Celebrating 2009 already - the International Year of Astronomy

This year might have only just started for most of us, but already the American Astronomical Society is bringing people together to help organise plans for the 2009 "International Year of Astronomy". Hopefully there'll be lots of events happening in Ireland too...

In 2008, the annual meeting of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific will be held from May 31 - June 4 in St. Louis, Missouri, as part of the summer meeting of the American Astronomical Society -- in the form of a symposium with associated workshops.

At this meeting, education and outreach professionals will gather to discuss international, regional, and local programs for the International Year of Astronomy in 2009, which celebrates the 400th anniversary of the astronomical telescope.

If you are interested in planning activities in 2009, this meeting is an excellent chance to learn more about what various institutions and organizations are proposing to do, and to coordinate your ideas with colleagues around the country and the world. There will also be model workshops to demonstrate and develop techniques for reaching a wide range of audiences.

About the International Year of Astronomy (IYA): In 1609, Galileo first turned his telescope to the heavens, and revolutionized humanity's understanding of its place in the universe. Over the last 400 years, new telescopes have allowed us to expand Galileo's work and learn more about the universe, its geography and its evolution.