Kepler

This Group will celebrate the 400th anniversary of Kepler's Astronomia Nova, the cornerstone of modern astronomy, in the year of the launch of NASA's Kepler mission to seek Earth-sized extrasolar planets.

Task Group

Terence Mahoney ( tjm@iac.es ) Co-Chair
David Koch ( d.koch@nasa.gov ) Co-Chair
Alan Chapman
Thomas Posch ( posch@astro.univie.ac.at )
Tapio Markkanen ( tamapro@elisanet.fi )
Stanislaw Bajtlik ( bajtlik@camk.edu.pl )
Rick Fienberg ( rfienberg@andover.edu )
Steve Pompea ( spompea@noao.edu )
Beatriz García ( batrizgarciautn@gmail.com )
Berthold Geck ( B-W-M-P_Geck@t-online.de )
Manfred Fischer ( m.i.fischer@t-online.de )
Andrew Fraknoi ( fraknoiandrew@fhda.edu )

Aim
Raise Kepler's public profile through in-reach (telling astronomers about Kepler), education, outreach.

Means
Conferences, public talks, exhibitions, articles, books, radio.

Resources

Bibliography, museums, monuments, TV documentaries, letters, literature & arts
Organise Special Session on Kepler at IAU GA 2009 (Rio de Janeiro).
Investigate possibility of getting Kepler's correspondence published in English (at an affordable price).
Investigate commemorate stamps/coins.
Promote Kepler as Astronomy Ambassador.
IAU GA 2009 SPS
- Title: 'Marking the 400th Anniversary of Kepler's "Astronomia Nova"'.
- Letter of Intent now listed on IAU website.
Formal proposal being prepared to deliver by December 2007.
Planned launch of NASA's Kepler Mission in Feb. 2009.
Czech Republic: International symposium in Prague.
Poland: International symposium in Zagan.
Austria: Exhibitions and other activities in Linz, Vienna and Graz.
Germany: Weil der Stadt has plans and has contacts the Kepler TG.

Downloads

Kepler: His Life and Work (pdf)
A Resource Guide to Materials in English for Beginners by Andrew Fraknoi (Foothill College & ASP).
Report (03 Dec 07) (pdf)