The International Year of Astronomy (IYA) is being celebrated in 2009 to recognize the 400th anniversary of the first use of an astronomical telescope by Galileo. 2009 will see a global celebration of astronomy as well as its contributions to society and culture.

Living up to its reputation as a leader in the field of astronomy, Canadian astronomers and astronomical organizations have a significant number of activities planned throughout the year. In fact, the IYA2009 Canadian contingent's primary goals are to offer an engaging astronomy experience to every person in Canada, and to cultivate partnerships that sustain public interest in astronomy. So expect to be hearing a lot about this exciting branch of science!

Perhaps the most ambitious project of the Canadian IYA is the plan to have 1,000,000 Canadians experience a "Galileo Moment" by looking through a telescope themselves!

The theme of the IYA is "The Universe, Yours to Discover." In accordance with this, the major goals of IYA2009 are to: