A year-long celebration of astronomy will give school students the chance to work with telescopes around the world, and spread an appreciation of the wonders of the night-time sky, writes Dick Ahlstrom
IF YOU FANCY a closer look at the man in the moon, then now is your chance. The International Year of Astronomy is underway and brings with it an opportunity to see our solar system as never before. And the winners of a student research project competition during the year will travel to the European Southern Observatory in the mountains of Chile.
Events during the UN-backed international year (known as IYA2009) have been organised on an all-Ireland basis and include observation nights using large portable telescopes, travelling exhibitions and even the launch of two commemorative stamps by An Post.
The goal is to reach out and encourage everyone to get involved in astronomy and have a look at the beautiful night-time sky, explains the co-ordinator of Ireland's events, NUI Galway's Prof Michael Redfern.
"The whole idea is to engage with the public," he says. It will bring academic and student astronomers out on to the streets to meet people and hopefully spread their enthusiasm for astronomy and science. "The emphasis is on engaging with the school students. I think that is the way we are going to get them interested in science."
The UN's general assembly agreed to designate 2009 as the international year as it marks the 400th anniversary of the first use of an astronomical telescope by Galileo Galilei. Almost 140 countries have agreed to hold events marking IYA2009, with the common thread being to promote the study of astronomy and science.
"We want to promote an interest in astronomy in order to produce an interest in science," says Prof Redfern, who is based at Galway's Centre for Astronomy.
The Irish celebrations began early on December 21st with a webcast of the winter solstice at Newgrange. The organisers chose the annual BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition at the RDS, to launch the centrepiece event for Ireland's IYA2009 activities.
Students are being encouraged to undertake an astronomy research project using the huge Faulkes telescopes based in Hawaii and Australia. Students will have direct access to these two-metre telescopes, which can be operated remotely over the internet.
Schools must sponsor groups involving two to three secondary school students, who can take on a project suggested by the organisers or submit their own project for consideration.
"We are asking students to get together to use the Faulkes telescopes to do a real research project," Prof Redfern says.
Transition-year student groups from North or South taking part in this Faulkes Telescopes Universe Challenge (Dúshlán na Cruinne le Faulkes) will be given "mentors", academic or graduate astronomers who will assist in the group's research.
The challenge includes a competition that will see the winning students, their teacher and their mentor flown out to Chile to visit the European Southern Observatory, where they will hopefully take part in a minor project on a telescope at Cerro La Silla.
The Irish organisers already have dozens of events planned for each month during the year, including "Sidewalk Astronomy" sessions which will see telescopes set up for solar and night-time observations at venues around the country. They are actively seeking sponsorship to allow an even wider programme of events.