New Publication: Sharing Astronomy With the World

New Publication: Sharing Astronomy With the World

2008 May 18

“Away from city lights, beneath a blanket of stars, the child in all of us comes alive…” So begins a recent article about Astronomers Without Borders (AWB) and
its project, The World at Night (TWAN), by AWB President Mike Simmons. Simmons notes that people around the world are fascinated by the night sky as a fascinating part of the natural world that surrounds us. The article is featured in the Spring 2008 issue of Mercury, an educational astronomy magazine published by the Astronomical Society of Pacific.

A time-lapse sequence of the Moon rising over a historic monument in Yazd, Iran captured by TWAN photographer Oshin Zakarian adorns the magazine’s front cover, while a starry desert night photographed by TWAN director Babak Tafreshi appears on the back cover. Inside, the article is illustrated by several more TWAN images, each combining Earth and sky in a single, dramatic view, from Laurent Laveder, B. Tafreshi, and Amir H. Abolfath.

Titled “Sharing Astronomy with the World”, the article describes AWB goals and ambitious programs based on a worldwide network of affiliates from Iraqi Kurdistan to Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas. “AWB concentrates on bringing together members of it’s worldwide community to share resources.”, Simmons says. “This improves education and outreach in all regions, and even turns some local visions into global realities.” The author describes the organization’s primary projects including TWAN, STAR, and several web-based programs. The International Year of Astronomy 2009 and AWB’s role as an Organizational Node and the coordinator of two IYA projects (TWAN and 100 Hours of Astronomy) are also described.

Mercury is a highly respected magazine published by the Astronomical Society of Pacific (ASP) since 1972. With its current educational approach, the magazine features articles showcasing the latest developments in astronomy along with society news and monthly sky events. Mercury is a now a quarterly magazine available only in an electronic version.