UN Declares 2009 to Be International Year of Astronomy

On Thursday, the United Nations General Assembly declared that 2009 will officially be the International Year of Astronomy.

The honor, if that's the right word, will commemorate the 400th anniversary of Galileo's first use of the telescope to study the stars. The decision comes after years of lobbying by Italy, and the International Astronomical Union.

Planning for events has already been underway for several years. My favorite so far are hopes for "Dark Sky Events," described this way:

...a controlled reduction of city illumination in a Wave of Darkness around the globe to raise awareness that the dark sky is a majestic, but often overlooked, cultural resource for everyone (security and safety issues to be considered)

These things can be a little on the touchy-feely side, but it's a great cause. Getting kids – and adults – to focus on the stars can help instill a respect for science, and a respect for nature. Both of those are critical resources these days.

More on the worldwide IYA plans here, and another site for strictly US operations here.

The UN declares 2009 the International Year of Astronomy [IAU press release]

(Image: Star Cluster Star Cluster NGC 290, as seen by the Hubble Space
Telescope. Credit: European Space Agency, NASA , E. Olszewski
(University of Arizona))