Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
PR/02 INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF ASTRONOMY 2009 TO BE CELEBRATED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF KENT Press Release: 10 January 2009 (electronic copy: http://astro.kent.ac.uk/mds/PR/iya2009-kent.html ) Have you ever observed the stars and planets through a telescope? The year 2009 may be your chance. To mark International Year of Astronomy 2009, space experts at the University of Kent are presenting a series of public lectures on astronomy, cosmology and the universe. The lectures will be held on Tuesday evenings at Keynes College on the Canterbury campus and, weather permitting, will be followed by observing sessions with the telescopes at the University Observatory. The lectures and observing opportunities are free and intended to widen participation in astronomy and physics to those who have never had the chance. The less you know, the more we hope to inspire you. turn over 2 8 The International Year of Astronomy is being celebrated across the world, sponsored by the United Nations and the International Astronomical Union. The year marks the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s first astronomical observation through a telescope. A staggering 135 nations are collaborating to make the public more aware of the universe we live in. In Kent, after the Opening Ceremony at 7:30pm on January 20th in lecture theatre KLT6, Dr. Cyril Isenberg, MBE, will take us on a Voyage through the Solar System. There will be plenty of time for questions concerning the lecture topic as well as general discussion concerning black holes, the big bank, dark energy and other civilisations in our galaxy. The lectures will be held in Keynes College lecture theatre KLT6, on the first floor of the College, at the back of KLT5, on Tuesday evenings at 7.30 pm. The observing will follow immediately afterwards. To ensure a place at the telescopes, contact Michael Smith beforehand on 01227-827654 or [email protected] . The lectures subsequent to the January 20th Solar System Tour will 3 7 reveal Our Sun (3rd February), Life in Space (17th February), Our Evolving Universe (24th March), Star Formation (31st March), and the Significant Contributions of Amateur Astronomers (7th April). Interspersed with these lectures are three invited talks by prominent UK scientists, organised by the Kent Physics Centre. These are: The World of Radioactive Polonium (Dr Patrick Regan, 27th January Brabourne Lecture Theatre, Keynes College), the Cassini-Huygens Mission to Saturn and Titan (Dr Caitriona Jackman, 24th February, Rutherford Lecture Theatre) and Our Universe and Others (Prof John Barrow, 17th March, Rutherford Lecture Theatre), all at 19:30. The Kent IYA2009 organisers and presenters are members of the Kent Physics Centre, the Centre for Astrophysics and Planetary Science (CAPS), the School of Physical Sciences and the South-East Kent Astronomical Society (SEKAS). Other 2009 Astronomy Events in Canterbury include a British Astronomical Association “back to basics” Workshop at Darwin College on 31st January, http://britastro.org (booking deadline extended to 23rd January, weekend Space Schools in August, and SEKAS observing nights and lectures. The CAPS group also provides opportunities to begin studying astronomy for a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree. "The Universe, yours to discover." The International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009) has been launched by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) under the theme, "The Universe, yours to discover." Thousands of IYA2009 events are described on the national websites, as well as on www.astronomy2009.org, and a few of the global projects are listed here. turn over 4 8 The official IYA2009 opening ceremony will take place in Paris on January 1516, 2009. It will feature keynote speakers, including nobel laureates, and live video feeds to scientists working in remote locations. Many nations are holding their own opening ceremonies in January and February, showing their dedication to the year. But events will begin before then. Don't be surprised to see telescopes on the streets on New Year's Day. The IYA2009 Solar Physics Group has been busy planning a grand worldwide campaign with over 30 countries involved at more than 150 venues. "The Cosmic Diary" is an example of a global activity occurring during 2009, with the release of its official web site on New Year's Day. The project concerns the daily lives of full-time astronomers. More than 50 bloggers, professionals from over 35 countries and employed by organizations such as ESO, NASA, ESA, and JAXA have already begun producing content, writing about their lives, the work they conduct, and the challenges they face. The public can see what being an astronomer is really like and how groundbreaking research is conducted. Another project, "365 Days of Astronomy," will publish one podcast per day over the entire year. The episodes will be written, recorded, and produced by people around the world. "100 Hours of Astronomy," another IYA2009 cornerstone project, is a worldwide event taking place from April 2-5, 2009, with a wide range of public outreach activities including live webcasts, observing events, and more. One of the key goals of "100 Hours of Astronomy" is to have as many people as possible look through a telescope, just as Galileo did for the first time 400 years ago. The "From Earth to the Universe" (FETTU) cornerstone project is an exhibition arranged by IYA2009 that will bring large-scale astronomical images to a wide public audience in non-traditional venues such as public