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By admin, August 25, 2008

The New Media Task Group of the International Year of Astronomy 2009 is happy to announce that we will have a presence in Second Life® made possible through the generous support of sponsors, including Interstellar Studios, Steward Observatory at the University of Arizona, and individuals who have graciously donated L$ (Linden Dollars) for our project. Our island (tentatively named Astronomy 2009) will reside within The SciLands, a mini-continent of science and nature themed islands.

Adrienne Gauthier (SL: Ourania Fizgig) of Steward Observatory at the University of Arizona will be managing the IYA2009 SL presence under the auspices of the IYA 2009 New Media Task Group managed by Dr. Pamela Gay of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and the popular Astronomy Cast.

Why the International Year of Astronomy?

Excerpt from http://www.astronomy2009.org:

The vision of the International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009) is to help the citizens of the world rediscover their place in the Universe through the day- and night time sky, and thereby engage a personal sense of wonder and discovery. All humans should realize the impact of astronomy and basic sciences on our daily lives, and understand better how scientific knowledge can contribute to a more equitable and peaceful society.

The International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009) will be a global celebration of astronomy and its contributions to society and culture, highlighted by the 400th anniversary of the first use of an astronomical telescope by Galileo Galilei. The aim of the Year is to stimulate worldwide interest, especially among young people, in astronomy and science under the central theme “The Universe, Yours to Discover”. IYA2009 events and activities will promote a greater appreciation of the inspirational aspects of astronomy that embody an invaluable shared resource for all nations.

The IYA2009 activities will take place at the global and regional levels, and especially at the national and local levels. National Nodes in each country have been formed to prepare activities for 2009. These Nodes establish collaborations between professional and amateur astronomers, science centres, educators, and science communicators.

What Will IYA 2009 Bring to The SciLands and Second Life?

The IYA 2009 island will contain several permanent exhibits as well as hosting our collection of “traveling” exhibits.  The portable virtual exhibits/interactives/info booths can be placed in a variety of science and non-science locations in-world. Our cadre of proposed permanent attractions include (but are not limited to): A multi-media theater, a digital-style planetarium, a Dark Skies demonstration area, a Sidewalk Astronomy experience with a variety of small telescope models, and a unique implementation of the From Earth to the Universe astronomical imagery project. To encourage repeat visitors and word of mouth advertising, we are planning to deliver new or updated content frequently with the goal of installing a new experience every month. Special one-time events, guest speakers, and astronomy themed design contests will also help draw an audience.

The proposed IYA multi-media theater and digital planetarium will showcase real world features, like excerpts from the “400 Years of the Telescope” film or NASA Live TV. This will also be a venue where we can display real world science presentations remotely and ask real astronomers to discuss their discoveries with Second Life residents. We are encouraging real-life astronomy visualization specialists and planetarium developers to participate in the development of our island, bringing real data into the virtual world.

We are currently working with the Dark Skies awareness group and the project Let There Be Night to implement a thought provoking experience for visitors that helps to illustrate the dark sky problem. People will be able to explore light pollution and dark skies in ways that are not physically possible in the real world.

The Sidewalk Astronomy exhibit will take visitors on a narrated journey of the cosmos via small telescope models. Not only will they see the inspiring images from the world’s greatest observatories of today but they will also be able to compare today’s views on the universe to what Galileo saw with his eyes and recorded in his sketchbook. Sidewalk Astronomy will have an easily portable model that can be placed in non-science areas (like a mall or dance club) of Second Life.

The IYA 2009 virtual space will be a dynamic presence in Second Life as it evolves and grows during the year. We will begin with a modest presence of a few key exhibits and then add to them as the year progresses. Initial builds include the multi-media theater, Sidewalk Astronomy, From Earth to the Universe image display, vast collection of astronomical image textures mined from the world’s greatest observatories, astronomy themed design contests, and the Dark Skies ‘Let There Be Night’ interactive. We would like to have a continuous development and delivery model as we hope to bring a new exhibit or experience to the community every month. We hope to bring real life IYA projects into Second Life as either permanent exhibits, traveling exhibits or events. Such ideas under development are: creating a Second Life art exhibit for The World at Night, celebrating globally the UNESCO opening ceremonies and fireworks events, holding a Second Life component to the 100 Hours of Astronomy, bringing astronomy to many cultures and languages via the Astronomy and World Heritage and Astronomers Without Borders projects, as well as brainstorm and create innovative and immersive activities that only a virtual world can realize. Why look at a flat image of the Ring Nebula when you can fly into a warehouse sized stellar remnant of illuminated gas and dust and see a shining diamond up close and personal?

The UNESCO Opening Ceremonies celebration (January 2009) in real life will bring with it the opening of our Second Life island.