Garching bei Muenchen - March 3- IYA 2009 meeting 1 Leopoldo Benacchio INAF Italy & 2009 – A Progress Report

Garching bei Muenchen - March 3- IYA 2009 meeting : An Important Year for Italy Celebration of the 4 th Centenary of Galilei perspicillum 2009: International Year of Astronomy Celebration of the 250 Years - Torino Observatory

Garching bei Muenchen - March 3- IYA 2009 meeting : Professional A&A in Italy INAF = National Institutes for Astrophysics 12 Astronomical Observatories 7 Institutes for Radio & Space Astrophyiscs + All the Researchers and Professors of Universities associated to INAF

Garching bei Muenchen - March 3- IYA 2009 meeting 4 Galileo Cannocchiale: Mainly in Pisa, Padova, Firenze : the Galilei cities A Committee has been appointed by the Central Administration ( Ministry of Culture ) : Universities, Mayors, INAF etc.

Garching bei Muenchen - March 3- IYA 2009 meeting 5 Galileo Cannocchiale II What are they discussing? Celebrations, meetings, statues, books etc. An accademical approach, mainly but not only astronomical

Garching bei Muenchen - March 3- IYA 2009 meeting 6 Within this framework An important Firenze Project -The Torre delle Stelle Museum -The Il Gioiello villa

Garching bei Muenchen - March 3- IYA 2009 meeting 7 The Torre delle Stelle An ancient building in the Arcetri hill, very close to Observatory and to il Gioiello (Galileo last house)

Garching bei Muenchen - March 3- IYA 2009 meeting 8 The Torre delle Stelle Project A Museum of modern and contemporary Astrophysics

Garching bei Muenchen - March 3- IYA 2009 meeting 9 The Torre delle Stelle Project II Feasibility study : ok Several local Institutions interested in Waiting for money …

Garching bei Muenchen - March 3- IYA 2009 meeting 10 The Il Gioiello The splendid Galileo Villa has been perfectly restored and will be used by Observatory (INAF), University & Florence Museo Della Scienza

Garching bei Muenchen - March 3- IYA 2009 meeting 11 The 2009 I(NAF)YA initiatives Several local initiatives discussed in important astronomical areas: Torino is a Focus point because of the 250° anniversary of the foundation in 2009 Bologna, Palermo, Catania, Milano, Padova

Garching bei Muenchen - March 3- IYA 2009 meeting 12 Milano 2009: the Brera Observatory Actions with schools: laboratories & several other initiatives Collaboration with the Accademia of Brera: Art & Astronomy (already running, will end in 2009) An astronomical pièce with a local teather

Garching bei Muenchen - March 3- IYA 2009 meeting 13 Padova 2009 A (local but) international Prize for A&A (city of Padova+INAF+University) Working on Street Science

Garching bei Muenchen - March 3- IYA 2009 meeting 14 PADOVA – (VERY) POPULAR ASTRONOMY They are working on a new concept: To Approach & Interact with plenty of people in the big (mostrous … ) shopping centers

Garching bei Muenchen - March 3- IYA 2009 meeting 15 A new or an heretical approach ? Street food

Garching bei Muenchen - March 3- IYA 2009 meeting 16 A new (or an heretical) approach? Street art

Garching bei Muenchen - March 3- IYA 2009 meeting 17 A new or an heretical approach ? Why not street science ?

Garching bei Muenchen - March 3- IYA 2009 meeting 18 A proposal of an outsider SENDING GALILEO TO THE MOON a proposal of Paolo Amoroso, Science scholar & writer Sending to the Moon a tiny fragment of an object owned or used by Galileo. The fragment might be stored in a small container, installed with minimal modifications on an unmanned space probe already scheduled for launch. Examples of fragment sources: needle-like, few mm long wood fragment of the floor or furniture of a place where Galileo lived tiny piece of paper from one of Galileo's manuscripts or books (e.g. square with a side a few mm long)

Garching bei Muenchen - March 3- IYA 2009 meeting 19 A proposal of an outsider - II SENDING GALILEO TO THE MOON Container weight: a few tens of grams at most Container volume: a few cm^3 Possible lunar probe: LRO - Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (NASA), scheduled for launch in late 2008 Prior art: - ashes of planetary scientist Gene Shoekamer brought to the Moon on Lunar Prospector (NASA); protests from religious groups – - sample of red Ferrari paint sent to Mars on board Mars Express (ESA)

Garching bei Muenchen - March 3- IYA 2009 meeting 20 A proposal of an outsider - summary SENDING GALILEO TO THE MOON + 1 sq mm

Garching bei Muenchen - March 3- IYA 2009 meeting 21 Proposal as a National Institute We are discussing concepts on IYA2009 What we want to communicate with the initiatives ? What the public, especially young people, want to know about or from us ? Schools as privileged public

Garching bei Muenchen - March 3- IYA 2009 meeting 22 Alla Scoperta del Cielo! We presently manage a network of 800 classrooms each year connected via the Internet, web & radio

Garching bei Muenchen - March 3- IYA 2009 meeting 23 What we are proud to offer Starting or ending of the IYA2009 ! An example : Where ? In Prato della Valle Square Why ? Very close to Galileo house & observing site (300 m.)

Garching bei Muenchen - March 3- IYA 2009 meeting 24 MarienPlatz sq. m. Prato della Valle is VERY big … sq. m.

Garching bei Muenchen - March 3- IYA 2009 meeting 25 Trafalgar Square sq m. Prato della Valle is VERY big … sq. m.

Garching bei Muenchen - March 3- IYA 2009 meeting 26 Piazza San Pietro sq. m. Prato della Valle is VERY big … sq. m.

Garching bei Muenchen - March 3- IYA 2009 meeting 27 Place de la Concorde sq.m. Prato della Valle is VERY big … sq. m.

Garching bei Muenchen - March 3- IYA 2009 meeting 28 Prato della Valle is beautiful

Garching bei Muenchen - March 3- IYA 2009 meeting 29 Designing the happening… We have to think to a fresh, young, interesting, modern astronomical event Especially focused on kids: one child from each World nation They will observe the moon, Jupiter and the milky way in the same way of Galileo

Garching bei Muenchen - March 3- IYA 2009 meeting 30 Designing the happening II Other more obvious activities : remote observing on megascreen, conferences, star party etc. Cost : M To be discussed with the city administration for funding, no lights for a night, organization etc.

Garching bei Muenchen - March 3- IYA 2009 meeting 31 Galileo is already in looking at the sky

Garching bei Muenchen - March 3- IYA 2009 meeting 32 Really? An international Year of Astronomy!