2009 has been declared by the United Nations as the International Year or Astronomy and will be a global celebration of astronomy and its contributions to society and culture, highlighted by the 400th anniversary of the first use of an astronomical telescope.

The aim of the Year is to stimulate worldwide interest, especially among young people, in astronomy and science.

The Cotswold Astronomical Society will be running a range of talks and observing events throughout the year, so please keep an eye on these pages for updates.

The Cotswold Astronomical Society is also working with local schools to bring astronomy into the classroom. So if your school would like to feature astronomy in 2009, please get in touch to discuss how we can help.

Current partners include: Corineum Museum, Cirencester, Stroud High School, Cheltenham College, WWT Slimbridge.

To find out about other IYA activities around the UK, checkout the UK IYA website .