IYA News
White House Star Party
The White House hosted an event for students to star gaze and conduct hands-on experiments with astronomers from across the country on October 7, 2009. The event included more than 20 telescopes set up on the White House lawn focused on various objects. There were also interactive dome presentations and hands-on activities including scale models of the Solar System, impact cratering, and investigating meteorites and Moon rocks. Learn more: http://www.nasa.gov/home/astronomy_night.html
From Earth to the Universe
From Earth to the Universe is a collection of astronomical images showcasing dramatic views of planets, comets, stars, nebulae, galaxies, and more. Exhibits are held in public parks, airports, art centers, and other unique sites to bring the wonders of the Universe to you. A tactile and Braille subset of special image stands also being provided to the blind and visually-impaired communities in the US. Visit http://www.fromearthtotheuniverse.org for exhibit locations, digital image tours, and more
Monthly Feature
During each month of the International Year of Astronomy, we'll highlight some key NASA missions, space science discoveries, and night-sky wonders that you can discover with your own observations and explorations, and we'll connect you to related NASA resources and events.
Join us each month of 2009 as we explore:
| 2009 | » Hot Topics | » Go Observe! |
|---|---|---|
| January | Telescopes and Space Probes: Today's Starry Messengers | Venus |
| February | Our Solar System | The Moon |
| March | Observing at Night... and in the Day | Saturn |
| April | Galaxies and the Distant Universe | The Whirlpool Galaxy |
| May | Our Sun | The Sun |
| June | Clusters of Stars | The Hercules Cluster |
| July | Black Holes | Our Galaxy: the Milky Way |
| August | Rocks and Ice in the Solar System | Perseids |
| September | Planets and Moons | Jupiter |
| October | What is the Fate of the Universe? | Andromeda |
| November | The Lives of Stars | The Crab Nebula |
| December | Discovering New Worlds | The Orion Nebula |
Additional News
Additional IYA related News & Events can be found on the official IYA News and Press Releases pages.
Galaxies Collide
Galaxies are in constant motion. This pair of crashing galaxies is called "The Antennae" because the long streamers of stars thrown off early in the collision resemble an insect’s antennae.