BE PART OF THE SEARCH FOR EXTRATERRESTRIAL INTELLIGENCE

SETI@home is a scientific experiment that uses Internet-connected computers in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI).  You can participate by running a free program that downloads and analyzes radio telescope data.  To start your search go to http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/ and down load the free software program.

INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF ASTRONOMY 2009

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) launched 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009) under the theme, The Universe, Yours to Discover. IYA2009 marks the 400th anniversary of the first astronomical observation through a telescope by Galileo Galilei. It will be a global celebration of astronomy and its contributions to society and culture, with a strong emphasis on education, public engagement and the involvement of young people, with events at national, regional and global levels throughout the whole of 2009. The United Nations proclaimed the year 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy on 20 December 2007.

Astronomy is one of the oldest fundamental sciences. One hundred years ago we barely knew of the existence of our own Milky Way. Today we know that many billions of galaxies make up our Universe and that it originated approximately 13.7 billion years ago. One hundred years ago we had no means of knowing whether there were other solar systems in the Universe. Today we know of more than 200 planets around other stars in our galaxy and we are moving towards an understanding of how life might have first appeared. One hundred years ago we studied the sky using only optical telescopes and photographic plates. Today we observe the Universe from Earth and from space, from radio waves to gamma rays, using cutting edge technology. Media and public interest in astronomy have never been higher and major discoveries are front page news throughout the world.

Catherine Cesarsky
IAU President

GO TO http://www.astronomy2009.org/welcome-mainmenu-92.html TO BE A PART OF THE IYA2009.

CURIOUS ABOUT HOW BIG IS THE UNIVERSE?  VERY BIG!!

Visit the web site below and enjoy a video showing the Hubble Ultra Deep Field view of the universe.  The narration has been edited to include research from a paper in Physical Review Letters (2004) which puts the size of the universe at 46.5 billion light years and tries to give an example, in human terms, how large that is.  This site also has many other astronomy videos you will find very informative. 

 
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgg2tpUVbXQ&feature=related

NGC 2014 - NGC 2020 (Henize 55)

SSRO/PROMPT NGC 2014 Nebula