[STSP] IHY Newsletter

[Phil Wilkinson]

Dear All,

here is the current newsletter for the International
Heliophysical Year (IHY - 2007/2008). Best wishes,

Iver.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2007 14:21:32 -0700 (MST)
From: K.S. Balasubramaniam <bala at nso.edu>
To: nso_ihy_newsgroup at nso.edu
Subject: IHY2007 January Newsletter


IHY2007 Newsletter, January 2007 Issue

Editor: K. S. Balasubramaniam
email:  bala at nso.edu


Headlines
---------

* IHY2007 and the IAU

* IHY National Representative C=F4te-d'Ivoire

* Announcement of a Living With a Star Science Workshop,

* Summary of future IHY/UNBSS activities from the UNBSS meeting in Bangalor=
e.

* IHY2007 activities in Europe moves to top gear!

* Kick-Off meeting of the heliospheric CIPs

* IHY 2007 Pune, India activities - request feedback

* IHY/IPY Public Event: Worldwide "Open Doors Day" on June 10,  2007

* IHY Schools Program -  An Update

* IHY exhibition of Observatoire de Paris and  partners

* IHY Russia - Symposium

* Wanted:  IHY Yuri's Night Coordinator

*  Welcome to SunWorks

---------
Details

* IHY2007 and the IAU

Here is a reproduction of IHY2007 activities in the IAU Bulletin

IAU ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THE INTERNATIONAL HELIOPHYSICAL YEAR 2007
PROGRAM

The International Heliophysical Year (IHY) is an international program
of scientific research and collaboration to understand the external
drivers of the space environment and climate organized for 2007, the
50th anniversary of the International Geophysical Year. The IHY will
involve utilizing the existing assets from space and ground as a
distributed Great Observatory and the deployment of new
instrumentation, new observations from the ground and in space, and
public education. The ?kick-off? ceremonies will be in Vienna next
February.

IHY science is organized through science working groups that coordinate
analysis and modeling efforts, and are responsible for planning IHY
meetings, symposia and workshops through three major thrusts:
scientific observing campaigns known as the Coordinated Investigation
Programs (CIPs), data analysis workshops, scientific meetings and
publications, and public outreach.  The IHY Secretariat in Washington,
D.C. provides international coordination, produces newsletters,
maintains the IHY website at <http://www.ihy2007.org/>, writes
articles, coordinates media affairs, and develops outreach products.

Within the IAU, coordination of IHY activities is within the Solar and
Heliosphere Division (II), with Donald B. Melrose (Australia) as the
current President. David F. Webb (USA) is the IAU representative to the
IHY and Nat Gopalswamy (USA) is the chair of the IHY subgroup within
the IAU Working Group for International Collaboration on Space Weather
(ICSW). Hans J.  Haubold (Austria) leads the IHY effort for the United
Nations under the auspices of COPUOS and the U.N. Basic Space Science
program.  This year much progress has been made in planning for IHY
activities.  Internationally IHY is organized into eight regions: North
America, Latin America, Africa, Western Europe, Eastern Europe/Asia,
Balkan/Black Sea, Western Asia, and Asia-Pacific. Each region has a
regional planning committee and coordinates regional IHY activities.
Planning meetings have now been held in each of the regions. In
addition, more than 65 countries have national IHY committees or
activities, including many developing nations.  The IHY science
activities are centered on the CIPs, and involve focused topics of
heliophysical interest involving international cooperation. There are
currently about 50 CIPs that have been proposed.  A key aspect of the
IHY program is the cooperative initiative with the UNBSS program.
Through this program the IHY is assisting in deploying arrays of small
instruments to make global measurements. The program provides
meaningful participation for developing nations and facilitates
contacts between the instrument providers and university groups from
potential host nations. The UNBSS program has a 3-year work plan
through 2008, approved by COPUOS and the U.N. General Assembly, that is
providing the IHY links to developing nations. The program has already
facilitated over 2000 scientist contacts in almost 200 countries.
Eleven instrument concepts have been developed and ~5 of these are
mature enough to be deployed, such as a network of radio telescopes to
observe CMErelated radio bursts, chains of magnetometer arrays to
observed magnetic activity, and hundreds of GPS receivers to observe
the ionosphere. These concepts were discussed at the first IHY-U.N.
UNBSS workshop in November 2005 in the United Arab Emirates. The second
IHY-U.N. workshop will be in Bangalore, IN, 27-30 November 2006, and
the third is planned for Japan late in 2007. Two more are planned for
2008 and 2009 and the IAU cosponsors all these meetings.

