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Saturn and four of its moons AP Photo/NASA
The International Year of Astronomy 2009 is a global celebration marking the 400th anniversary of the first use of an astronomical telescope by Galileo. As Catherine Cesarsky, the president of the International Astronomical Union writes, "Astronomy is one of the oldest fundamental sciences. it continues to make a profound impact on our culture and is a powerful expression of the human intellect."
100 Hours of Astronomy is the cornerstone of the celebration and runs from April 2-5. This global astronomy party and marathon features hundreds of free events worldwide. So far, over 1500 events have been registered in over 130 countries, with more being added every day. 100 Hours of Astronomy promises to be the largest single science public outreach event ever. One of the highlights will be Around the World in 80 Telescopes, a live 24-hour video webcast that begins on April 3.
In the Bay Area there are Star Parties at San Francisco's Lands End, "Night Life" at the California Academy of Sciences, an Astronomy Open House at City College of San Francisco, Public telescope viewing at the Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland and numerous others in Berkeley, San Jose and elsewhere. For details visit the events page for 100 Hours of Astronomy.
Join day and nighttime sky gazers around the world and celebrate astronomy and its contributions to global culture, society and history.
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