IYA What did you think?

[telecasterguru]

Well the IYA is now over. Any thoughts on how it went?

I was lucky enough to have travelled to the US and the UK and partook of some very good viewing nights and other events.

There was also many events around Australia.

I hope to hear some feedback on peoples involvement or otherwise.

Frank

[AdrianF]

I tried to get the local high school science teacher interested. I offered to setup my equipment on the high school oval and have the science class use the equipment, but all they were concerned about was having people on the school grounds after hours and the fact that they couldn't "control" who came on the premises(concerns of non school people being there) and insurance concerns incase someone got hurt or my equipment got damaged. I gave up and withdrew my offer but now I have my next door neighbor (maths and science teacher) asking if I would be interested in setting up my equipment etc etc I have told her to go sort it out with the principal.

Adrian

[mithrandir]

We had one in late 2008 at the school where SWMBO is an AP. There were about a dozen scopes on the school oval, various refractors, Newts and Dobs. I think my C8 was the only SCT. The kids (both primary school age and parent age) all loved it.

2009's night got postponed and then canceled because of illness.

Since 2008 the entire grounds have been surrounded with 2m spike topped steel fence. They only open one gate to control access.

[iceman]

I didn't get involved in it as much as I'd planned to, or wanted to at the beginning of the year.

It seems like there were a lot more public events etc, though I didn't see many reported about in the mass media.

The 'bird strike' was a good coincidence to happen in the IYA, but would've generated the same interest in any given year I think.

I guess the official IYA team will put out a press release at some stage to tell us their thoughts of the year - did they achieve their goals/aims that they wanted to, etc.

[hickny]

Personally it was a HUGE success. I organised several viewings on the school oval at Randwick Girls' High School. Initially for my Yr10 science classes but then I thought of offering it to the wider community. After suggesting a community event here on the forum I managed to have a FANTASTIC night back in April. http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=41991
I still keep in touch with the amateur astronomers who bought along scopes and I have made some good friends as a result. http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=41991
I continued with the class offerings throughout the year and held another weather affected evening in October for Galilean Nights.

One of my new acquaintances suggested a dark sky back in June and we travelled to Hargraves in the Blue Mountains and even though it was bittrely cold we were blown away by the dark sky. We now make the trip as often as we can get away on the weekend nearest the new moon. In late 2009 I upgraded to a 13.1" dob but have only had the one chance to use it due to poor weather here in Sydney. 2010 is going to be a GREAT year with this new scope.

[gary]

On Wednesday 26th August, Lachlan MacDonald, Tony Buckley, myself and Mai
operated three 18" Obsessions along with a Celestron SCT for a very successful
observing night on the main sports field of the Pymble Ladies College here on the
upper north shore of Sydney. The college also brought out its own Meade SCT.

We had great weather and long queues of totally enthralled young ladies.
"Wow!" was the most universal exclamation followed by "Cool!". If you didn't
hear a "Wow" or a "Cool" you knew it was time to re-center the object in the
eyepiece.

The college's manicured lawn of the sports field was probably the nicest and
flattest piece of grass I have ever set up a telescope on and I was amazed they
even let us drive our cars on it.

The college had also put on a sausage sizzle and kindly brought the team
food and drink without having to move away from the scopes.

The school's science staff were energized by the experience and said up until
then they had not made much use of their own Meade GOTO SCT. In the coming
weeks they were about to go on a school excursion into the country side and
I encouraged them that they must take the SCT along, which they said they
would do.

Special thanks to the Three Rivers Foundation for making the scopes available
and to the staff and students of Pymble Ladies College. At the end of the
night they even gave us lovely cards of appreciation.

During the year, Tony and Lach also took the scopes to Parramatta Park near the
site of the old observatory where they helped entertain a crowd of around 3000 at a public
observing event. Apparently around 1500 people got to look at objects such
as Saturn, the Moon and some bright double stars and clusters through the scopes.

The 3RF scopes were also present at Border Stargaze where John Bambury, Lach,
Tony and I helped entertain those that arrived on the Friday night despite the earlier wet
weather and also at the IceInSpace Astro Camp, where Andrew Murrell,
John and myself tried to make sure as many people as possible had a look
through the two 18's that were set up. Apart from IISAC attendees we had
a few locals take the opportunity to look through the big scopes, including some
of the Rural Fire Service team that provided the great meals. Special "hat's off"
to Mike Salway for hosting the IISAC event which was a great personal
contribution to the IYA.

In May, we assisted 3RF in helping host a couple of dozen North American
observers for a week of great observing here in Australia. This was a huge success
and helped re-enforce the already close ties we have with our American observing
colleagues. See http://www.3rf.com.au/gallery.asp

Well done 3RF team - http://www.3rf.com.au/whoswho.asp

Best Regards

Gary Kopff
Mount Kuring-Gai

[stephenb]

Yes there were public and private events dotted thoughout this country (and others), and those who organised them will agree that they were successful in their own right, and congratulations to them for participating. However as a worldwide endorsed and (supposedly) coordinated event by UNESCO, it did not generate much media (why would it?) and public interest on the whole.

