In honor of the 400th anniversary of Galileo's first recorded telescopic observations of the moon, Jupiter, and other extraterrestrial objects, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) has declared an International Year of Astronomy for 2009 (IYA2009). IYA2009 will provide an opportunity for a global celebration of astronomy, one of the oldest sciences, yet still an area of enduring curiosity and a fertile ground for new discoveries.

The IAU will serve as the coordinator for global and international celebrations, while setting up national nodes to manage events at the national, regional, and local levels. Given the outstanding collections of the Linda Hall Library in the history of astronomy, the library plans to be a proud participant in events and programs related to IYA2009.

December 20, 2007

U.S. statements regarding today's United Nations 62nd General Assembly declaration of 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy

J. Craig Wheeler, president of the American Astronomical Society, said:

I am thrilled that we have received official United Nations designation for the International Year of Astronomy 2009. The American Astronomical Society has been a vigorous and leading supporter of this initiative. We have developed exciting plans both nationally and internationally to engage the public in the glories revealed by astronomy, and we will hold a joint symposium with the Astronomical Society of the Pacific during our June 2008 summer meeting in St. Louis to prepare the planet and ourselves for this celebration.

Douglas Isbell, co-chair of the U.S. program committee for IYA 2009 under the AAS, said:

We are developing an exciting set of programs and events built around seven themes, from looking through telescopes to activities for classrooms and families to new media such as social networking Web sites, all toward the goal of offering an engaging experience to every person in the country and fostering partnerships to sustain public interest.

Jim Manning, executive director of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, said:

The Astronomical Society of the Pacific is extremely pleased by the United Nations endorsement of the International Year of Astronomy. The sky belongs to everyone, and this global expression of support will provide a critical impetus to our international efforts and those of other organizations to use the appeal of astronomy to improve science literacy in general, and to promote greater appreciation and understanding of our place in the cosmos.

For more information about U.S. plans, see the United States IYA 2009 website.

For more information on the June 2008 AAS-ASP symposium on regional plans for IYA 2009, see the Astronomical Society of the Pacific's website.

A press release from the International Astronomical Union describing the UN declaration is available.