SAGAS - The Southern Area Group of Astronomical Societies

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) supported by the United Nations have declared 2009 as The International Year of Astronomy.

The International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009) will be a global celebration of astronomy and its contributions to society and culture, highlighted by 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.

The IYA2009 activities will take place locally, regionally and nationally. National Nodes in each country have been formed to prepare activities for 2009. These Nodes establish collaborations between professional and amateur astronomers, science centres and science communicators.

This is a valuable opportunity publicise Astronomy to the Public. All the SAGAS Societies need to begin thinking about what they intend to do to support this initiative. More details of what societies are planning will be included on this web site when they are available.

In the meantime here are some links you might find useful to discover more about IYA2009 and also details of national events as they are published.

International Astronomical Union IYA2009 base page the downloadable PDF brochures are here at low resolution (646kBytes) and here at high resolution(3.9MBytes)

The UK has a Single Point of Contact (SPOC) who is responsible for coordinating national activities.

The UK SPOC is supported by the UK Co-ordinator Steve Owens who can be contacted here.

The UK Node has details of the planned activities in the UK. This site is frequently updated as new events and ideas are confirmed so ensure you visit frequently during 2008 & 2009 to keep up to date.

Finally here is a PDF copy of the presentation to the SAGAS meeting on the 19th May 2007

	International Year of Astronomy 2009
SAGAS - The Southern Area Group of Astronomical Societies The International Astronomical Union (IAU) supported by the United Nations have declared 2009 as The International Year of Astronomy. From the IYA2009 web site: The vision of the International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009) is to help the citizens of the world rediscover their place in the Universe through the day- and night time sky, and thereby engage a personal sense of wonder and discovery. All humans should realize the impact of astronomy and basic sciences on our daily lives, and understand better how scientific knowledge can contribute to a more equitable and peaceful society. The International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009) will be a global celebration of astronomy and its contributions to society and culture, highlighted by 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. The IYA2009 activities will take place locally, regionally and nationally. National Nodes in each country have been formed to prepare activities for 2009. These Nodes establish collaborations between professional and amateur astronomers, science centres and science communicators. This is a valuable opportunity publicise Astronomy to the Public. All the SAGAS Societies need to begin thinking about what they intend to do to support this initiative. More details of what societies are planning will be included on this web site when they are available. In the meantime here are some links you might find useful to discover more about IYA2009 and also details of national events as they are published. International Astronomical Union IYA2009 base page the downloadable PDF brochures are here at low resolution (646kBytes) and here at high resolution(3.9MBytes) Here is a link to the IAU IYA2009 page where more details can be found of how the various national events are being coordinated. The UK has a Single Point of Contact (SPOC) who is responsible for coordinating national activities. The UK SPOC is supported by the UK Co-ordinator Steve Owens who can be contacted here. The UK Node has details of the planned activities in the UK. This site is frequently updated as new events and ideas are confirmed so ensure you visit frequently during 2008 & 2009 to keep up to date. Finally here is a PDF copy of the presentation to the SAGAS meeting on the 19th May 2007 John Murrell - SAGAS Webmaster Updated 27th March 2008
*sharing the same sky*
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