I contacted the IYA for information about arranging an event several times and my emails went unanswered, so I gave up.

I spoke to so many people in 2009 telling them about IYA2009 (friends, family, work colleagues etc.) and either noone I spoke to was aware or was interested. I'm sure it was very popular overseas, particularly in the USA, but my opinion is that on the whole, a failure as a world-wide event.

[seeker372011]

our club-WSAAG- participated in a number of events through the year.(including the Parramatta Park and Festival of Stars)

Unfortunately in many instances poor weather let us down

still think I have had dozens if not over a hundred people look at stuff -usually the moon or Saturn or Joop -through my own personal telescope over the last year.

lots of kids.


Did IYA make a huge impact? probably not-hardly water cooler conversation material for most people I am afraid. Did we-the community -collectively get some people who had never looked through a telescope to do so? for sure.

Our club membership doubled -and I would attribute a lot of this interest directly to the outreach effort in IYA (by not just our club but the community as whole)
Narayan

[seeker372011]

PS In a talk at our club, Fred Watson reminded us in the lead up to 2009 to not expect too much excitement in the general community...he asked if for example anyone knew that 2008 was the Year of the Potato :)

[Manav]

Well for me it was a great year since IYA websites was one of the sites I visited often before I purchased my first scope. Great year and an eye opener!

[Liz]

:lol::lol:

We had a great year up in Townsville. We planned many public nights, and the weather stayed great for us.
The public nights that we had down on The Strand were amazing - we prob had at least 10 down there, plus another 6 at a darker site (Pallaranda). The ones on The Strand were hugely popular with many, many, many 1000s peering through our scopes in wonder. For a large number, it was their introduction to astronomy. We had a ball.
Some of the club members were still down there in late November, when weather deteriorates a bit up here.
We will definitley be including public nights for 2010.:thumbsup:

[rogerg]

I think IYA did as much as it could. Every year is "the year of" many different things, we don't usually hear of them and so it's not reasonable to expect IYA to be a huge phenomenon that grips the world.

There were lots of events here in WA and elsewhere which carried the IYA banner and I think IYA generated significantly more astronomy activity in the community than a usual year as a result, even if the general public going to IYA events weren't going there knowing it was an IYA event.

There's been other commercial IYA spin offs too, such as all the coins that the various mints have released for IYA. And the cheap telescopes.

I'm glad it's not continuing for more than one year... I think many clubs & people are somewhat "burnt out" by organising and attending so many events.

I sometimes look back on it and think how much more I/we should have done to take more advantage of the situation, but can't do everything.

[michaellxv]

By chance I bought my telescope at the start of IYA and as a newbe I did see the IYA banner out there and was able to take advantage of some of the additional events.

Schools picked up on the theme as all my kids did a project of some sort which was space related. We (the whole family got involved) got an A++ for our model of the Solar system. :D

[gary]

Hi Liz,

Fantastic! :)

Great report and a sterling effort! How many of you in your club were involved
and typically how many scopes did you have set up at a time?

[Buddman]

I am a teacher and along with another teacher (Batema) we pushed the whole IYA thing heavily. We did 10 or so observng nights, got more (previously there wasn't any) astronomy into years 8 and 9. We also got the school to pay for 5 days at Qld Astrofest (brilliant).:D

Not only did the whole school know about IYA but they are probably glad that is over.

Little do they know....we have plans for this year too.

I'd call it a success.

Adam

[Liz]

Thank you Gary :)
We averaged about 8 members and their scopes, which were mostly 10" Dobs. 1 guy had giant binoculars on a special stand, and they were a huge hit.
As Roger said though, I couldnt do it to that extent every year. It was a big undertaking.

[gary]

Hi Michael,

Excellent to hear you saw the banner flying and that there was some grass roots
involvement with the kids at school. :thumbsup:



Hi Adam,

Good on you and your colleague pushing it so hard. An observing night sounds
better to me than regular homework! Keep it in the curriculum. :thumbsup:



Wow! Well done! :thumbsup:

Eight is a fabulous number of helpers. The good folk of Townsville
should be so thankful for the effort you eight made.

Never in the observing field was so much owed by so many to so few! :lol:

[that_guy]

what is 2010 year of??

[mithrandir]

Year of the Tiger - Chinese astrology
International Year of Biodiversity - UN
Year of the Girl Guide - Kevin07
Year of the Seafarer - IMO
Year of World Expo Tourism - Chinese gov

got bored looking for more

[telecasterguru]

I understand that it is the year of the blood donor.

Any body feel like helping out?

[Kevnool]

Well i assisted Quark with the national parks in Menindee with a tour of the skys.
Was a successful night .
With the broken hill city council offering nothing for the year (shame on them) even after having a word to them.

All was good though.

cheers Kev.