Jul 1, 2009: As the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009) reaches its six-month milestone, over a million people have already looked at the sky through a telescope for the first time, and even more have newly engaged in astronomy. This is just one of many achievements, as countless ongoing projects and planned initiatives indicate that the IYA2009 is well on the way towards achieving many of its goals.

Jun 17, 2009: The International Year of Astronomy coincides with the 27th General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 2009. More than two thousand astronomers from all around the world are expected to meet and present their latest discoveries in Rio de Janeiro in August. A number of exciting media events are planned.

Jun 9, 2009: The Galileo Teacher Training Program has been launched, bringing training and resources to teachers around the globe. The project’s aim is to improve astronomy education for children of all nations, by better equipping their tutors through a comprehensive set of resources and practical guidance.

Jun 3, 2009: The 10th anniversary of the Gruber International Prize Program, which began with the Cosmology Prize in 2000, will be celebrated in July. This year the Cosmology Prize will be awarded to Freedman, Kennicutt and Mould for their outstanding work on resolving the value of the Hubble constant, the key determinant for how fast the Universe is expanding.

Apr 23, 2009: Keeping up-to-date with cutting-edge astronomy and space science breakthroughs has just become that much easier, thanks to the Portal to the Universe, the latest Cornerstone project of the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009). As a high-tech website embracing Web 2.0 technologies, the Portal to the Universe aims to become a one-stop-shop for astronomy news.

Apr 21, 2009: The highly anticipated International Year of Astronomy 2009 Cornerstone project , She Is An Astronomer, was launched today. She Is An Astronomer aims to help achieve several of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, including promoting gender equality and empowering women.

Mar 30, 2009: The International Year of Astronomy 2009 Cornerstone project, 100 Hours of Astronomy, is on track to be the largest single science public outreach event ever. More than 1500 events have been registered in over 130 countries and this number is increasing every day. 100 Hours of Astronomy is a truly global project; an event on a scale never attempted before, with more than one million people expected to participate!

Mar 5, 2009: Beatriz Barbuy, Vice-President of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) today receives a L’ORÉAL–UNESCO award for exceptional women scientists. The 2009 Laureates will each receive $100 000.

Mar 4, 2009: The Galileoscope — a high quality, easy-to-assemble and easy-to-use telescope at an unprecedentedly low price — is now available to order. A Cornerstone project of the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009), the Galileoscope was developed by a team of leading astronomers, optical engineers and science educators to make the wonders of the night sky more accessible to everyone. Orders can now be placed through www.galileoscope.org for delivery beginning in late April.

Feb 25, 2009: Worldwide exhibitions of large-scale astronomical images are being launched in over 40 countries around the world. The IYA2009 Cornerstone project, From Earth to the Universe (FETTU), is designed to bring the undeniable beauty of astronomy to the general public in a series of free showings across the world.