The IHY Gold History initiative has the goals of identifying and
recognizing participants in the first IGY, preserving memoirs, etc. of
historical significance for the IGY, making them available to
historians and researchers, spreading awareness of the history of
geophysics, and planning special events. An IHY Calendar will be
printed in 2007 with current and historical events in heliophysics, the
IUGG will have a ?IGY+50? Celebration in 2007 in Perugia, Italy, IGY
historical recognitions will occur such as a commemorative plaque at
the Van Allen House in Silver Spring, MD, transcriptions of historical
recordings to digital media are being made, and we are planning for a
stamp or stamp series to commemorate the IHY and the 50th anniversary
of IGY.  IHY Outreach activities include the spreading knowledge of
space science and exploration to the public and inspiring the next
generation of space scientists, and these are led by Cristina
Rabello-Soares. There are now outreach coordinators in 18 countries. A
resource CD is being developed and IHYrelated materials are being
translated into various languages. Outreach activities were practiced
during the March 2006 eclipse, and will be employed during eclipses in
2007-09. The IAU activities on solar eclipses are coordinated through
the Working Group on Eclipses in Division II with the website:
<www.totalsolareclipse.net>.

IHY Outreach also includes the IHY Schools program being led by David
F.  Webb. There are four major schools planned in 2007: North America;
Europe/Africa (Italy), Latin America (Brazil), and Asia-Pacific (China,
Japan, or India). The purpose of the schools is to educate students
about universal processes and the objectives of the IHY science themes.
We are developing a general curriculum as a model for all four IHY
schools and will support schools in other countries. We also hope to
link the IAU ISYA (International School for Young Astronomers) and IHY
programs, at least for 2007-08, any possibly also to collaborate with
educational efforts in COSPAR.

The IHY program was discussed at the IAU General Assembly in Prague in
August 2006 in two forums, in Special Session 5, "Astronomy for the
Developing World", on 21-22 August, and in the meeting of the Div. II
ICSW Working Group on 24 August that focused on IHY and planning of
European, Latin American, Asian and other regional IHY activities.

Contributed by
David F. Webb, IAU representative to for the IHY Hanscom, MA, USA

-----

* IHY National Representative C=F4te-d'Ivoire

Dr. Olivier K Obrou, Laboratoire de Physique de l'Atmosphhre Universiti
de Cocody,  Abidjan,  has been appointed the IHY National Representative fo=
r
C=F4te-d'Ivoire.

Contributed by
Olivier K Obrou
okobrou at fulbrightweb.org

---------
`
* Announcement of a Living With a Star Science Workshop,
10-13 September 2007, Boulder, Colorado:

The NASA Living With a Star program will host a major scientific
workshop on 10-13 September 2007 in Boulder, Colorado, at the NCAR
High Altitude Observatory.

With Hinode returning spectacular data, STEREO in transit to its
stations, and the launch of the Solar Dynamics Observatory impending,
the focus of this workshop will naturally be on new and expected
results from solar and inner-heliospheric instrumentation.

Progress in the geospace and Earth-atmospheric areas of the LWS
program continues through other NASA missions (including THEMIS, AIM,
and C/NOFS) and through the LWS Targeted Research and Technology
program.  Studies of the Storm Probes, Sentinels, and Missions of
Opportunity are also underway.  Results, expectations, and plans in
these areas will also be featured at the workshop.

On the day following the workshop, 14 September 2007, conference rooms
at HAO will be available to mission teams, focused science groups, and
ad-hoc groups wishing to exploit the opportunity for splinter meetings.

