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Astronomy Day
Astronomy Day is an annual event in the United States and later in other countries, intended to provide a means of interaction between the general public and various astronomy enthusiasts, groups and professionals. History This event was started in 1973 by Doug Berger, the president of the Astronomical Association of Northern California. His intent was to set up various telescopes in busy urban locations so that passersby could enjoy views of the heavens. Since then the event has expanded and is now sponsored by a number of organizations associated with astronomy. Originally, Astronomy Day occurred on a Saturday between mid-April and mid-May, and was scheduled so as to occur at or close to the first quarter Moon. In 2007, an autumn rendition of Astronomy Day was added. It was scheduled to occur on a Saturday between mid-September and mid-October so as to be on or close to the first quarter Moon. Future events The lunar influence on the schedule means that the events happen o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Quarter Moon
Quarter Moon (foaled 31 January 1999) was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. As a two-year-old in 2001 she showed considerable promise, taking the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes on the second of her two starts. In the following year she failed to win but showed top class form to finish second in four Group 1 races: the Irish 1,000 Guineas, the Epsom Oaks, the Irish Oaks and the Nassau Stakes. After retiring from racing at the end of the year she became a successful broodmare whose foals have included the Pretty Polly Stakes winner Diamondsandrubies. Background Quarter Moon is a bay mare with no white markings bred in Ireland by Premier Bloodstock, a breeding company owned by John Magnier of the Coolmore Stud and Richard Henry. During her racing career she was owned by Susan Magnier and Richard Henry's wife Roisin and was trained at Ballydoyle by Aidan O'Brien. She was ridden in all of her races by Mick Kinane. She was from the fourteenth crop of foals sired by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
National Dark-Sky Week
International Dark Sky Week (formerly the National Dark Sky Week) is held during the week of the new moon in April, when people worldwide may turn off their lights to observe the beauty of the night sky without light pollution. This event was founded in 2003 by high school student Jennifer Barlow of Midlothian, Virginia. It has been endorsed by the International Dark-Sky Association, the American Astronomical Society, the Astronomical League, and ''Sky & Telescope''. Goal The goals of the event are to: * Temporarily reduce light pollution and raise awareness about its effects on the night sky, * Encourage the use of better lighting systems that direct light downward instead of into the sky, and * Promote the study of astronomy. This event always occurs in April, during the week of the new moon so that the sky can be as dark as possible for optimum viewing conditions. Jennifer Barlow states, "The night sky is a gift of such tremendous beauty that should not be hidden under a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
October Observances
October is the tenth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and the sixth of seven months to have a length of 31 days. The eighth month in the old calendar of Romulus , October retained its name (from Latin and Greek ''ôctō'' meaning "eight") after January and February were inserted into the calendar that had originally been created by the Romans. In Ancient Rome, one of three Mundus patet would take place on October 5, Meditrinalia October 11, Augustalia on October 12, October Horse on October 15, and Armilustrium on October 19. These dates do not correspond to the modern Gregorian calendar. Among the Anglo-Saxons, it was known as Winterfylleth (Ƿinterfylleþ), because at this full moon, winter was supposed to begin. October is commonly associated with the season of spring in parts of the Southern Hemisphere, and autumn in parts of the Northern Hemisphere, where it is the seasonal equivalent to April in the Southern Hemisphere and vice versa. October ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
September Observances
September is the ninth month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars, the third of four months to have a length of 30 days, and the fourth of five months to have a length of fewer than 31 days. September in the Northern Hemisphere and March in the Southern Hemisphere are seasonally equivalent. In the Northern hemisphere, the beginning of the meteorological autumn is on 1 September. In the Southern hemisphere, the beginning of the meteorological spring is on 1 September. September marks the beginning of the ecclesiastical year in the Eastern Orthodox Church. It is the start of the academic year in many countries of the northern hemisphere, in which children go back to school after the summer break, sometimes on the first day of the month. September (from Latin ''septem'', "seven") was originally the seventh of ten months in the oldest known Roman calendar, the calendar of Romulus , with March (Latin '' Martius'') the first month of the year until pe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Unofficial Observances
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May Observances
May is the fifth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and is the third of seven months to have a length of 31 days. May is a month of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. Therefore, May in the Southern Hemisphere is the seasonal equivalent of November in the Northern Hemisphere and vice versa. Late May typically marks the start of the summer vacation season in the United States (Memorial Day) and Canada (Victoria Day) that ends on Labor Day, the first Monday of September. May (in Latin, ''Maius'') was named for the Greek goddess Maia, who was identified with the Roman era goddess of fertility, Bona Dea, whose festival was held in May. Conversely, the Roman poet Ovid provides a second etymology, in which he says that the month of May is named for the ''maiores,'' Latin for "elders," and that the following month (June) is named for the ''iuniores,'' or "young people" (''Fasti VI.88''). Eta Aquariids meteor shower appea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
