By LORNA SIGGINS, The Irish Times, 31 December 2008: A тАЬLEAP secondтАЭ added to clocks around the world, the longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century, and a Galway university professor dressed as Galileo Galilei тАУ these are some of the highlights of the International Year of Astronomy which starts across the world tomorrow.
Some 135 states are participating in the programme initiated by Unesco and the International Astronomical Union to celebrate the 400th anniversary of GalileoтАЩs first observations by telescope.
Although the official opening is in Paris in a fortnightтАЩs time, the first event has already been staged in Ireland, with live internet coverage 10 days ago of the winter solstice at Newgrange, Co Meath.
тАЬItтАЩs fantastic to think that Ireland got in there first, and I guess the solstice is new year anyway for many peopleтАЭ says Prof Michael Redfern of NUI Galway, who is co-ordinating IrelandтАЩs participation.
Tonight, five planets and the moon will be visible over Ireland in the same stretch of sky, while the leap second decreed for all clocks on New YearтАЩs Eve is designed to ensure that our Gregorian calendar system stays in alignment with the celestial calendar.
However, the next 12 months focus on planned, as well as natural, astro-social and cultural activities, to keep people north and south of the Border looking skywards, Prof Redfern adds.
Secondary school students will be encouraged to take part in the Faulkes Telescopes Universe Challenge, details of which will be announced at next weekтАЩs BT Young ScientistsтАЩ Exhibition in Dublin.
Faulkes robotic telescopes based in Hawaii and Australia can be used by teachers in schools across the globe. The competition involves obtaining new data or using data from the archive. Training and mentors will be provided to participants, and a visit to the European southern observatory in Chile is the top award.
Primary school students will also have their day тАУ or night, rather тАУ with a national astronomy competition and тАЬastro-artтАЭ workshops.
The greater public will be invited to local events hosted by Astronomy Ireland, the Irish Federation of Astronomy Societies and the Irish Astronomical Association.
Light pollution which precludes much enjoyment of stars on a clear night will be a theme of many talks and conferences being held during the year.
As Prof Redfern points out, most public lighting is so badly designed that it points skywards and wastes energy.
Astronomy may also be a theme in St PatrickтАЩs Day parades, and the Tuscan father of science, Galileo Galilei тАУ in the form of Prof Redfern тАУ may even appear himself. An Post is due to issue two stamps to mark the year.