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GalileoMobile: Astronomy Education On Tour Through The Andes
"This week marks the beginning of the GalileoMobile Project, a two-month expedition to bring the wonder and excitement of astronomy to young people in Chile, Bolivia and Peru. Supported by ESO and partners, a group of astronomers and educators will travel through a region of the Andes Mountains aboard the GalileoMobile, offering astronomical activities, such as workshops for students and star parties for the general public. Professional filmmakers on the trip will produce a multilingual documentary capturing the thrill of discovery through science, culture and travel. The GalileoMobile is a Special Project of the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009), which is a global celebration commemorating the first use of a telescope to view the Universe by the Italian astronomer Galileo four hundred years ago."
Galileo would be proud!
Last June, I got a chance to see one of his original telescopes during its visit to America at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. The exhibit included reconstructed telescopes that were similar to those he used and images that would have been visible of the lunar surface and planets were projected so it looked as if you were "observing". It was amazing what you could see with such primitive instruments. The history of science and the wonders of astronomy are gifts that each generation must pass on to the next. Kudos to this mobile project!