Meeting details will appear at: http://www.lmsal.com/lws2007/

Early September is the best season in Colorado; we look forward to
seeing you there.

Contributed by
C.J. Schrijver,
Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory
Lockheed Martin Advanced Techn. Ctr.
schryver at lmsal.com

--------

* Summary of future IHY/UNBSS activities from the UNBSS meeting in Bangalor=
e.

11/29/06 Discussion session on future activities
Moderator: Nat Gopalswamy (IHY Secretariat)

1. Next IHY/UNBSS meeting: The next IHY/UNBSS meeting will be held as a
UN/ESA/NASA workshop in Tokyo during June 11-15, 2007. The National
Astronomy Observatory of Japan will host the workshop on behalf of the
Japanese Government.

2. Data set projects: The data set project was widely received by the
workshop participants. There was a consensus that the data set project
will be a focus topic during the 2007 UN/ESA/NASA workshop in Tokyo. The
data base project modifies the IHY tripod concept in that the instrument +
observation parts are replaced by database + analysis tools.

3. There is a need to optimize the science background sessions scheduled
during the current workshop. There is definite need for the science
sessions, but they need to be optimized for maximal benefit to the
participants.

4. IHY Schools may be conducted in the same venue as the UNBSS workshops
so the participants can attend this school. Such an arrangement will go a
long way in the capacity building effort. The host countries can also
entertain longer stays for some participants to gain hands-on experience
in various institutes. The host country can provide information on
opportunities available before the UNBSS workshop applications are due.

5. Future workshops: The Korean delegation informed that they would like
to modify their current offer and would like to host the UN/ESA/NASA
workshop in 2009. K. Georgieva from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
expressed interest in holding the 2008 workshop.

6. Virtual observatories can potentially enhance IHY investigations. It
was recommended that IHY/UNBSS investigators make use of this
well-developed facility to augment their data sources.

7. It was emphasized that data taken using IHY/UNBSS instruments (and for
other data that will become part of the IHY data base) should have proper
documentation to enhance their utility.

8. In addition to instruments and data sets, numerical models can also
become part of the IHY/UNBSS program. Models can also lead to the
development of space science in developing nations.

9. In countries like India, it may be beneficial to set up a separate fund
that can be used for IHY-related travel.

10. It is necessary to set up an international working group on the use of
GDL (Gnu Data Language). It is expected that GDL will become part of IHY
legacy and will be used worldwide for scientific computation free of cost.

Contributed by
Nat Gopalswamy
Solar System Exploration, Code 695
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
email: gopals at ssedmail.gsfc.nasa.gov
--------------


*  IHY2007 activities in Europe moves to top gear!

1) Open doors day
The number of institutes that will participate to this celebration
on June 10th, 2007 is growing. Contacts were also taken with the
South America coordination and strong links are taken with  Brasil,
Argentina and Mexico.

2) European Space Agency ESA will make available broadcast quality
video footage through a FTP site by the end of January. The location
of the site is: http://television.esa.int, where on the right of the
page, a new access will be created with the title "broadcast quality
footage via ftp". Everybody (including televisions, museums etc ..)
can request the access to the service through subscription to
notifiction e-mails and on-line signature of a copyright agreement form. Th=
e
service is free of charge. Also note the ESA Exhibition site where
you can get material for all your presentations
(www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Exhibitions/index.html)

3) The second European General Assembly will be help in Torino
(Italy), June 18-22, 2007. The meeting will focus on:
"European Implication to the Large  Infrastructures of the
Future".  It will cover all the fields of IHY (Sun, solar wind,
heliosphere, space weather, magnetosphere of the planets).
The web page will be opened by the end of January

4) Job positions offer are available on our web page. If you have
any position to propose, please send us the announcement.

