the university is now investing in. With the announcement that the SKA will be split between South Africa with its partner countries (including Mozambique), and Australia we have been working closely with the Ministry of Science and Technology to make astronomy a priority on its agenda. In this respect, an old telecommunications antenna is being converted by the South Africa SKA Project Office, and donated to Mozambique for educational purposes. It will be situated in Maluana, Mozambique.

Exotic nuclei in astrophysics

Recently the academic community has marked several anniversaries connected with discoveries that played a significant role in the development of astrophysical investigations. The year 2009 was proclaimed by the United Nations the International Year of Astronomy. This was associated with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei’s discovery of the optical telescope, which marked the beginning of regular research in the field of astronomy. An important contribution to not only the development of physics of the microcosm, but also to the understanding of processes occurring in the Universe, was the discovery of the atomic nucleus made by E. Rutherford 100 years ago. Since then the investigations in the fields of physics of particles and atomic nuclei have helped to understand many processes in the microcosm. Exactly 80 years ago, K. Yanski used a radio-telescope in order to receive the radiation from cosmic objects for the first time, and at the present time this research area of physics is the most efficient method for studying the properties of the Universe. Finally, the April 12, 1961 (50 years ago) launching of the first sputnik into space with a human being onboard, the Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, marked the beginning of exploration of the Universe with the direct participation of man. All these achievements considerably extended our ideas about the Universe.

Exotic nuclei and astrophysics

Recently the academic community has marked several anniversaries connected with discoveries that played a significant role in the development of astrophysical investigations. The year 2009 was proclaimed by the United Nations the International Year of Astronomy. This was associated with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei’s discovery of the optical telescope, which marked the beginning of regular research in the field of astronomy. An important contribution to not only the development of physics of the microcosm, but also to the understanding of processes occurring in the Universe, was the discovery of the atomic nucleus made by E. Rutherford 100 years ago. Since then the investigations in the fields of physics of particles and atomic nuclei have helped to understand many processes in the microcosm. Exactly 80 years ago, K. Yanski used a radio-telescope in order to receive the radiation from cosmic objects for the first time, and at the present time this research area of physics is the most efficient method for studying the properties of the Universe. Finally, the April 12, 1961 (50 years ago) launching of the first sputnik into space with a human being onboard, the Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, marked the beginning of exploration of the Universe with the direct participation of man. All these achievements considerably extended our ideas about the Universe.

Celestial ecotourism: new horizons in nature-based tourism

Celestial ecotourism is a neglected and hitherto unrecognised subsector that is dominated by the observation of nocturnal ‘megacaela’ (mega-skies). Observatories are the single largest component in terms of visitation, while aurora-viewing is the most articulated as a specialised commercial tourism (though not necessarily ecotourism) industry. Given the distance from featured attractions, sustainability is focused not on interaction but on context impacts and especially the need to preserve and restore the dark sky and unpolluted atmospheric conditions that foster charismatic megacaela. A logical emphasis on ‘enhancement’ sustainability is therefore apparent. Formal recognition and development of celestial ecotourism can be realised through the collaboration of ecotourism organisations with well-established and influential astronomy-related institutions pursuing relevant initiatives such as the creation of ‘dark sky’ reserves and the designation of 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy.

La Horca del Inca—an astronomical observatory?

AbstractWhile celebrating the International Year of Astronomy 2009, some government and private institutions in Bolivia pointed out the need to raise a petition to UNESCO and the IAU aimed at declaring the monument known as ‘La Horca del Inca’ (The Inca's Gallows) to be an astronomical World Heritage Site. The request was made because La Horca del Inca was assumed to be a pre-Columbian astronomical observatory. In this paper we analyze the reliability of that postulate through a twofold approach: 1) by examining the most relevant publications, both archaeological and astronomical, that conclude that the site was indeed a pre-Columbian astronomical observatory; and 2) by independently visiting and surveying the monument and its surrounding area.

Cosmic-gate: A Cosmic Rays Detector for Public Exhibition

To celebrate world year of astronomy in 2009, the Taipei Astronomical Museum conducted a special exhi- bition on the topics of fundamental particle and cosmic ray. We made a door-like cosmic rays detector, called cos- mic-gate, and it was placed at the entrance of exhibition hall. Cosmic-gate consists of five plastic scintillators and 6 sets of photomultiplier tubes and read-out electronics. Triggered events are recorded and displayed in a big-screen monitor. Spectators can know how many secondary cosmic rays pass through this area when they step into the exhibi- tion hall through the Cosmic-gate. This paper describes the details of cosmic-gate and present some data collected during exhibition and the following year.

