Thursday 19 February 2009

The Universe, Yours to Discover


The International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009) is a global celebration of astronomy and its contributions to society and culture and marks the 400th anniversary of the first use of an astronomical telescope by Galileo Galilei.

The aim of the Year 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 nations.

In 1609, Galileo Galilei, an Italian scientist, performed the first observation of the "stars" using a telescope. The Moon was covered with craters, the Milky Way was made of numerous stars, satellites circulated Jupiter, Venus waxed and waned...
Even with a small telescope, only 4cm in diameter, Galileo found the sky filled with surprises that overturned the human understanding of the universe. In this "You are Galileo" project, you will use a telescope similar to Galileo' s and re-discover the surprises that Galileo found.
Take part in this project reading the brochure.


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