On The Road to IYA: Update on US Plans and Programs

1. On The Road to IYA: Update on US Plans and Programs Doug Isbell Susana Deustua Co-Chairs, US Program Committee (AAS) Communicating Astronomy to the Public Meeting Athens, Greece October 9, 2007

2. US Goal for IYA 2009 To offer an engaging astronomy experience to every person in the country, nurture existing partnerships and build new connections to sustain public interest.

3. US IYA 2009 Coordination • Program Committee • Develop IYA themes and activities • 16 members from leading US astronomy education and public outreach organizations plus liaisons from Canada and Mexico • Co-chairs: Doug Isbell (NOAO) & Susana Deustua (AAS) • Development Committee • Secure funding and resources to implement IYA program • 10 members from academia, industry, observatories • Chair: Peter Stockman (STScI)

4. Seven Major US Themes • Looking Through a Telescope • Dark Skies Are a Universal Resource • Astronomy in Arts, Entertainment & Storytelling • Research Experience for Students, Teachers, and Citizen-Scientists • Telescope Kits & Optics • Sharing the Universe Through New Technology • The Universe for Classrooms and Families

5. Accomplishments to Date • Web Site: www.astronomy2009.us • Nine Working Groups Established (> 60 people) to support the seven themes • Major Planning Meetings • June 2007: Honolulu, HI • September 2007: Chicago, IL • Joint AAS/ASP IYA Symposium in June 2008 at AAS Meeting • Leadership role in Galileoscope, Dark Skies and Image Exhibition IYA cornerstones…with your help!

6. US IYA 2009 Program Highlights Looking Through a Telescope Goal: more than 10 million first-time viewers • Star parties, sidewalk astronomy • Coordinate with Night Sky Network activities Dark Skies Are a Universal Resource • GLOBE at Night 2009 • Naked-eye star counting • digital sky-quality meters

7. …highlights Arts, Entertainment & Storytelling • Rose Bowl Parade Float – January 1, 2009 • “Astronomy Goes to the Movies” at 2009 Oscar Awards Storytelling and Cultural Astronomy • Star Parties combining telescope viewing and Native American stories • Central source of appropriate written/recorded sky narratives and stories on the Web

8. …highlights Research Experiences for Students, Teachers, and Citizen-Scientists • Coordinated observing of variable star Epsilon Aurigae Telescopes & Optics • Galileoscope - Inexpensive telescope, targets are mountains on the Moon & Jupiter’s moons.

9. …highlights Sharing the Universe Through New Technology • Planetaria, Science Centers, Observatories • “365 Days of Astronomy” podcasts The Universe for Classrooms and Families • Professional Development for teachers (Galileo Teachers+) • IYA Galileo Club Card

10. …and in addition Small Grants Program for community activities Comprehensive website Publicity • Five-minute promotional video for planetaria • Newspaper tabloid inserts Evaluation

11. NASA’s IYA Strategy • Align with US themes and goals • Capitalize upon public interest in NASA missions and discoveries • Leverage extensive education and public outreach programs embedded in NASA’s space science missions and research/analysis programs • NASA Science Mission Directorate IYA portal Web site

12. Activities Supporting US IYA Themes • Science Centers, Observatory Visitor Centers & Planetaria • Public unveiling of large prints from Hubble, Spitzer & Chandra at museums, science centers, and schools • Sharing the Universe Through New Technology • Are We Alone? Radio Shows and Podcasts • The Universe for Classrooms and Families • Professional development offerings for both • classroom and out-of-school-time program educators

13. NASA Calendar Highlights • New capabilities enabled by Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission 4 • Launch of the Kepler mission • Companion payload to Lunar Reconnaissance Observatory impacts the Moon • 40th anniversary of Apollo landings

14. Our Challenges • Establish a National Program Office • Obtain Funding for the Key Projects • Increase Community Involvement • Spread the Word!!!

15. Douglas Isbell [US SPOC] Co-Chair Program Committee Associate Director for Public Affairs and Educational Outreach National Optical Astronomical Observatory, Tucson, AZ disbell@noao.edu, +1 520-318-8214 Hashima Hasan [NASA SPOC] NASA HQ, Washington, DC hhasan@nasa.gov, +1 202-358-0692 US CONTACTS Susana Deustua, Co-Chair Program Committee Director of Education American Astronomical Society, Washington, DC deustua@aas.org, +1 202-328-2010