5) Kids drawings: an exhibitions of drawings from kids is available
on our web page. If you want to contribute, send us the jpeg image
with the name of the author and his/her age.
If she/he made a specific funny comment, send it also, in english
and in its mother language.
- Transmitted by C. Briand  - http://www.lesia.obspm.fr/IHY

From=20Austria:
The website of the autrian coordination is opened:
http://ihy-austria.oeaw.ac.at/
- Transmitted by H. Rucker

From=20Belgium:
The website of the Belgian coordination is opened:
http://gauss.oma.be/ihy2007
- Transmitted by Johan De Keyser

From=20Germany :
A Kick-off meeting for the heliospheric CIPs will be held in in Bad-
Honnef close to Cologne on the 19.05.2007, just after the IHY 2007
workshop "Heliophysics: The Sun, the Heliosphere and the Earth"
from 13.05.2007 to 18.05.2007. The location is the Physikzentrum in
Bad Honnef (http://www.pbh.de/en/index.shtml) For more informations
on the workshop, please visit: http://www.ieap.uni-kiel.de/et/ag-
heber/ihy2007/journal/sun-heliosphere-earth.php
A program of the Kick-Off meeting will be available in February
2007 on that website.
- transmitted by Bernd Heber

From=20France
- Some amateur astronomers associations will celebrate IHY,
dedicating specific camps to solar observations and conferences on
IHY subjects (contact: bertrand.flouret at obs-nancay.fr)
- Transmitted by C. Briand

From=20Greece
To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the Athens planetarium will focus
its activities on space instrumentation and celebration of IHY. Some
specific exhibitions are under
development. Some surprises are waiting for the visitors at during
fall 2007 !
- Transmitted by O. Malandraki and A. Nindos

From=20Spain:
A movie about the solar wind is available on spanish and english.
It is dedicated to general public and is about 15 minutes long. If
you are interesting in receiving the files
(including the pictures for the jacket), please contact Jose
Antonio Bonet Navarro (jab at iac.es).
- Transmitted by Jose Antonio Bonet Navarro

From=20Switzerland :
The installation of CALLISTO radio spectrometers around the world
makes progress. First light has been reported from India (see
attached figure, showing the flare of 2006/12/5 at 10:27 UT).
CALLISTOs will start operating in Siberia before the end of the
year, and in Costa Rica in April 2007.  A second site in India is
also being equipped (Gauribidanur observatory) and in Mexico, the
developments continue. At the end of 2007 the Sun will be observed
24 hours per day by identical instruments in low meter waves. This
range is  ideal for radio emissions of  Coronal Mass Ejections
interplanetary space.
- Transmitted by A. Benz

Zurich IHY Exposition
large exposition focussing on the IHY has opened near Zurich on
Friday, January 5. The exposition has been developed by the
Observatoire de Meudon, ETH Zurich and others. It covers the Sun,
planets, and the Heliosphere. The exposition is produced commercially
and will travel through large shopping centers in Switzerland,
France, Germany, Austria, Italy and possibly other countries. It will
be seen by millions of people. Texts are at a popular level and
available in German, French, and Italian. The exposition can be
rented by shopping centers and institutions. For details see
http://www.hartmannevent.ch/
For more information, ask info at hartmannevent.ch

Contributed and coordinated by
Carine Briand
Observatoire de Meudon

----

* Kick-Off meeting of the heliospheric CIPs

A Kick-off meeting for the heliospheric CIPs will be held in in Bad-Honnef =
close
to Cologne on the 19.05.2007, just after the IHY 2007 workshop "Heliophysic=
s: The
Sun, the Heliosphere and the Earth" from 13.05.2007 to 18.05.2007. The loca=
tion
is the Physikzentrum in Bad Honnef (http://www.pbh.de/en/index.shtml) For m=
ore
informations on the
workshop, please visit:
http://www.ieap.uni-kiel.de/et/ag-heber/ihy2007/journal/sun-heliosphere-ear=
th.php
A program of the Kick-Off meeting will be available in February 2007 on tha=
t
website.

Contact
Bernd Heber, Heliospheric IHY CIP - Coordinator:
heber at physik.uni-kiel.de

----

* IHY 2007 Pune, India activities and feedback

Please visit the following websites and request your feeback

1. http://www.iucaa.ernet.in/~aaa/sun/sunspots.htm

At this site you will find how I used my homemade telescope,
simple digital camera and photoshop for taking images of sunspots.

