100 Hours of Astronomy Events

2-5 April 2009

100 Hours of Astronomy IYA2009 Cornerstone Project was a four-day event designed to bring astronomy to the public around the world. This celebration was extremely successful and is said to have been, the largest public global science event ever to have been held.

The 100 Hours of Astronomy Task Team thanks all the groups and individuals around the world who made this historic event such a great success.

100 Hours of Astronomy Global Events:

• Opening Event: A VIP event at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia featured one of Galileo's telescopes. The Director of the Institute and Museum of the History of Science in Florence, which holds the two remaining Galileo telescopes, spoke on the importance of Galileo's telescopes and the discoveries he made with them.
• Live Science Centres Webcast: Selected science centres participated in a live webcast featuring discussions on current topics in astronomy on 2 April. Live observations were made by visitors to these science centres using telescopes operated remotely over the Internet. Science centres worldwide  featured enhanced outreach programmes, many with the participation of amateur astronomy groups holding public observing sessions.
• Around the World in 80 Telescopes, 24-hour Research Observatory Webcasts: Astronomers at professional research observatories around the world took viewers inside their telescope domes and control rooms during a live 24-hour webcast on 3 April.
• 24-hour Global Star Party: For 24 hours on 4 April, telescopes (including solar telescopes) were made available for public viewing by astronomy clubs and observing groups free of charge. The goal was to allow as many people as possible to have a chance to look through a telescope.
• Sun Day: 5 April, sunrise local time and organised by the Solar Physics Task Group. We all owe our existence to our closest stellar neighbour, the Sun. Without it, all life on earth would perish. The last day of 100 Hours of Astronomy (Sunday) was set aside to highlight and celebrate the Sun.
• 100 Hours of Remote Astronomy: During the entire 100 Hours of Astronomy (from 2-5 April), several observatories around the world gave free access to their telescopes.
• 100HA Junior: Was a collaboration between 100 Hours of Astronomy and Universe Awareness (also an IYA global cornerstone project) to connect amateur and professional astronomers with young children around the world during (and perhaps after) 100 Hours of Astronomy.

Other Programs Related to 100 Hours:

• Galaxy Zoo: Here you can help astronomers explore the Universe just by the click of your mouse and all within the 100 Hours of Astronomy celebration. Help Galaxy Zoo make 1 million classification galaxy clicks in 100 hours.... the race is on
• CICLOPS: Cassini Imaging Central Laboratory For Operations,  is the official site of the Cassini Imaging Team and the offical source of high resolution images from Cassini.. CICLOPS celebrates Galileo and his work along with the 100 Hours of Astronomy global star party by making available some of its most memorable images and movies of Saturn, its satellites and rings. There are many more activities planned at CICLOPS which include playing Golf around Saturn and teeing-off from one of the moons. Check out the Space Art from many prominent astronomical artists. Read 10 years' worth of the 'Captain's Log' written by Carolyn Porco, the Imaging Team Learder. Visit the online Science Centre and become a member of the CICLOPS Alliance.
  

Thousands of Local Events are being planned by science facilities and astronomy enthusiasts around the world, including telescope observing sessions, lectures, exhibitions, special shows and more.