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Year of Astronomy 

Last update: Jul 24th, 2009 URL: http://libguides.calpoly.edu/yearofastronomy  Print Guide  RSS Updates

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Just for Fun

Astronautics is using Twitter.

Announcing the debut of 400 Years of the Telescope PBS documentary

A sweeping film celebrating four centuries of astronomy discoveries will
make its debut on PBS when 400 Years of the Telescope airs in April
(scheduled air date: Friday, April 10, check local listings). In 400 Years
of the Telescope, Neil deGrasse Tyson takes viewers on a visually stunning
journey from Galileo¹s first look at the cosmos in 1609, to today¹s
thrilling quests to discover new worlds and glimpse the formation of the
first stars after the Big Bang. With warmth and humor, the planet¹s top
astrophysicists discuss momentous discoveries and how telescopes have
changed our understanding of the universe. Looking into the future, viewers
will learn of emergent telescopes that may detect life outside our solar
system and allow humans to view the initial moments of the Big Bang.

Tune into your local PBS station and view this beautiful new film.
For more information, visit:
http://www.400years.org

You can view the "400 Years of the Telescope" trailer at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ww-qwI2w6r8

 

Galileo

 
 

Moon in Google Earth

Fly yourself to the moon

Monday, July 20, 2009 at 8:00 AM


On July 20, 1969, two human beings landed on the moon for the first time. Forty years later, that accomplishment still stands as an unmatched moment in the history of human exploration. It was a truly wondrous event that captured imaginations worldwide -- nearly a billion people (one quarter of the Earth's population at the time) followed it moment-by-moment on live TV or radio, around the globe.

Today, on the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing, Google is proud to announce the release of Moon in Google Earth, bringing you one step closer to understanding the experience of standing on the moon. It brings the Apollo stories out of the history books, recreating them in an immersive and interactive 3D environment.

To see for yourself, all you need is Google Earth 5.0 (if you already have it, no upgrade is required). Just click the planet button on the top toolbar of Google Earth, and choose Moon. You'll be flown to the Moon, at which point you have all the same usual Google Earth controls -- drag your mouse on the globe to fly around, and use the Layers panel in the lower-left corner to discover content. Double-click any Layers item to fly to it.


Each of the Apollo landing missions is chronicled in detail through pictures and stories. We've even embedded video footage from Spacecraft Films that covers the most well-known moments on the surface. There are also immersive lunar surface panoramas, composed of photos taken by the astronauts themselves, presented for the first time in a 3D "Street View" style interface:

 

The Human Artifacts layer contains locations and trivia on every robotic spacecraft that's ever landed on or crashed into the moon. Those that did land successfully are represented by 3D models, such as Luna 9 from the USSR:

You can turn on the Historical Maps layer to see maps that NASA itself used in the Apollo missions. Or just fly around and explore the 3D terrain:

If you get lost, that's no problem... just pull up the Guided Tours layer. There you'll find author Andrew Chaikin (A Man on the Moon) and Apollo 11 astronaut and author Buzz Aldrin (Magnificent Desolation) co-narrating an immersive fly-through tour of the Apollo 11 landing site. Harrison H. Schmitt, Apollo 17 astronaut and Fusion Technology Institute faculty member, is also on hand to describe his experience as the only geologist to have walked on the Moon.

The tours are like a movie, but better... when you pause, you can actually look around with the camera! See the Google Earth User Guide for more info.
Moon in Google Earth was made possible by Google's Space Act Agreement, which allowed NASA Ames researchers to help us develop much of its content. We're also grateful to JAXA, Japan's space agency, for donating a global terrain dataset of the Moon.

We hope that you enjoy Moon in Google Earth. Explore it today, in observation of the 40th anniversary of one of humanity's finest moments.

 
 

International Year of Astronomy

In 2009, the world will celebrate the International Year of Astronomy as it commemorates the 400th anniversary of Galileo's use of a telescope to study the skies, and Kepler's publication of Astronomia Nova. 2009 is also the anniversary of many other historic events in science, including Huygen’s 1659 publication of Systema Saturnium. This site provides details on upcoming events celebrating the International Year of Astronomy and related websites and information.

 

Websites

Please email jscaramo@calpoly.edu with additional websites.

Astronomy: An intensive writing astronomy class at Cornell. Most of the resources mentioned are free.

Canadian-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) - IYA website has lists of astronomy books for children.

Google Maps for Mars A 3D map of Mars, which includes high-resolution images from NASA, 3D terrain data, and annotations for landing sites and other interesting features.

Diamonds in the Sky An online anthology of science fiction specifically to use in conjunction with teaching astronomy funded by the National Science. "The purpose of the anthology is to provide stories with ample and accurate astronomy spanning a range of topics covered in introductory courses. Instructors in high school and college may these stories useful, as some students may learn concepts more easily through story than from lecture. Fans of science fiction with good science should also enjoy these stories."

The Galileo Project The Galileo Project is a source of information on the life and work of Galileo Galilei (1564-1642).

 
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