2.  A Yahoo group to discuss E and PO - activities has been formed
 =09  You may subscribe to it by sending mail to
 =09=09 ihypo-subscribe at yahoogroups.com

contact:
Arvind Paranjpye
Public Outreach Programme
Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics,
Pune, India
email: arp at iucaa.ernet.in

-------------


* IHY/IPY Public Event: Worldwide "Open Doors Day" on June 10,  2007

A part of the IHY Education and Outreach activities, its goal
is to raise the public awareness on heliophysics and on IHY/IPY.

The event could be in the form of different activities, like an
exhibition, discussions, public talks, presentations, activities for
kids and/or adults, astronomical observations etc. It could be in any
public place, like a museum, science center, community center, school,
university, park, cafe, bar, etc. It could be an open house organized
by a laboratory, observatory or research institute or a talk in the
radio or TV show.

There is already several events schedule to happen all over
Europe thanks to the initiative of the IHY European Coordinators:
Carine > Briand and Jean-Louis Bougeret, who originate the idea of this eve=
nt.

For more details, have a look at
http://www.lesia.obspm.fr/IHY/pages/out_act_open-doors_presentation.html

We would like to invite you to participate and promote such
events on June 10th at your region.

This is a collaborative effort between IHY and IPY.
For more information, please contact: your IHY Regional
  Coordinator and/or M. Cristina Rabello-Soares (IHY EPO International
Coordinator - csoares at sun.stanford.edu).

-----------------------

* IHY Schools Program -  An Update

The IHY Schools Program is part of the IHY?s heliophysics outreach program.=
 Its
goal is to help to develop a series of schools to be held in 2007-2009, who=
se
purpose is to educate students about Universal Processes and to provide the=
m an
opportunity to develop their research interests using mentors and IHY-relat=
ed
data sets. The IHY Schools Program is organized by the IHY Schools Committe=
e
(ISC), which currently consists of these IHY officers: David Webb (ISC
Coordinator), Ilia Roussev, Nat Gopalswamy, Cristina Rabello-Soares, Don Ha=
ssler,
Nancy Crooker and Barbara Thompson, and these international coordinators:
Cristina Mandrini and Alisson Dal Lago (Latin America), R. Ramesh, Chi Wang=
, Fan
Quanlin, and Fairos Asillam (Asia/Pacific),

Presently, six major IHY schools are being planned for 2007-2009. One will =
be in
Boulder, CO to serve North America, possibly affiliated with NASA, and is b=
eing
organized by Don Hassler and Dave Webb. Another may be held at the Intl. Ce=
nter
for Theoretical Physics in Trieste, Italy for the European/African region. =
The
school for Latin America will be organized by CRAAM in Sao Paulo, Brazil in
November 2007 and host as many as 80 students, and is being organized by Al=
isson
Dal Lago and Cristina Mandrini. The Asia-Pacific region will host three sch=
ools
in three different countries so as to better cover this large area. The fir=
st
will held 10-22 December 2007 at the Kodaikanal Observatory and organized b=
y the
Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bangalore. It will host up to 50 st=
udents
and is being organized by R. Ramesh. The next school will be held somewhere=
 in
China in 2008 and is being organized by Chi Wang and Fan Quanlin. The last =
school
will be held in Malaysia in March 2009 with the theme "Living with the Sun"=
=2E It
is being organized by Fairos Asillam and Azreena Ahmad.

Additional schools under the IHY umbrella are being considered in individua=
l
countries and the ISC will keep track of and support these where possible.
Currently we are aware of IHY-related schools at the University of Alaska,
Fairbanks in August 2007 (Roger Smith); in conjunction with the 8th Latin
American Conference on Geophysics (COLAGE) in Merida, Mexico, 12-17 July 20=
07
(Jean-Pierre Raulin and Alisson Dal Lago); the 4th Tusi Summer Regional
Astronomical School ?Sun and Geosphere? and Young Scientist?s Conference ? =
2007,
Azerbaijan; the Young Scientists International School on "Heliosphere and G=
alaxy"
May 3-5, 2007 in Bucharest, Romania (Cristiana Dumitrache); the IHY-Africa =
Space
Weather Science and Education Workshop, Nov 11-16, 2007, Addis Ababa, Ethio=
pia.
This meeting will follow the 2nd Africa SCINDA Workshop and is supported by
several other international and African programs including the CAWSES, eGY,=
 AMMA,
and AFREF (Christine Amory-Mazaudier, Abebe Kebede).

