International Year of Astronomy 2009 was fabulous!

The General Assembly of the United Nations designated 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009). This year-long global education program commemorated the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s first astronomical observations through a telescope. The theme of IYA2009 was The Universe: Yours to Discover.

In Nova Scotia, the Halifax Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada teamed with the Saint Mary's University Department of Astronomy and Physics and other local groups and individuals involved in astronomy to create a year-long program of events including: public guest speakers, mall displays, astronomers in the schools (possibly with simple give-away telescopes), sidewalk observing, talks to guides and scouts, resumption of public planetarium shows, Discovery Centre special events, science fair sponsorship, and so on. We are calling this collective "Astronomy Nova Scotia".

Partners include:

• Department of Astronomy & Physics at Saint Mary's University

• Halifax Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada

• Halifax Public Libraries

• Minas Astronomy Group based in Wolfville, Nova Scotia

• Discovery Centre

• Dalhousie University Department of Physics & Atmospheric Science (Halifax Planetarium Committee)