December 2009
Global Astronomy Month 2010: One People, One Sky
 Now that the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009) is coming to an end, what is there to look forward to for astronomy enthusiasts? Even more events building on the year's great success! 100 Hours of Astronomy cornerstone project, co-organized by AWB, brought out unprecedented numbers of enthusiasts to share their passion for astronomy with the biggest crowds ever. AWB is now planning Global Astronomy Month for April 2010 as the follow-up to 100 Hours of Astronomy.
This month-long celebration of astronomy will allow an even wider range of activities and broader participation than before. And we'll expand on the sense of participating in one global event -- a key to the success of 100 Hours of Astronomy -- by connecting events and activities around the world on the AWB web site with live streaming, video conferencing, chat and more. That's why the motto for Global Astronomy Month is AWB's own motto: One People, One Sky. It's about connecting with each other and sharing our passion with each other as well as with the public.
As a follow-up to 100 Hours of Astronomy, Global Astronomy Month is one of many projects continuing beyond IYA2009. To the right is the official logo for the post-IYA2009 era, "Beyond the International Year of Astronomy", that AWB will be using for Global Astronomy Month and any other continuing IYA2009 programs.
The web site presence for Global Astronomy Month is just beginning with the home page but there will be a lot more soon. This newsletter is the first official announcement so there is much more to come. A mailing list for news updates will begin in early January, with subscriptions available on the AWB web site.
IYA2009: We Don't Say Goobye
IYA2009 is ending but it won't be soon forgotten. Azhy Hasan, President of the Amateur Astronomy Association of Kurdistan (Iraq), has made a music video about IYA2009 and beyond that sums up the feelings many of us have about this extraordinary year. As Azhy says, this is just the beginning. Watch the video on YouTube.
Tour of the Universe by Children of the World
Did you host or participate in an event involving children during IYA2009? Tour of the Universe by Children of the World is seeking contributions!
Tour of the Universe by Children of the World is a beautiful and inspirational multimedia video project made from children's contributions to the International Year of Astronomy 2009. Meant to ignite the imaginations of children and adults alike with the wonder of the cosmos -- the one thing that is truly Universal -- Tour of the Universe will be available as a free download.
StarPals, the organizer of this project, is looking for contributions in the following categories: astrophotography and nightscape photography by children, children's artwork of or inspired by the cosmos, photographs of children sharing and enjoying astronomy, and video clips related to children and astronomy. They are also looking for short audio clips of children cheering "You're a star!" in native language (groups or individual children, any language). But hurry -- the deadline for contributions for the IYA2009 edition is December 31. Late entries will be considered for the 2010 edition.
Tour of the Universe will be available as a free download available through the StarPals International Young Astronomers' Network website and other channels and free for distribution to promote your own activities in 2010. For more information, visit www.starpals.org/projects/tour or contact Audrey Fischer or Jessi Kingan.
Go to the project page for submission of material and more at StarPals
First International Earth and Sky Photo Contest Continues
The first International Earth and Sky photo contest, a collaboration of AWB's The World at Night (TWAN) and IYA2009's Cornerstone Project Dark Skies Awareness is still open to entries but only until December 31! Inspired by images created by the TWAN team of expert landscape astrophotographers, which display the Earth and sky together, the contest is meant to boost awareness of the importance of dark skies to all of humanity, a precious resource that is endangered by increasing light pollution. You don't have to be an expert to enter the contest. Get all the information on the AWB web site's Earth and Sky Photo Contest page.
Seasons Without Borders 2 -- Solstice December 2009
Amateur astronomers around the world took part in the second Seasons Without Borders program on December 21-22, 2009 when the Sun reached its farthest point south in the sky, marking the beginning of summer in the southern hemisphere and the beginning of winter in the northern hemisphere. The poster for this event, created by Azhy Hasan, is shown to the right. Photos of the events are now being posted on the AWB Gallery and the Forum will have reports soon. Watch for the announcement of the next event in this new series of activities on the equinox in March 2010, just before Global Astronomy Month, with more live interaction between groups worldwide.
Dusk of IYA2009 Held by Sidewalk Astronomers
Just as Dawn of IYA2009 welcomed the International Year of Astronomy, the Sidewalk Astronomers have created a last-minute project called Dusk of IYA2009 to say goodbye to this year of incredible astronomy activity. They are asking everyone to take a telescope out early in the evening and invite the public for some solar observing as the Sun sets on IYA2009. If there's interest you might stay and show them the Moon and Jupiter, too. There will be time to make it to New Year's Eve parties and there won't be another IYA soon! Sidewalk Astronomers has created a blog where you can post your last photos of the year and and see what others around the world were doing at the end of IYA2009.
Update Your Affiliate Profile
If you registered as an AWB Affiliate more than two months ago remember to update your profile. A problem you may have encountered filling in the description of your group has been solved and descriptions of up to about 900 characters long can now be entered for others to learn more about your group. It's simple to log in and edit your profile. Just be sure you're including text only -- no underlying codes -- and don't paste directly from a Word document or web page (simply export to text first). If you need help write to Account Support to be sure all your information is available to the rest of the growing AWB community.
If you didn't upload your group's logo be sure to update your profile with that as well. It's a good way to represent your group in Affiliate listings. As always, write to Account Support if you need any assistance with this.
AWB's Global Community
National Coordinators
As announced last month, Astronomers Without Borders is reorganizing its regions worldwide and designating National Coordinators who will recruit Affiliates and organize groups and projects in their countries, and represent their countries in the AWB global community. If you are interested in being the National Coordinator for your country, or can recommend someone you have worked with, write to Thilina Heenatigala, the manager of the reorganization project.
New Affiliates
Do you know of groups in your area who might want to join AWB? Let them know about us and bring them into the growing global community. Programs are continuing to take shape and we want to bring in as many groups as possible from every nation on our planet.
These are the Affiliates that have joined Astronomers Without Borders since the last Newsletter:
Crete Astronomy Friends Club (Greece)
Main Astronomical Observatory of National Academy of Science of Ukraine (Ukraine)
Astro Book Drive (International)
Projeto - TELESCÓPIO NA COMUNIDADE (Brazil)
The Prominence (Indonesia)
Asociación de astrónomos aficionados de Zacatecas (Mexico)
Inishowen Maritime Museum and Planetarium (Ireland)
Sociedad Astronomica Guadalajara, A. C. (Mexico)
Astroclub Vega (Belgium)
Arabian Agency for Astronomy & Space News (Saudi Arabia)
Astronomy Club of Tulsa (USA)
UNE & Northern Tablelands Astronomical Society (Australia)
Irish Federation of Astronmical Societies (Ireland)
Icarus (Bolivia)
Astronomy and Space Exploration Society (Canada)
Supporting AWB
Sponsorship Opportunities
Astronomers Without Borders is seeking partners for its activities. As a rapidly growing organization that has received worldwide attention and expressions of interest, AWB is well-positioned for continuing growth and exposure with current and planned programs, with significant potential for online and media exposure in general and specialized media. For information contact AWB President Mike Simmons.
Support AWB Online
AWB is now accepting donations with credit cards and through PayPal. Vist AWB's Donations page and become a supporter with a few clicks of your mouse. Astronomers Without Borders is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit charitable organization and donations in the USA may be tax-deductible.
Past Newsletters
Past editions of the AWB newsletter are now available on the AWB web site the Downloads section in PDF format.
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