On The Road to IYA Update on US

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 1

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. 2

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 (STSc. I) 3

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 4

Accomplishments to Date ü Web Site: www. astronomy 2009. us ü Nine Working Groups Established (> 60 people) to support the seven themes ü Major Planning Meetings • June 2007: Honolulu, HI • September 2007: Chicago, IL ü Joint AAS/ASP IYA Symposium in June 2008 at AAS Meeting ü Leadership role in Galileoscope, Dark Skies and Image Exhibition IYA cornerstones…with your help! 5

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 6

…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 7

…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. 8

…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 9

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

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 11

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 12

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 • 40 th anniversary of Apollo landings 13

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

US CONTACTS 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 Susana Deustua, Co-Chair Program Committee Director of Education American Astronomical Society, Washington, DC deustua@aas. org, +1 202 -328 -2010 Hashima Hasan [NASA SPOC] NASA HQ, Washington, DC hhasan@nasa. gov, +1 202 -358 -0692 15