If there's one thing I learned from the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009), it's that there is an overwhelming thirst for knowledge when it comes to the cosmos and our place in it (I also learned that free astronomy-themed beer given to a hall-filled with astronomers at the IYA2009 opening event goes down particularly well).
Astronomy bridges all organizations, all abilities, all nations and all ages. What's more, astronomy only has two requirements: you need to be inquisitive and you need to look up (and clear skies, but in this age of virtual observing, so long as you have an internet connection, you can become an effective 'armchair astronomer').
Although the IYA2009 has concluded, its impact has by no means faded and now you will find a variety of astronomy programs continuing "beyond the International Year of Astronomy" and this month has become Global Astronomy Month (GAM2010) organized by Astronomers Without Borders.
I was able to speak with GAM2010 Public Relations Coordinator Oana Sandu, an astronomer based in Bucharest, Romania, who gave me some details.
"Inspired by the idea of sharing the beauty of the sky across national borders, "Thirty Nights of StarPeace" is a worldwide-scale event that will join together astronomy groups in neighboring countries, one patch of Earth at the time, on successive nights during the month of April," Sandu told me via email.
It's an intriguing idea, and the campaign is in full swing. Using geographical longitude as a reference, Earth has been divided into ten equal segments, each 36 degrees of longitude. As the Thirty Nights of StarPeace will span for the whole month of April (a.k.a. Global Astronomy Month), each segment has three days to participate.
We are currently in the Fourth Phase of StarPeace bringing together Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania, Ukraine, Turkey and Zambia. As each phase passes, StarPeace will move West. For details about what events are planned in your region, check the GAM2010 map and the news pages.
April 13-15 will cover western Europe (including the UK) and StarPeace will make it to the East Coast of the USA and Canada on April 16, making it to the West Coast on April 22.
Of course, you can follow the whole thing via Twitter (following @GAM_2010 and the hashtag #GAM2010) and Facebook. But for now, sit back end enjoy the video:
Tags: Astronomy, Current Events, International Year of Astronomy
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