WHAT was THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF ASTRONOMY (IYA2009)?

IYA2009 was modern astronomy’s quadricentennial and an international celebration of numerous astronomical and scientific milestones. It marked the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s first use of a telescope to study the skies and Kepler’s publication of Astronomia Nova. It was designed with the purpose of rediscovering milestones in astronomy and engaging the public in the beauty and wonder of space. The celebration featured a variety of programs and activities throughout the year to focus on learning about our Universe.

DARK SKIES AWARENESS activities
GALILEO activities

PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES
We encourage you to continue to participate and celebrate the wonders of our universe through the many resources and activities available.

NASA SCIENCE FEATURE OF THE MONTH
These activities are still appropriate in any year! A different planet or body in space as well as a different topic in astronomy is featured for each month.

January: Telescopes and Space Probes: Today's Starry Messengers; Venus
February: Our Solar System; the Moon
March: Observing at Night...and in the Day; Saturn
April: Galaxies and the Distant Universe; the Whirlpool Galaxy
May: Our Sun; the Sun
June: Clusters of Stars; the Hercules Cluster
July: Black Holes; Our Galaxy: the Milky Way
August: Rocks and Ice in the Solar System; Perseids
September: Planets and Moons; Jupiter
October: What is the Fate of the Universe?; Andromeda
November: The Lives of Stars; the Crab Nebula
December: Discovering New Worlds; the Orion Nebula

JPL "What's Up" short videos each month on IYA themes

Subscribe to our Educator E-List to receive occasional updates on new resources and opportunities