Dear friends,

I am very glad to share with you the good news. The Mani Bhaumik Prize for Excellence in Astronomy Education and Public Outreach has been awarded to FETTU (well deserved). The second prize goes to Around the World in 80 Telescopes (indeed an outstanding project) and the third prize was shared between the Galileoscope and GTTP ..… we won the prize .. you should all be very proud … The award and certificates will be delivered in CAP2010 .. hope all of you are there to receive this with me. But my thru hope is that we keep receiving awards from now on because that would mean that we are indeed changing this world to a better place. Let’s build this effort brick by brick and create a strong network of educators and students, stimulate the sharing of good resources and experiences and above all exchange good practices without borders, frontiers or financial challenges stopping us.

I would also like to announce that we decided to extend the deadline of our call to workshop proposals. This was decided in order to allow promoters in Africa, who might have representatives in CAP2010, and not heard about the program yet, to have a chance to participate.  Hope you all agree with this decision. To those of you who didn’t appoint a GTTP representative to your countries yet I reinforce my pledge.

All the best

Rosa Doran

March 3 - 16

GLOBE at Night is an annual 2-week campaign in March. People all over the world record the brightness of their night sky by matching its appearance toward the constellation Orion with star maps of progressively fainter stars. They submit their measurements on-line and a few weeks later, organizers release a map of light-pollution levels worldwide. Over the last four GLOBE at Night campaigns, volunteers from over 100 nations have contributed 35,000 measurements.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the 2009 GLOBE at Night campaign during 16-28 March! Through GLOBE at Night, students — alongside teachers, parents and community members — amassed a data set from which they can begin to explore the concept of light pollution and to research the patterns of light pollution across the globe.

   For one week every June astronomers from all over the country, even the world flock to the south rim of the world famous Grand Canyon.  For the last 17 to 18 years the Grand Canyon Star Party has been a popular event that many Arizona astronomers look forward to, even myself!  This star party is put on by one of Arizona's largest astronomy clubs, the Tucson Amater Astronomy Association or better know as TAAA.

   TAAA plans the Grand Canyon Star Party (GCSP) on the southern rim of the Grand Canyon, held in the parking lot of Yavapi Point, one of the best places to watch the sun set.  The site sits under amazingly dark skies and nearly 7500 feet above sea level making this site perfect for astronomy, but what is so special about this star party compared to others?