The ISC is encouraging students to attend these schools who are or will be
associated with the two key elements of the IHY science program, the Coordi=
nated
Investigation Programs (CIPs) and the United Nations Basic Space Science
Initiative (UNBSSI) IHY instrument program. The ISC is developing a general
curriculum to be used as a model for all the IHY schools. It will include
seminars and hands-on sessions with databases acquired particularly through=
 the
CIP and UNBSSI programs, and collaborative efforts with other affiliated gr=
oups.
The overall scope of the schools will be heliophysics, including Universal
Processes, Sun-Earth interactions as well as those at other planets, and th=
e
outer heliosphere. The lectures and data labs will cover the cross-discipli=
nary
studies of Universal Processes, responses to external drivers including lec=
tures
in the 5 main IHY science topic areas, achieving international scientific
cooperation, preserving the history and legacy of the IGY on its 50th
Anniversary, public outreach, and global studies with an emphasis on scienc=
e in
developing countries.

Anyone with ideas or comments on the IHY schools or the curriculum, or
information on other IHY-related schools, is encouraged to contact Dave Web=
b by
email at david.webb at hanscom.af.mil, or any of the other ISC members.

contributed by David Webb
------------

* IHY exhibition of Observatoire de Paris and  partners

The IHY exhibition that we (the Observatoire de Paris and  partners)
have produced and realized with the Swiss Agency Hartmann is now completed.

Its inauguration was at Zurich on Friday 5 January. This exhibition
will circulate in the mails in Switzerland, Germany, Italy  and France.
We will have the exhibition at the Observatoire de Paris from Nov 5 to
16 December 2007 .  Here attached the report of A.Benz about the
exhibition.

The site is http:://www.hartmannevent.ch

- Excerpts from a Report by A. Benz on the exhibition

"My general impression is very positive. The exposition is different from
the usual  expositions we have produced in the past made by our graduate
students with powerpoint posters. It is also in a very different
environment and addressing different people. The exposition is in the
central hall on two floors ...  It is
surrounded by shops selling elegant coats, dessous, software, a
cafeteria, etc. Thus in an environment full of flashy advertisements.
Most people pass it just by chance. There are many children, but also a
fair number of elderly people.

The exposition looks professional. This is very important in this
environment. It has a lot of different elements: Posters, media,
hardware, models, backlights, hands-on for children, leaflets, etc. We
had a press conference for the opening. It found its ways into the local
media.

The intellectual level is relatively high, particularly that of the
posters. Some of the content is really only understandable for experts.
=2E...
I am planing to produce some manual with Mrs. Hartmann
for the hostesses to explain the main content of the posters and some of
the details.

Thus my impression is that the exposition has many positive elements,
for children starting at a young age (8 years) up to amateur
astronomers. I think that you can be proud of your contribution, which
was professionally augmented. I would highly recommend it for shopping
centers, but also for public exposition at observatories.

With best wishes,
Arnold Benz "

-- end of excerpts

Contributed by
Brigitte Schmieder
Observatoire de Paris
email: brigitte.schmieder at obspm.fr

------------------


* IHY Russia - Symposium

On November 5 - 10, 2007 the International IHY Symposium "International
Heliophysical Year: New insights into Solar-Terrestrial Physics"
associated with the Sputnik 50th Anniversary Celebration will be held in
Zvenigorod - an old Russian town in Moscow region.

