Jeff Stanger Southern Hemisphere Adaptation of the IYA Discovery Guides International Yera of Astronomy 2009

The Astronomical Society of the Pacific has designed a set of activities around monthly themes for the IYA 2009. Many of these activities have been trialled by astronomical societies across the US as part of the Night Sky Network. Below is a summary adapted from the IYA Discovery Guides with suggestions for their adaptation for southern hemisphere observers.

Month	Monthly Theme	Observe This!	Activities and their Adaptation for the Southern Hemisphere
Jan	Telescopes	Venus	IYA Promotional Video January IYA Discovery Guide Observing Venus - Galileo first saw it had phases Southern Sky Maps skymaps.com & Sydney Observatory Ready to Observe? - Enhances the observing experience Video overview of this activity PowerPoint & Activities - How Telescopes Changed Our Understanding Acitivity - What Power is My Telescope Activity - It's all Done with Mirrors Activity - Venus Phases
Feb	Our Solar System	Moon	February IYA Discovery Guide Spotting Craters - When is the best time to observe the moon? Video overview of this activity Observing the Moon - Galileo discovered its mountains and valleys. See local newspaper for moon phase and rise / set times Rotate moon map to match orientation of the moon in the south Activity - Magnification vs. Resolution Activity - Why Does the Moon Have Phases? Video overview of this activity PowerPoint - Explore the Solar System Activity - Scale Model of the Solar System Video overview of this activity Activity - Why Do Eclipses Happen? Activity - Why Don't Eclipses Happen Every Month? Activity - Does the Moon Rotate? More Activities - Several other activities for this month
Mar	Observing at night ... and in the day	Saturn	March IYA Discovery Guide Light Pollution and shielding - Light pollution awareness demonstration Observing Saturn - Galileo said Saturn had "handles" Southern Sky Maps skymaps.com & Sydney Observatory Globe@night - Global observing activity Also a great chance to get people familiar with the sky and constellations using skymaps.com & Sydney Observatory March 20th - Sun-Earth Day
Apr	Galaxies and the Distant Universe	NGC 5128 M104 or M83 City observers can look at some objects in the Milky Way if too light polluted	April IYA Discovery Guide Choose the metric units version Universe of Galaxies (metric) - Model galaxy sizes and distances Video overview of this activity Supporting video - What is a light year? Activity - Our place in our galaxy Southern Sky Maps skymaps.com & Sydney Observatory Supporting video - Differentiating solar systems, galaxies and universe April 2 - 5 - 100 Hours of Astronomy
May	Our Sun	The Sun	May IYA Discovery Guide Modelling the Sun and Earth - Galileo was the first to observe sunspots Activity - Make a scale model of the solar system Video overview of this activity PowerPoint - Are all the stars like the Sun? Activity - Standing in the shadow of Earth Video overview of this activity Resource - Wonderful images of the Sun
Jun	Clusters of Stars	NGC 4755 NGC 5139	June IYA Discovery Guide Southern Sky Maps skymaps.com & Sydney Observatory This month's featured activity would not be able to be used in Australia till september. Even then it would be very low in the north. Solution: Pick your favourite constellation and give someone a tour? The Southern Cross is nice and high in the sky in June and the centre of the milky way is rising. Plenty to choose from. Activity - Supernovae in the lives of Stars Activity - Let's Make a Supernova! Activity - A Universe Without Supernovae
Jul	Black Holes	The Milky Way	July IYA Discovery Guide Black Hole Star Maps - Where are the black holes? Southern Sky Maps skymaps.com & Sydney Observatory Mark position of black holes on southern star maps. PowerPoint & Activities - A Galaxy Full of Black Holes. Activity - Exploring Black Holes and Gravity Activity - Black Holes: No Escape Activity - Gravity and Falling July 22nd - Total Solar Eclipse in China Supporting Activity - Why Do eclipses happen? Supporting Activity - Why don't eclipses happen every month?
Aug	Rocks and Ice in the Solar System	Perseids Radiant below horizon. 10 to 15 meteors an hour may come from over the northern horizon in the direction of the Pleiades star cluster	August IYA Discovery Guide Cook Up a Comet - What are comets made of? Southern Sky Maps skymaps.com & Sydney Observatory Activities - Several other activities for this month Activity - Scale Model of the Solar System Video overview of this activity
Sep	Planets and Moons	Jupiter	September IYA Discovery Guide Pocket Solar System - Model distances in the Solar System Southern Sky Maps skymaps.com & Sydney Observatory
Oct	What is the Fate of the Universe?	NGC 253 M31 if far enough north	October IYA Discovery Guide Telescopes as Time Machines - Look Back Time. Southern Sky Maps skymaps.com & Sydney Observatory
Nov	The Lives of Stars	SNR M1 late in evening and low in north PN NGC 7009 or NGC 7293 early	November IYA Discovery Guide Lives of Stars Southern Sky Maps skymaps.com & Sydney Observatory
Dec	Discovering New Worlds	Orion Nebula	December IYA Discovery Guide What is the "Habitable Zone"? Southern Sky Maps skymaps.com & Sydney Observatory