parks and gardens, art museums, shopping malls, and metro stations. Over 30 countries around the world are currently in the development phase of FETTU projects, many with multiple locations. Some 15 countries plan to begin FETTU exhibitions within the first month of 2009, ranging in size from 25 to over 100 images on display. FETTU will be introduced to the global community at the opening ceremony at UNESCO headquarters in January 2009. "The World at Night" is an IYA2009 special project that 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. "The World at Night" is preparing more than 30 exhibitions and educational events around the world. One of IYA2009's aims is to raise awareness of light pollution and how the beauty of the night sky is progressively being drowned out, particularly over urban areas. The project "Dark Skies Awareness" is tackling these issues head-on in a practical, 5 7 inclusive manner. One way in which it is doing this is by holding star-counting events where the public is encouraged to see how many stars in a particular area of the sky are actually visible from their location. When compared with data from truly dark sites, the results are often very surprising! The "How Many Stars" event will run from January 2009. A list of event highlights is available on the official IYA2009 website, www.astronomy2009.org/highlights. From there it is also possible to contact the National Nodes, responsible for organizing local events in the many participating countries. IYA2009 seeks to involve the public in its activities, and to this end amateur astronomers have been called upon to help organize and run events. So many people across the globe are already involved, they have formed the world's largest astronomy network. Catherine Cesarsky, IAU President, says: "135 countries have committed themselves to the Year, all pulling together toward the common aim of making astronomy accessible to the public. IYA2009 will reinforce the links between science education and science careers, stimulating a long-term increase in student enrolment in the fields of science and technology and an appreciation for lifelong learning." IYA2009 LECTURE PROGRAMME 20 January A VOYAGE THROUGH THE SOLAR SYSTEM Dr Cyril Isenberg, University of Kent The application of mechanics and Newton’s laws of motion have enabled man to explore the solar system. Some of the principles involved will be explained with the aid of demonstrations. The Voyager mission to the outer planets, turn over 6 8 using the slingshot effect, will be discussed. 3 February THE SUN AS A TYPICAL STAR Dr Kaz Krynicki, University of Kent The Sun is our most available laboratory for the study of stars in general. The talk will summarise the Sun’s physical properties. Solar activities and various types of solar radiation will also be discussed. 17 February LIFE IN SPACE Professor Mark Burchell, University of Kent The Origin of Life is one of the big questions of the age. What we know about it will be discussed, but what we don’t know may be even more interesting. The talk will cover what we know about life on Earth, where it might appear elsewhere and what form it might take (and why). Fact will be mixed with speculation , this is inevitable with such an open question. 7 7 24 March OUR UNIVERSE , OUR ORIGIN AND OUR FUTURE Professor Michael Smith, University of Kent This talk will outline the tremendous advances, in our understanding of the universe, that were made largely during the last century. They have allowed us to deduce how the universe began and then to expand to its present state. Although our knowledge of the universe is quite appreciable, we still know little about the nature of the, so called, dark matter and dark energy, whose existence follows from reliable observations. 31 March STAR FORMATION Dr Dirk Froebrich, University of Kent We know little about how stars were formed in the early universe, but our knowledge about the star formation, occurring in our galaxy, is appreciable. This talk will concentrate on physical models and observations of current star formation in cold molecular clouds which appear in the interstellar matter of the galaxy. turn over 8 8 7 April THE CONTRIBUTION OF AMATEURS TO ASTRONOMY Dr John Kemp, Journal Editor, SEKAS, www.sekas.co.uk Astronomy is one of the few sciences where the amateur can make useful contributions, though the nature of that contribution continues to evolve. Until little more than a century ago, amateurs built many of the biggest and best telescopes: nowadays they use sophisticated commercial equipment to complement the work of the professionals, monitoring the sky for changes in known objects, and for novae, supernovae and new comets. They have written software that the professionals use, and there is an amateur on the Hubble team. Amateurs educate and entertain the populace with public stargazing events, helping to maintain the political will to fund what is literally ‘blue sky’ research, and providing for the next generation of professional astronomers: quite a few professionals date their career choice from their first view of Saturn’s rings through an amateur telescope. 9 7 Organisers, Astronomy & University Media Contacts: 'Michael Smith' <[email protected]> [email protected] cyril <[email protected]> 'Dirk Froebrich' <[email protected]> 'John Kemp' <[email protected]> Kaz Krynicki <[email protected]> Howard Phillips <[email protected]> Steve Walls [email protected] Duncan MacKay <[email protected]> Becky Parker <[email protected]> Neil Cox <[email protected]> David M Wilson <[email protected]> Karen Baxter <[email protected]> Joanna Walpole <[email protected]> Sarah Saunders <[email protected]> turn over