Please contact
Galina Kotova - scientific secretary of Russian "Sun - Earth" council
email: kotova at iki.rssi.ru
-----------

*   Wanted:  IHY Yuri's Night Coordinator
        http://yurisnight.net

For the past two years, IHY has actively participated in the
worldwide "Yuri's Night World Space Party" event, held annually on
April 12 to commemorate the anniversary of the first human in space
(April 12, 1961), the first Space Shuttle launch (April 12, 1981) and
to promote cooperation and interest in the new age of space
exploration. Last year we had parties in 76 cities, 30 countries
covering all seven continents.  This year we would like IHY to assist
in making this event bigger than ever.

Party planning is handled by the Yuri's Night Executive Committee,
which assists each city's party organizer in their efforts. Each
party organizer receives party planning tools developed by the
committee, and receives free promotion on the Yuri's Night website.
Parties range from small and informal (gatherings at houses or
institutions), to large and formally planned (500+ participants,
celebrity appearances, professional catering).

The IHY Yuri's NIght Coordinator will have the following
responsibilities:

1) Contact each of the IHY national coordinators and their Education
and Public Outreach National Coordinator (if available) to identify
potential planners of Yuri's Night parties
2) Make contact with the potential Yuri's Night party planners,
provide them with basic information about Yuri's Night (all available
on the Yuri's Night Website, http://yurisnight.net)
3) Assist in the registration of these parties with the Yuri's Night
Executive Committee (a simple process) and determine whether a
special IHY fee waiver to purchase a party kit is necessary (party
registration is free, and party kits are available for a fee but IHY
party planners are eligible for a waiver)
4) Maintain contact with the Yuri's Night Executive Committee about
the particular needs of IHY Yuri's Night party planners
5) Provide brief updates of IHY parties to the IHY newsletter

All that are needed to provide this role is an internet connection
and strong enthusiasm. No experience with Yuri's Night is necessary -
this is a great way to get involved in two major programs with only 3
months commitment. Please respond to Barbara Thompson at
Barbara.J.Thompson at nasa.gov

--------------------

*  Welcome to SunWorks -  by Steele Hill

A new art exhibit on the Sun called SunWorks will premiere at the IHY
Kickoff February 19-20 2007 at the United Nations in Vienna, Austria.
The 25 pieces in SunWorks were selected from over 500 submissions to the
Solar and Heliospheric Observatory "SunWorks" art contest that
ran for 10 months and ended in March 2006.  All entries had to have some
thematic tie-in to the Sun.  Photos or scans of all media were accepted
from around the world.  Artists were grouped by Grades 4-8; Grades 9-12,
and adults with monthly prizes awarded in each group.  The best of the
best were selected to appear in this exhibit.

Artists from seven different countries were willing to share their
creations through the SunWorks exhibit.  The pieces are wildly original
and diverse.  These include a 30-inch aluminum Sun, an exotic solar face
mask, a sun made of Lego blocks, an imaginative stained glass solar themed
construction, and a blown glass plate that looks amazingly sun-like. All
have been mounted and framed.

The exhibits schedule is still being developed, but plans include
the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, the UN building in New York,
and a UN event in Vienna, Austria.

The shows major sponsor is the Outreach and Education Program for IHY
(International Heliophysical Year whose goal is to demonstrate the
beauty, relevance and significance of Space and Earth Science to the
world. They have already developed programs though partnerships with
many organizations worldwide and are supported by the United Nations
and they agreed that this exhibit is a wonderful fit for their program.
Another sponsor is SOHO, an international mission of cooperation between
NASA and the European Space Agency, and part of the Heliophysics Division
of NASAs Science Mission Directorate.  For over 10 years the SOHO
spacecraft has studied the Sun 24 hours a day from a point one million
miles towards the Sun from Earth.  SOHO has contributed immensely to our
understanding of the Sun, its influence on the heliosphere and effects
on our lives here on Earth.

The contest and exhibit represent just a fraction of SOHOs wide-ranging
education and outreach efforts. For 10 years Steele Hill, who is the
creator of the exhibit, has spearheaded programs for teachers; products
(like posters, motion cards and CDs); a SOHO web site feature of the
best weekly movie or image; comet contests on the web; and support for
museums, TV productions, books, and even SolarMax IMAX movie.

- Contributed by Steele Hill and Barbara   Thompson
Barbara.J.Thompson at nasa.gov

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