IYA in France

Progress report
and
Possible international cooperation
A.Chantal Levasseur-Regourd, Univ. Pierre et Marie Curie & Aronomie
Franoise Combes, Observatoire de Paris, LERMA
Jean-Eudes Arlot, Observatoire de Paris, IMCCE

1. Preliminary organization of the IYA 2009 in France

2. Activities already planned
3. International cooperation

1. Preliminary organization
http://www.astronomy2009.fr/

Anne Internationale or Mondiale de l'Astronomie?

AIA09 or AMA09?
LUnivers, votre dcouverte !

1. Preliminary organization
CNFA and SF2A ( 1000 members)
Small steering committee,
with contact persons to catalyze numerous actions
and projects for animation in astronomy
e.g.

Amateur astronomers (eclipse 99 experience)

Planetariums
Museums in relation with Astronomy
e.g. La Villette, Paris; Cit de lEspace, Toulouse
Education: elementary, secondary schools
Conferences (large and limited public)
Media: radio, TV

Contact persons in 100 institutes and universities

in all regions of France including outside Europe
(annual science week experience)
Links to all activities planned for the IYA

2. Activities already planned

Planetarium presentation (ALMA & planetary systems) with ESO
Wide series of conferences for a large public in all regions
(at least one key conference per week)
Wide series of exhibitions in all regions
Call for national projects,
towards amateur astronomers groups, science clubs, teachers
volunteering to develop such actions for a large public
(once funds are available)
e.g. building of interactive terminals in museums or schools
wide access to telescopes (optical/radio, direct/remote)
school astronomy kits
AMA09 poster
Other projects, still to be confirmed

3. International cooperation

We are looking for ideas and activities that could be shared

(e.g. previously mentioned Planetarium presentation)
We would be eager have some resources available in French language
put in common by the possibly concerned SPoCs
We would also like to propose
- to emphasize the outreach of some astronomical activities
- to propose easy-to-make coordinated observations,
- to make use of our worldwide network of observatories

3. International cooperation
Emphasize the outreach of astronomical activities, such as
Time
Calendars and almanacs
Nautical almanacs for navigation
Ephemeris (sunset, )
Astronomical phenomena (meteors, eclipses, )
Space weather
Adaptive optics
Interplanetary navigation

3. International cooperation
Propose coordinated observations in 2009, such as
Observations of the eclipses of the Jovian moons
Use of these eclipses for determining geographic longitudes,
to show the usefulness of astronomical observations
Worldwide observations centralized through Internet,
with a database available to every one and on-line calculations

3. International cooperation
Use of a national, European and worldwide network of
observatories with mid-size telescopes,
opened to a large public
for scientific observations and conferences

Thank you