The UW-Whitewater physics department is celebrating the International Year of Astronomy 2009 with a lecture series and exhibits.
"Astronomy is neat," Physics Department Chair Steven Sahyun said. "We hope to share our knowledge with the rest of the university and the community."
The International Year of Astronomy 2009 is a global effort started by the International Astronomical Union and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization "to help the citizens of the world rediscover their place in the Universe through the day- and night-time sky, and thereby engage a personal sense of wonder and discovery," according to the IYA2009 Web site.
The worldwide celebration commemorates astronomy and its contributions to society and culture. It marks the 400th anniversary of the first use of an astronomical telescope by Galileo Galilei.
The focus of the celebration is to inspire a global interest, especially among young people, in astronomy, engineering and mathematics.
UW-Whitewater's participation in the International Year of Astronomy is marked by special lectures in the Whitewater Observatory Lecture series and by a traveling exhibition of specially prepared astronomical images. The exhibit, "From Earth to the Universe," is a collection of 40 images of galaxies, planets and other astronomical objects and is on public display in the first-floor lobby of Upham Hall through Nov. 23.
UW-Madison astronomy graduate student Laura Trouille was awarded a NASA International Year of Astronomy Ambassador grant to create an astronomical picture exhibit for Wisconsin audiences.
The display features images related to research by Wisconsin astronomers and others and showcases beautiful observations made by the Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes, as well as ground-based telescopes around the world.
"I think these talks and events are interesting, fun and informative," Sahyun said.
The Whitewater Observatory Lecture series is a regular scheduled sequence of events for the physics department. The lectures are given by UW-Whitewater professors and outside lecturers. The next lecture is "Galileo's Hits, his Misses and Why" by Associate Professor Paul Rybski Nov. 6 at 8 p.m. in Upham Hall room 141. The lecture will include what Galileo observed with telescopes he constructed, why he found what he did, and why he missed some important discoveries.
"Galileo was a physicist who also did astronomy," Rybski said. "It's basically a joint celebration [of physics and astronomy] but with an emphasis on astronomy, since Galileo made monumental contributions to astronomy."
The lecture series started in 1988 and averages five lectures per semester.
"[The lectures] are designed for the general public as well as Whitewater students," Rybski said. "This lecture series is our department's service to the wider campus community."
Typically, the lecture's attendees are of all ages, with only about 20 percent of them being students.
"Students are invited to attend, but the majority of the people who come are from off-campus," Rybski said.
Lectures celebrating the IYA2009 will be given through December. Information about specific lectures can be found at the physics department Web site.
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