The very popular web site of The World at Night (TWAN) has reached an important milestone -- three million hits since the web site was launched less than one year ago. The popularity of the web site has grown since it's very high profile debut on 24 December 2007 when it was announced the next day on NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day and Spaceweather.com. TWAN soon gained the first-ever designation as a Special Project of the International Year of Astronomy 2009.

The popularity of The World at Night is due in large part to the unflagging dedication of its founder and director, Babak Tafreshi. Tafreshi's fame has grown with the TWAN project as indicated by his recently being awarded the 2009 Lennart Nilsson Award, the world's most prestigious award for scientific photography. Tafreshi has built an unprecedented global team of landscape astrophotographers -- experts in wide-angle views of terrestrial landmarks beneath the night sky -- which is now often referred to as "TWAN-style photography." This team of dedicated photographers has built TWAN into a worldwide institution that continues to attract attention for its unmatched collection of images that illustrates our place in the Universe.

See the article on the TWAN web site for more information on this milestone, including data such as the images most often viewed by visitors.