From the Sky and Telescope web site:

It's Official: 2009 Is the Year of Astronomy

In a triumph for everyone who looks up in wonder at the starry sky, the
United Nations' General Assembly has formally proclaimed 2009 the
International Year of Astronomy.

IAUIYA 2009 celebrates the 400th anniversary of Galileo's introduction of
the telescope to astronomy. The UN's declaration culminates nearly five
years of effort by the government of Italy (where Galileo lived and worked
in the late 16th and early 17th centuries), the International Astronomical
Union (IAU), and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO).

A statement issued by the IAU, the world's largest association of
professional astronomers, notes that in 1609 Galileo "initiated 400
years of astronomical discoveries and triggered a scientific revolution
which profoundly affected our worldview. Now telescopes on the ground and
in space explore the universe, 24 hours a day, across all wavelengths of
light." IAU president Catherine Cesarsky adds, "The International
Year of Astronomy 2009 gives all nations a chance to participate in this
ongoing exciting scientific and technological revolution."

In the February 2008 issue of Sky & Telescope, now in the mail to
subscribers and en route to newsstands worldwide, I write about the IYA in
my editorial, "Countdown to 2009." It includes this comment:
"If things go the IAU's way, by the time you read this the United
Nations' General Assembly will have officially declared 2009 to be the Year
of Astronomy." Well, things did go the IAU's way, and now it's up to
us to make the IYA 2009 live up to its potential to introduce millions of
people around the globe - especially young people - to the wonders of
astronomy and the importance of science in our lives.

Beginning in 1609, Galileo made many astonishing discoveries, including
craters and mountains on the Moon, four satellites circling Jupiter, and
countless stars too faint to be seen by the unaided eye. Almost overnight
(literally), he overturned more than 1,000 years of orthodoxy and helped
launch modern science - in which the universe isn't as we believe it must
be but as we observe it to be.

Gearing up for IYA 2009, nearly 100 countries have already established
"national nodes" to coordinate planning among amateurs,
professionals, educators, planetarians, and others interested in promoting
astronomy. Many hundreds of enthusiasts are hard at work on dozens of
exciting projects. The best way to find out what activities and events are
in the works - and to get involved yourself - is to start at the IAU
website, www.astronomy2009.org, and then follow the links to your own
country's node. The US website, sponsored by the American Astronomical
Society (AAS), is at www.astronomy2009.us.

Douglas Isbell, co-chair of the AAS program committee for IYA 2009, says,
"We are developing an exciting set of programs and events built around
seven themes, from looking through telescopes, to activities for classrooms
and families, to new media such as social networking websites, all toward
the goal of offering an engaging experience to every person in the country
and fostering partnerships to sustain public interest."

As I see it, there's one activity that should be at the top of every
nation's list: giving participants a chance to look through a telescope. In
my experience, nothing else is as effective in turning people on to
astronomy. Amateur astronomers can play a huge role in this. IYA 2009
offers our best chance ever to show the rest of the world why we love
astronomy so much. Let's make the most of this opportunity!

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