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Cosmic Poster Contest
January 20, 2009
A variety of International Year of Astronomy (IYA) 2009 (*) events will be held on the Big Island of Hawai`i planned and organized by Mauna Kea Observatories Outreach Committee (MKOOC). MKOOC and KTA Super Stores co-sponsor the Cosmic Poster Contest for K-12 students on the Big Island under the theme “The Universe: Yours to Discover,” which is also the central theme of IYA. Students will include both an astronomical theme such as the night skies and telescopes and a Hawaiian theme on their posters. During the poster contest, students, teachers, and families will recognize that Hawai`i is a very unique place for astronomical observations and for the cultures. By creating posters they will find their own styles to celebrate the IYA.
The deadline to enter is March 31. Entries will be divided between one of three districts (East, North, or West) on the Big Island, according to the location of the school from which the entrant attends. Entries are then placed in one of three age groups: (1) Elementary, Grades K-5; (2) intermediate, Grades 6-8; (3) High School, Grades 9-12. Judging will be done by astronomy and KTA judges for each category at each district. Winners of the three districts at each category will be nominated to the Island-wide contest which is judged by Jon Lomberg, the space artist who lives on the Big Island. The awards ceremony will be held on AstroDay, May 2, 2009 at Prince Kuhio Plaza in Hilo, and the winners’ posters will be shown there. All winning posters will be on display at KTA Super Stores, `Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawai`i, and Onizuka Space Center, as well as on Cosmic Poster Contest Official Site.
Each winner will receive a KTA Gift Certificate and a complete set of Mauna Kea Brand Astronomical Trading Cards, the special IYA items with photos of the telescopes and astronomical images taken by observatories at Mauna Kea. The Island-wide winners will receive an extra KTA Gift Certificate, Night Sky Monopoly, `Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawai`i Family Membership Cards, and Friends of the Onizuka Space Center Membership Card. The organizers hope that the participants continue to have interests in astronomy by playing with the cards and night sky games, and by frequent visits to the space museums.
Cosmic Poster Contest Official Site: http://www.naoj.org/IYA/Poster
During this year, Subaru Telescope will lead two additional programs, as well as this Cosmic Poster Contest, as a member of the MKOOC. The Mauna Kea Brand Astronomy Trading Cards, which are one of the prizes for the Cosmic Poster Contest, are developed by Kumiko S. Usuda at Subaru Telescope. She is also the Chairperson of the Block Party at the University of Hawai`i at Hilo campus on October 24, 2009. The Trading Cards will be available on AstroDay, May 2.
(*) The International Year of Astronomy (IYA) 2009 marks the 400th anniversary of the first astronomical observations through a telescope by Galileo Galilei. It is a global celebration of astronomy and its contributions to society and culture.
- Links:
- MKOOC’s IYA page: http://www.mkooc.org/IYA
- IYA US Page: http://www.astronomy2009.us
- IYA International Page: http://www.astronomy2009.org