Daytime School Guided Visits to an Astronomical Observatory in Brazil

This article analyzes the activity Daytime School Guided Visits at an astronomical observatory in Brazil with pupils from primary school. The adopted research methodology relied on questionnaire applications and semistructured interviews. The objectives were to identify the influences of the visits on learning of astronomical concepts and on pupils’ motivation toward science. This study showed that it is difficult for children to understand scale distances in the Solar System and beyond. In order to cope with this problem, this article highlights the relevance of science centers’ partnership with schools to achieve the goal of improving scientific education by relying on two main participants for a successful visit to a science museum: Guides and teachers. The International Year of Astronomy 2009 as declared by the United Nations UN and sponsored by United Nations Educational and Scientific Organization and the International Astronomical Union was a landmark for teaching astronomy in many countries, and many outreach educational activities were promoted around the world aimed at stimulating interest in astronomy and other sciences. The International Year of Astronomy goals included increasing public scientific awareness, supporting and improving formal and informal science education, and promoting widespread access to new knowledge and observing experiences. With these objectives in mind, the Brazilian government financed several astronomy outreach projects. This was a very important step in a developing country such as Brazil, where few people have access to quality science education. Also, as part of the International Astronomy Year, the XXVII Assembly of the International Astronomical Union took place in Brazilian territory in 2009, thanks to strong efforts of the country’s community of professional and amateur astronomers. Astronomy is a fascinating science subject partly because it enables interdisciplinary approaches and attracts students toward contemporary science. In Brazil, astronomy is part of the school curriculum, but the subject is seldom taught because most teachers do not have the opportunity to study it in their preservice courses. The few teachers who address astronomy topics rarely have enough knowledge and access to scientific tools and practices, such as astronomical observations and other practical activities. In addition, research in science education points out that teaching science only in school settings is not enough to motivate students Falk 2001; Braund and Reiss 2006. Teaching science in informal spaces like science museums can be an alternative to cope with these problems. Science museums can offer an attractive environment allowing students direct contact with instruments and scientific practices. In an astronomical observatory, it is possible to observe constellations, planets, the Sun, and other celestial objects using simple instruments. A LIVELY ELECTRONIC COMPENDIUM OF RESEARCH, NEWS, RESOURCES, AND OPINION

International Year of Astronomy 2009 reached hundreds of millions of people: final report released

<xhtml:span xmlns:xhtml="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en"> International Year of Astronomy 2009 reached hundreds of millions of people: final report released </xhtml:span>

The XXVII general assembly of the IAU: The central event of the international year of astronomy

The XXVII general assembly of the IAU: The central event of the international year of astronomy

Darwin’s legacy

The year 2009 has been a year of numerous commemorations of both scientific and non-scientific achievements that contributed to the advancement of human kind. Protestants celebrated the 500th anniversary of the birth of Calvin; literary critics celebrated the 200th anniversary of the poet Edgar Allan Poe; and the musical genius Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy was also born 200 years ago. 2009 further marked the bicentennial of the birth of Louis Braille, the inventor of Braille; and Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, who founded the National Academy of Sciences. Pierre Curie, famous for his work on radioactivity that he conducted together with his wife Marie Curie, was born 150 ago; as was John Dewey, a philosopher and psychologist who is recognized as one of the founding fathers of both pragmatism as well as functional psychology. UNESCO and the International Astronomical Union dubbed 2009 the International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009, http://www.astronomy2009.org/). By doing so, astronomers celebrated the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei’s telescopic observations as well as the publication of Johannes Kepler’s Astronomia nova wherein he formulated the first two laws of planetary motion. 2009 also marked the last of a 3-year-long celebration of Planet Earth http://www.yearofplanetearth.org/, another UNESCO-governed initiative. However, for evolutionary biologists and philosophers of science, 2009 will be largely remembered for its worldwide commemorations of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin, and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his magnum opus On the origin of species by means of natural selection. In order to pay tribute to Darwin’s major contribution to the advancement of evolutionary science, the International Union of Biological Sciences and the International Union of History and Philosophy of Science have called the year 2009 the Darwin Year http://darwin-year-2009.org/index.html. Given that so many scientific discoveries were commemorated, COPUS, the Coalition on the Public Understanding on Science, called out 2009 as the Year of Science http://www.yearofscience2009.org/home/, in the hope to pay equal tribute to both the field of biology as well as astronomy. 2009 was indeed a year of biology. Somewhat overshadowed by the big Darwin celebrations, smaller-scaled events were held to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the publication of Lamarck’s Philosophie Zoologique; and the 150th anniversary of the death of Alexander von Humboldt, the father of biogeography. In 1910, Constantin Mereschkowsky wrote his article on symbiogenesis entitled ‘The Theory of Two Plasmas as the Basis of Symbiogenesis, a New Study for the Origins of Organisms’. The N. Gontier Fund for Science and Technology, Portugal (FCT), Centre for Philosophy of Science, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal

Bringing the universe to the street. A preliminary look at informal learning implications for a large-scale non-traditional science outreach project

“From Earth to the Universe” (FETTU) is a collection of astronomical images that showcase some of the most popular, current views of our Universe. The images, representing the wide variety of astronomical objects known to exist, have so far been exhibited in about 500 locations throughout the world as part of the International Year of Astronomy. In the United States, over 40 FETTU exhibits have occurred in 25 states in such locations as libraries, airports, nature centers, parks and college campuses. Based on preliminary evaluations currently underway, this project – a large-scale, worldwide astronomy outreach in non-traditional locations – has unique opportunities and implications for informal science learning. We present some early findings from the observational section of the exhibit’s formal evaluation in five selected locations in the U.S. and U.K., including emphasis on inter-organizational networking, visitor attention and participant make-up as well as generative aspects of the exhibit.

Telescopes for the People

The ultimate aim of the International Year of Astronomy 2009 was "to help the citizens of the world rediscover their place in the universe." What better way to do that than give them their own telescopes?

Celebrating 5000 years of astronomy at Stonehenge

Celebrating 5000 years of astronomy at Stonehenge

Galileo, Kepler share IYA anniversary

Here’s a little postscript to the International Year of Astronomy 2009. Although it celebrated the 400th anniversary of the telescopic discoveries of Galileo, the IYA was the quadricentennial of another monumental event in the history of astronomy and physics—the publication of Johannes Kepler’s Astronomia Nova. In that work Kepler stated his first two laws of planetary motion: the ellipticity of planetary orbits, which finally broke the circular mindset of his predecessors, and the sweeping of equal areas in equal times (conservation of angular momentum). Surely his text deserves celebration as well, for it led directly to Newton’s law of universal gravitation later in that century.© 2010 American Institute of Physics.

ARENA Public Outreach

In the frame of ARENA and in the spotlight of the 2007–2008 International Polar Year (IPY) and the 2009 International Year of Astronomy (IYA), two extremely visible opportunities to focus public interest and participation were/are to highlight: - Antarctica as a most remote and fascinating continent dedicated to science and - Astronomy & astrophysics as a most profound and enthralling science. Developed by the ARENA consortium since its creation in 2006, the ARENA public outreach web site (European audience EN/FR), the ARENA leaflet (EN/FR)are both telling about the importance of maintaining and expanding programmes to answer astrophysical fundamental questions regarding the origin and evolution of the Universe.

International Year of Astronomy (IYA 2009): Selected Resources.

The article reviews web sites on general astronomy and 2009 International Year of Astronomy (IYA) such as the following, available at http://www.astronomy2009.org, 100 Hours of Astronomy available at http://www.100hoursofastronomy.org and Dark Skies Awareness available at http://www.darkskiesawareness.org.

SpS2-The International Year of Astronomy 2009

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) launched 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009) under the theme, The Universe, Yours to Discover. IYA2009 marked the 400th anniversary of the first astronomical observation through a telescope by Galileo Galilei. It has been, and still is, a global celebration of astronomy and its contributions to society and culture, with a strong emphasis on education, public engagement and the involvement of young people, with events at national, regional and global levels throughout the whole of 2009. UNESCO endorsed IYA2009 and the United Nations proclaimed the year 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy on 20 December 2007. These proceedings aim to give a brief account of IYA2009, from its inception to the present and how its legacy will influence the future of astronomy communication on a planet-wide scale.

The Legacies of Galileo

The scientific community is celebrating in 2009 the International Year of Astronomy. The timing coincides with the 400th anniversary of the first astronomical use of a telescope, when Galileo's observations demonstrated that the Earth is not alone in the Universe. One can hardly think of a more important event in the history of mankind.

The International Year of Astronomy 2009: New Approaches and Novel Resources for Physics Classrooms

The International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009) was conceived to honor the 400th anniversary of the first use of an astronomical telescope by Galileo Galilei in 1609, and has evolved into an engaging series of worldwide programs. IYA2009 is sponsored by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) and endorsed by the U.S. House of Representatives, UNESCO, and the United Nations. During this year, we are making great efforts to stimulate worldwide interest in astronomy and science, especially among young people and underserved populations. More than 145 countries and three dozen agencies are participating in this global effort, with the United States taking command of three large cornerstone projects described in this article, assisted by funding from the National Science Foundation and leadership from the American Astronomical Society and NASA.

VISUALIZATION IN ASTRONOMY AT GENERAL SCHOOL

This is an International Year of Astronomy (IYA 2009) when we pay great attention to astronomy education. The International Year of Astronomy is a year-long celebration of astronomy, taking place in 2009 to coincide with the 400th anniversary of the first recorded astronomical observations with a telescope by Galileo Galilei. Author presents a modern approach to teaching astronomy and planetary sciences, centered on visual images and simulations of planetary objects. The basic idea is to take the students to other celestial objects as tourists, and to teach science through the observations of various natural phenomena in these new environments. The power of scientific visualization, through still and dynamic images, makes such a journey an exciting learning experience. The introduction of new technologies (3D animations, virtual reality) greatly enhances the visualization capabilities the teacher can use, allowing him to simulate actual flights over the terrain of other planets and to study them as if observing from a spaceship in orbit. The present article focuses on the study of the Moon, planets, asteroids and Galaxies by means of observations, interpretations, and comparison to planet Earth. Students learn to recognize geological and atmospheric processes, discuss astronomic phenomena, celestial bodies and discover that the same basic physical laws govern all objects in the Solar system and Universe. Key words: interactive learning, astronomy, telescope, astronomy education, scientific visualization, virtual reality (VR).