IYA2009

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) has launched 2009 as theInternational Year of Astronomy (IYA2009) under the theme “The Universe, yours to discover”. IYA2009 marks the four hundredth anniversary of Galileo Galilei’s first astronomical observation through a telescope. It will be a global celebration of astronomy and its contribution to society and culture, with a strong emphasison education, public engagement and the involvement of young people, with events at national, regional, and global levels throughout the whole of 2009. IYA2009 has been endorsed by UNESCO, which has recommended it for adoption by the United Nations. The UN General Assembly will vote in late 2007 to endorse 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy.