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The IYA-2009 home site

  August 19-24, 2009  the UNESCO congress "Astronomy and World Heritage: Across Time and Continents" will be held in Kazan', Russia see details >>

To celebrate 400 years of using telescopes in astronomy, the International Astronomical Union decided to proclaim 2009 the International Year of Astronomy (IYA-2009). This decision was supported by UNESCO and approved by the UN General Assembly on December 20, 2007. On January 15, 2009 the Opening Ceremony took place UNESCO headquarters (Paris).

The IYA-2009 events are intended to increase the society’s support of scientific research, to improve the quality of scientific education, to attract young people to scientific activity. It is planned that professional as well as amateur astronomical society will actively participate in preparation and implementation of IYA-2009 events.

The International Astronomical Union plays a leading role in the organization of international IYA-2009 events, while the National Committee of Russian Astronomers of the Russian Academy of Sciences coordinates activities related to national, regional, and local IYA-2009 events in Russia.