Do you have a question about the Moon? Ask a Space Scientist! Professor Bernard Foing, a Space Scientist at the European Space Agency, will be answering your questions about the Moon from now till 15 May 2011.

Perhaps you have always wondered what the Moon is made of, or how the Moon was formed, or even how humans or robots might explore the Moon in the future.

The answers to the best questions will be posted on the GAM website.

Remember to provide your email address. Without it we will not be able to send you an answer to your question.  We will do our best to respond to all the questions that are submitted however this may not be possible due to a high volume of questions.

Submit your question here!

Special planetarium program for the visually impaired.

To make astronomy available to everyone during IYA2009, including those with special needs, the Spanish IYA2009 National Node created the national project called “Astronomical Activities for People with Special Needs”. As part of this project, a planetarium program for the blind, “El Cielo en tus Manos (The Sky in Your Hands)”, was produced to bring the beauty of astronomy to the visually-impaired public.

Now, in association with Astronomers Without Borders, the Astronomical Observatory of the University of Valencia has made resources for this special program available to other theaters, institutions and others involved in outreach activities.

April 17, 2011

SunDay, on Sunday April 17th, is a day dedicated to our star, the Sun.  The Sun is the main source of energy for Earth.  As each part of the globe rotates daily into the Sun’s warm and cheering glow, darkness is removed and our world is energized.

SunDay is a project intended to raise people’s awareness of our star.  What is it?  How does it affect us?  The different layers of the Sun, solar activity (sunspots, flares, prominences, coronal mass ejections and the solar wind), space weather, energy production, helioseismology—these are all different aspects of the Sun waiting to be discovered and understood.

SunDay activities you can organize and take part in range from simple to complex, giving participants a wide choice that allows even those who can’t afford an expensive telescope to learn and teach something new about our star.  In planning your own Sun Day activities, start with the suggestions below and then use your creative imagination!

April 10 to 16, 2011

The Moon—Earth’s traveling companion in space—is an integral part of life on Earth. Still, few people notice it or recognize its importance to us.  Through out Global Astronomy Month, the Moon will be celebrated via MoonDays . A week-long special series of programs, from April 10 through 16, will be dedicated to the Moon to help people rediscover our closest companion in space.

Lunar Week takes place while the Moon is well-placed for observation in the evening sky.  As the Moon's phases and positions change during its orbit around the Earth, there will be Moon-themed star parties to observe the Moon by telescope and naked eye, educational programs, online observing events, competitions and a celebration of the Moon in different cultures.  We will be distributing Moon-related information in various forms, including answers to such common questions as: Why is it important to explore the Moon?  How does the Moon affect our daily life?  Why is the Moon visible during the day or night?  Why do its phases change?  All Moon missions and educational programs are invited to participate.

Throughout April, 2011

Among the new features of GAM 2011 will be special programs designed especially for individuals with visual and other sensory impairments. Motivated by the example of such outstanding blind astronomers as Kent Cullers of the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) program, Astronomers Without Borders has organized the People with Disabilities Working Group to develop special programs for visually impaired and hearing impaired people. These programs are designed to help these individuals reach out and explore the universe in ways unlimited by the senses.

Throughout April, 2011

The Planetarium Working Group is dedicated to gathering, sharing and creating activities in planetariums.  The project Planetarians Without Borders, launched during Global Astronomy Month, April 2011, and focuses on bringing together planetarium professionals around the globe in ongoing programs and events meant to be sustainable even beyond GAM.

April 21-22, 2011

Perhaps you've seen "shooting stars" before, but during GAM you can witness a meteor shower!

The Lyrids meteor shower happens each year from about April 16 to 26 but the most are seen on April 22. Don't expect continuous meteors covering the sky but you'll still see a good display. A shower occurs when Earth goes through a swarm of material in space and the meteors appear to come from one point in the sky known as the radiant, in this case in the constellation of Lyra (giving the annual event its name). You'll see the most Lyrid meteors near the shower's peak on April 22 as Earth moves through the debris left behind by Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, a regular visitor to the inner solar system referred to as a periodic commet. The recorded history of the Lyrids is longer than any other, with records of observations going back 2600 years.

Throughout April, 2011

The GTTP MoonDays, is a collaborative activity of The  Galileo Teacher Training Programme and Astronomers Without Borders as part of the Global Astronomy Month 2011  . It will be launched during the Global Astronomy Month 2011.  It will be an invitation for educators, amateur astronomers, outreach promoters and everyone to observe and appreciate our natural satellite in a whole new way.  During GAM 2011, there will be a whole week devoted to exploration of the Moon (Lunar Week) as well as a selection of days spread throughout the month to embrace projects that require a longer time interval.  There will also be a set of dates throughout the whole year devoted to the exploration of the Moon, providing an opportunity for the completion of deeper research projects and a long-term exploration of our nearest neighbor.