In the year 2009, the world will celebrate the 400th anniversary of Galileo's use of the telescope to study the skies. His revolutionary use of a simple spy-glass changed science forever. From his work, we learned the Sun has spots, the moon has mountains, and Jupiter's moons orbit the giant planet like a miniature solar system. Prior to his work, scientists and philosophers believed all celestial objects were perfect spheres that most likely orbited the Earth. His mountains, moons and spots forced mankind to realize we are at the center of nothing, and perfection can't we found in the spheres of the sky. In the four centuries since Galileo's work, astronomers - armed with telescopes and mathematics - have gone on to explore the forces that move the planets, that fuel the stars, and that power supernova.
In celebration of modern astronomy's quadricentennial, astronomers around the globe will be taking out their telescopes and asking you, your friends, and everyone they can find to lookup and discover all the stars and galaxies have to offer. They will be explaining what we know, how we know it, and helping you to understand where our astronomical observations take us on our cosmic journey.
The 2009 Year of Astronomy is an international celebration being hosted by the International Astronomical Union. Events are still be planned, and you are invited to tell us what you want to do to celebrate. This page is a product of the U.S. 2009 YoA team, and we want to help you make 2009 year party.
Spread the word: the Universe is yours to be discovered.
Come celebrate in 2009.
