just look up experience, learn, and enjoy the changing sky.2009 was chosen by the International Astronomical Union and the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization because it occurs 400 years after Galileo turned one of the first telescopes toward the heavens. Peering through that small window, Galileo discovered that the Moon has craters, Venus has phases, Jupiter has moons, and Saturn has rings.
Here is a short compilation of stills from the Hubble Space Telescope, NASA, and multiple ground based observers. The music is "Conversations" by Freddie Ravel.
The Opening ceremony of the International Year of Astronomy will officially take place in Paris, January 15-16, 2009, under the aegis of the UN, the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), the IAU (International Astronomical Union).