April Observances
April is the fourth month of the year in the Gregorian calendar, Gregorian and Julian calendar, Julian calendars. It is the first of four months to have a length of 30 days, and the second of five months to have a length of less than 31 days. April is commonly associated with the season of autumn in parts of the Southern Hemisphere, and Spring (season), spring in parts of the Northern Hemisphere, where it is the seasonal equivalent to October in the Southern Hemisphere and vice versa. History The Romans gave this month the Latin name ''Aprilis''"April" in ''Chambers's Encyclopædia''. London: George Newnes Ltd, George Newnes, 1961, Vol. 1, p. 497. but the derivation of this name is uncertain. The traditional etymology is from the verb ''aperire'', "to open", in allusion to its being the season when trees and flowers begin to "open", which is supported by comparison with the modern Greek use of wikt:άνοιξη#Greek, άνοιξη (''ánixi'') (opening) for spri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Astronomy Education Events
Astronomy () is a natural science that studies celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and evolution. Objects of interest include planets, moons, stars, nebulae, galaxies, and comets. Relevant phenomena include supernova explosions, gamma ray bursts, quasars, blazars, pulsars, and cosmic microwave background radiation. More generally, astronomy studies everything that originates beyond Earth's atmosphere. Cosmology is a branch of astronomy that studies the universe as a whole. Astronomy is one of the oldest natural sciences. The early civilizations in recorded history made methodical observations of the night sky. These include the Babylonians, Greeks, Indians, Egyptians, Chinese, Maya, and many ancient indigenous peoples of the Americas. In the past, astronomy included disciplines as diverse as astrometry, celestial navigation, observational astronomy, and the making of calendars. Nowadays, p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
White House Astronomy Night
White House Astronomy Night (and alternatively Astronomy Night on the National Mall) is an event first organized by the White House in conjunction with the Office of Science and Technology Policy to motivate interest in astronomy and science education. The original White House Astronomy Night was held in 2009 on the South Lawn. In 2010 the White House and the Office of Science and Technology Policy organized a similar event with help from Hofstra University, this time held on the National Mall. Between 2010 and 2014 annual events took place at the National Mall with coordination between Hofstra University and federal agencies including: the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, NASA, and the National Science Foundation. In 2015 an event took place in June at the National Mall, and then back at the White House again on October 19. The 2012 book ''Rising Above the Gathering Storm'' by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine noted the White House Astro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
World Space Week
, website = https://indiaspaceweek.org World Space Week (WSW) is an annual holiday observed from October 4 to 10 in over 95 nations throughout the world. World Space Week is officially defined as "an international celebration of science and technology, and their contribution to the betterment of the human condition". World Space week is organized every year by coordination of the World Space Week Association (WSWA) and the United Nations (UN). History On December 6, 1999, The United Nations General Assembly declared World Space Week as an annual event celebration to be commemorated between October 4 and 10. The choice of dates was based on recognition of two important dates in space history: the launch of the first human-made Earth satellite, Sputnik 1, on October 4, 1957; and the signing of the Outer Space Treaty on October 10, 1967. World Space Week is the largest annual space event in the world. In 2019, World Space Week was celebrated with over 8,000 events in 96 countries. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
National Astronomy Week
National Astronomy Week (NAW) is an event held every few years in the United Kingdom to promote public awareness of astronomy by celebrating notable astronomical events. The last NAW, Mars Encounter, was run during the week of 14–22 November 2020. Activities During the week, astronomy societies, planetaria, schools, universities and other organisations from all over the UK organise events to promote interest in, and knowledge of, astronomy. The organisers promote the week using extensive contacts with the media and all the major UK astronomical organisations, many of whom provide funding. Events range from talks, visits and in particular the opportunity for children and adults alike to observe the sky through a range of equipment. Increasing use is being made of "virtual" events with talks and observations being streamed. History The need for National Astronomy Week (NAW) was first defined in the late 1970s. A group of both professional and amateur astronomers as well as teac ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
100 Hours Of Astronomy
The International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009) was a year-long celebration of astronomy that took place in 2009 to coincide with the 400th anniversary of the first recorded astronomical observations with a telescope by Galileo Galilei and the publication of Johannes Kepler's ''Astronomia nova'' in the 17th century. The Year was declared by the 62nd General Assembly of the United Nations. A global scheme, laid out by the International Astronomical Union (IAU), was also endorsed by UNESCO, the UN body responsible for educational, scientific, and cultural matters. The IAU coordinated the International Year of Astronomy in 2009. This initiative was an opportunity for the citizens of Earth to gain a deeper insight into astronomy's role in enriching all human cultures. Moreover, served as a platform for informing the public about the latest astronomical discoveries while emphasizing the essential role of astronomy in science education. IYA2009 was sponsored by Celestron and Thales Alen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
