Report of the Activities of the International Year of Astronomy in the UK Ian Robson and Steve Owens On behalf of the UK Executive Group TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................................................. 4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .............................................................................................................................................. 5 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................... 7 1.1 SUMMARY OF THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF IYA2009 ........................................................................ 7 1.2 EVALUATION ........................................................................................................................................................... 9 CHAPTER 2 IYA2009 ORGANISATION IN THE UK ........................................................................................... 10 2.1 THE STRUCTURE OF THE IYA2009 UK NATIONAL NODE ........................................................................ 10 2.1.1 THE UK SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT FOR IYA2009 (SPOC) ................................................................................ 10 2.1.2 DEVELOPING THE IYA2009 UK NATIONAL NODE ............................................................................................... 10 2.1.3 THE UK CO-ORDINATOR FOR IYA2009 ............................................................................................................... 10 2.2 FUNDING FOR IYA2009 UK ................................................................................................................................. 12 2.2.1 CENTRAL FUNDING FOR IYA2009 IN THE UK ..................................................................................................... 12 2.2.2 GRANT SCHEMES SUPPORTING IYA2009 UK ...................................................................................................... 13 CHAPTER 3 GLOBAL CORNERSTONE PROJECTS IN THE UK ....................................................................... 14 3.1 FROM EARTH TO THE UNIVERSE ................................................................................................................... 15 3.1.1 EVALUATING THE AIMS OF FETTU ..................................................................................................................... 17 3.1.2 CONCLUSION FROM FETTU EVALUATION REPORT ............................................................................................. 18 3.1.3 REFLECTING ON FETTU ...................................................................................................................................... 18 3.2 DARK SKIES AWARENESS .................................................................................................................................. 20 3.2.1 DARK SKY PARKS IN THE UK .............................................................................................................................. 20 3.2.2 EVALUATING THE AIMS OF DARK SKIES PARKS UK ............................................................................................ 22 3.2.3 MEDIA PROFILE OF UK DARK SKY PARKS PROGRAMME ..................................................................................... 23 3.2.4 DARK SKY DISCOVERY IN THE UK ...................................................................................................................... 24 3.2.5 REFLECTING ON DARK SKIES AWARENESS .......................................................................................................... 26 3.3 100 HOURS OF ASTRONOMY ............................................................................................................................. 26 3.3.1 AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 TELESCOPES ............................................................................................................. 27 3.3.2 REFLECTING ON 100 HOURS OF ASTRONOMY ...................................................................................................... 28 3.4 GALILEAN NIGHTS .............................................................................................................................................. 28 3.5 SHE IS AN ASTRONOMER ................................................................................................................................... 28 3.5.1 SIAA AND THE UK RESOURCE CENTRE FOR WOMEN (UKRC) ........................................................................... 29 3.5.2 REFLECTING ON SHE IS AN ASTRONOMER ............................................................................................................ 29 3.6 ASTRONOMY AND WORLD HERITAGE ......................................................................................................... 30 3.6.1 EVALUATION OF WINTER SOLSTICE EVENT AT STONEHENGE .............................................................................. 31 3.6.2 REFLECTING ON ASTRONOMY AND WORLD HERITAGE ........................................................................................ 32 3.7 UNIVERSE AWARENESS ..................................................................................................................................... 32 3.8 GALILEO TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAMME ........................................................................................... 32 3.8.1 LIST OF TRAINING SESSIONS IN 2009 .................................................................................................................... 33 3.9 GALILEOSCOPE .................................................................................................................................................... 33 3.9.1 REFLECTING ON THE GALILEOSCOPE ................................................................................................................... 34 3.10 COSMIC DIARY .................................................................................................................................................... 34 3.10.1 COSMIC DIARY 1894 .......................................................................................................................................... 35 CHAPTER 4 UK SPECIAL PROJECTS ..................................................................................................................... 36 1 4.1 TELESCOPES FOR SCHOOLS ............................................................................................................................ 36 4.1.1 THE AIMS OF TELESCOPES FOR SCHOOLS ............................................................................................................ 37 4.1.2 TELESCOPES FOR SCHOOLS FUNDING .................................................................................................................. 37 4.1.3 TELESCOPES FOR SCHOOLS APPLICATION PROCESS ............................................................................................. 37 4.1.4 TFS DISTRIBUTION BY COUNTRY WITHIN UK ...................................................................................................... 38 4.1.5 DISTRIBUTION OF THE REMAINING TELESCOPES ................................................................................................... 39 4.1.6 SUPPORTING RESOURCES ..................................................................................................................................... 39 4.1.7 EVALUATION OF THE TFS PROJECT ...................................................................................................................... 40 4.1.8 EVALUATION OF THE AIMS OF TFS PROJECT ........................................................................................................ 41 4.1.9 REFLECTING ON TELESCOPES FOR SCHOOLS ........................................................................................................ 43 4.2 TELESCOPE400 ...................................................................................................................................................... 43 4.2.1 REFLECTING ON TELESCOPE 400 .......................................................................................................................... 44 4.3 SPRING MOONWATCH (28 MARCH – 05 APRIL 2009) .................................................................................. 45 4.3.1 THE AIMS OF SPRING MOONWATCH .................................................................................................................... 46 4.3.2 PUBLICISING SPRING MOONWATCH ..................................................................................................................... 46 4.3.3 EVENTS DURING SPRING MOONWATCH ............................................................................................................... 46 4.4 AUTUMN MOONWATCH ..................................................................................................................................... 47 4.4.1 THE AIMS OF AUTUMN MOONWATCH .................................................................................................................. 48 4.4.2 PUBLICISING AUTUMN MOONWATCH .................................................................................................................. 48 4.4.3 EVENTS DURING AUTUMN MOONWATCH ............................................................................................................. 48 4.4.4 REFLECTING ON