TTAS Launches IYA2009
18 Jan, 2009
The Trinidad & Tobago Astronomical Society (TTAS) officially launched their IYA2009 activities yesterday at a cocktail reception at Mt. St. Benedict. Dignitaries included the Honourable Esther Le Gendre, Minster of Education; Dr. Maura Imbert, president of TTAS; Dr. Shirin Haque, head of the Physics Department, University of the West Indies (UWI); Graham Rostant, president of the Caribbean Institute of Astronomy (CARINA) and Sharon Hope-Bello, Educator at the NIHERST/NGC National Science Center (NSC).
Proceedings began with an address by the Honourable Minister of Education, during which she mentioned the Ministry's support of astronomy in the curriculum and IYA2009 in general by providing 500 books on beginner's astronomy.
Dr. Maura Imbert outlined the major activities that TTAS would be initiating this year, including telescope workshops, Galileoscope distribution, publication of an astronomy book and visits to Jamaica and Barbados astronomy societies.
Representatives from UWI, CARINA (the national point of contact for IYA2009) and NSC all gave outlines of their plans and roles for the upcoming astronomy events in 2009. It was mentioned that further details of these plans would be shared at the national launch of IYA2009 at the NSC later in January.
The proceedings were followed up by a multimedia presentation on astronomy, and a telescope viewing session under the pristine Mt. St. Benedict skies.