FOCUS ON THE STARS AND SKIES...

All eyes are turning to the stars and the skies in celebration of the International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009). 

AthenaWeb is proud to have been chosen as an IYA2009 media partner and now turns its gaze aloft, to the endless depths of space.

To learn how man has discovered so many of the secrets of space, AthenaWeb invites visitors to watch the European Space Agency (ESA) film “Eyes on the Skies”, a beautiful documentary tracing the fascinating history of the telescope, from the earliest examples that began to peel back the veils of our starry heavens, to the latest discoveries from Hubble.

And for a further taste of the sumptuous astronomical feast served up by IYA2009 this year, see the IYA2009 trailer on AthenaWeb.

FILM: We are not alone, perhaps

FILM: Galileo shows Europe the way

The Galileo satellite navigation system will extend Europe’s Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) to provide a complete global navigation system. The technology is examined in the film New Horizons from the GSA, the supervisory authority for Galileo.
The film explains how EGNOS and Galileo will impact everything from tourism to emergency rescue. It will increase security by linking cars with a location. If your car is stolen, Galileo will be able to find it. It could even be used to track lost pets, find restaurants, or coordinate shipping and aviation, making them considerably safer. It can work with the US GPS system and Russia’s GLONASS, and it will mean a host of new business opportunities for Europe, as well as promoting European technology.

FILM: Life imitates art in science

Science fiction, science fact is a fascinating and fun look at how the great sci-fi writer’s have inspired real-life scientific breakthroughs, and nowhere more so than in space travel. From Jules Verne to Arthur C. Clarke, the imagination of great science fiction authors has always fed scientists'' inspiration, pushing them to ask: “Can it be done and if so, how?”
This film shows that, more often than we might think, the writer’s imagination can lead to real solutions to the vast problems posed by space exploration. For example, the European Space Agency (ESA), producers of this movie, are looking at the concept of space sails, vast canopies that catch the “photonic wind” of the solar system and majestically sweep toward distant planets – a notion first conceived in science fiction.

Watch the film

RENDEZVOUS at Sofia with the SUNNY SIDE OF THE DOC

From March 11th to 14th the Sunny Side of the Doc will present its 6e annual co-production Conference RENDEZVOUS WITH SOFIA in Sofia, Bulgaria.
For the first time the RENDEZVOUS will run in an Eastern European country. As such it offers a rare and very valuable opportunity for eastern and western producers to meet, exchange ideas and network.
As Sunny Side of the Doc''s partner, AthenaWeb will be providing the Rendezvous dedicated online channel for the movies circulating at the meeting. This channel allows producers to upload trailers and completed films, and it means they can show their work to Sofia Rendezvous attendees.
 

Science Communication Celebration in Milan by ECSITE

Registration has opened for the ECSITE 2009 Annual Conference, taking place this year in Milan. ECSITE is the European Network of Science Centre’s and Museums. The conference will be hosted by the illuminating National Museum of Science and Technology “Leonardo da Vinci”. The conference takes place from June 4 to 6 and offers three full days of talks, presentations and workshops.
The breath and the scope of the conference is captured in the film, Ready to be contaminated, produced by the National Museum of Science and Technology “Leonardo da Vinci” and now showing on AthenaWeb.