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ESA highlights from the IYA opening ceremony

ESA highlights from the IYA opening ceremony

The Opening Ceremony for the International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009) took place at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Headquarters in Paris on 15 and 16 January 2009. About 900 delegates attended this hugely successful two day event which featured the breath and depth of astronomy. Some highlights of the ESA contributions are presented below.

ESA exhibition stand

 

Above: The ESA exhibition stand at the opening ceremony of the International Year of Astronomy.Credit: ESA

Right: These striking panels depicting three aspects of ESA's science programme, Observing the Universe, Exploring the Solar System, and Looking Beyond the Boundaries, are available to download from the ESA Exhibition web site (see link in right-hand menu.) Credit: ESA

Groningen Discovery Truck featuring Herschel, & Planck Dome

Two major ESA contributions to IYA2009, the Groningen Discovery Truck featuring Herschel (right) and the Planck Dome (left), were showcased outside of UNESCO Headquarters. Both exhibits were open to the general public as well as the opening ceremony delegates. Credit: ESA
Inside the Groningen Discovery Truck. The truck is filled with hands-on experiments dealing with infrared radiation, with a scale model of the Herschel spacecraft on display. ESA Director General, Jean-Jacques Dordain, and the Director of Science and Robotic Exploration, David Southwood, were amongst the many visitors during the IYA opening ceremony.  Credit: ESA

Peter Barthel (second from left), shows IAU President, Catherine Cesarsky (centre) some of the hands-on, infrared experiments on the Groningen Discovery Truck. Credit: Theo Jurriens

ESA Director General, Jean-Jacques Dordain, visits the Planck Dome. This exhibition tells the story of the Planck mission which will map the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). A model of the spacecraft shows how it will scan the sky whilst a simulation of the CMB is projected onto the dome. Credit: ESA

ESA images feature in 'From Earth to the Universe' exhibition

A sample of the inspiring 'From Earth to the Universe' exhibition, one of eleven IYA2009 cornerstone projects, was on display at the opening ceremony. Top left: Kimberly Kowal Arcand and Megan Watzke, members of the FETTU task group. Top right: part of the FETTU exhibition. Below: Two images obtained with the ESA/NASA Hubble Space Telescope (HST) formed part of the exhibit: (left) the Bullet Cluster (Credit: NASA/CXC/CfA; NASA/STScI, Magellan/U.Arizona; ESO WFI), and (right) the starburst galaxy, M82. Credit:NASA, ESA, CXC, and JPL-Caltech.

Last Update: 1 September 2019
5-Nov-2024 16:31 UT

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