Astroblog: 100 Hours of Astronomy Starts Thursday!

100 Hours of Astronomy Starts Thursday!

100 hours of Astronomy, a key event of the International Year of Astronomy, starts Thursday April 2 and runs until Sunday April 5. There are a number of International events. Sadly, the Science Centres Webcast occurs around 3am on the morning of the 23rd for us. However, Around the World in 80 Telescopes is a 24 hour long webcast, which we can access. There is also 100 hours of Junior Astronomy.

What's happening in Australia? Go to the Australian IYA site and look at the Calendar of Events. Check out your local astronomical societies or planetariums events. For Example the Astronomical Society of South Australia is holding public lectures on Thursday and public viewings on Saturday.

What else can you do? You could hold an impromptu star party! The 24 hour Global Star Party is on Saturday 4th April, all you need is a patch of sky and some friends and neighbours. You don't even really need telescopes or binoculars, just navigate your way around the sky and look for meteors or satellites. The Moon is crescent to First Quarter phase, ideal for pointing telescopes at, and Saturn is high in the sky and a big hit with everyone (on Saturday night the Moon will be near the Beehive star cluster, very nice).

So get out, and look up. You're guaranteed a good time!

100 Hours of Astronomy - Day 1
100 Hours of Astronomy - Day 2
100 Hours of Astronomy - Day 3