The universe is yours to explore, in the remaining 354 days
Seema Singh -
Sunday, January 11, 2009 10:58 AM
Diehard stargazers or amateur astronomers, all will have ways and means this year to bring the Universe closer to the Earth. Literally.
Marking the 400th anniversary of Galileo's first astronomical observation through a telescope, 2009 is being celebrated as the International Year of Astronomy. India, along with 134 other nations is part of the global celebrations which wish to promote astronomy and its contribution to society and culture.
And we can have a visual treat all through the year -- every single day, beginning with this welcome video here.
A clear moonlight night at Gorak Shep in Nepal, along the main route to the Mount Everest Base Camp., following what the Dalai Lama dubbed "the steps to heaven". Gorak Shep is a frozen lakebed covered with sand that sits at 5164 meters altitude. Photo by Tamas Ladanyi. Pix courtesy: The World at Night, TWAN
The Opening Ceremony will take place in Paris on January 15 and 16.
365 Days of Astronomy, is publishing a podcast every day over the entire year and effective Jan 1, the Cosmic Diary, is keeping the blogosphere alive. Watch out for From Earth To The Universe and Dark Skies Awareness as well.
The World at Night is producing and bringing to the public a collection of stunning photographs and time-lapse videos of the world's landmarks with the sky in the background.
From April 2-5, 100 Hours of Astronomy, a worldwide event with a wide range of public outreach activities will include live webcasts, observing events and more. One of its key goals is to have as many people as possible look through a telescope, just as Galileo did for the first time 400 years ago.
During 2009, the sky will provide some exciting events, including the longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century, occurring on 22 July 2009 and lasting 6 minutes 39 seconds over a narrow corridor through countries including India, Bangladesh and China. A strong shower of Leonid meteors is also expected in mid-November 2009, with forecasters predicting upwards of an incredible 500 shooting stars per hour. In mid-October in the northern hemisphere, Jupiter will be placed at dusk, a perfect time to show public the giant planet and its moons. These are an impressive sight through even a small amateur telescope, says IAU. More information can be had here.