"Police officers put the badge on every morning, not knowing for sure if they'll come home at night to take it off."
~Tom Cotton

Friday, May 6, 2011

Astronomy Day Proclamation

PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS
Astronomy Day was born in California in 1973. Doug Berger, then president of the Astronomical Association of Northern California, decided that rather than try to entice people to travel long distances to visit observatory open houses, they would set up telescopes closer to where the people were - busy locations - urban locations like street corners, shopping malls, parks, etc.

WHEREAS
Astronomy Day is a grass roots movement designed to share the joy of astronomy with the general population - "Bringing Astronomy to the People." On Astronomy Day, thousands of people who have never looked through a telescope will have an opportunity to see first hand what has so many amateur and professional astronomers all excited. Astronomy clubs, science museums, observatories, universities, planetariums, laboratories, libraries, and nature centers host special events and activities to acquaint their population with local astronomical resources and facilities. Many of these events are located at non-astronomical sites; shopping malls, parks, urban centers—truly Bringing Astronomy to the People. It is an astronomical PR event that helps highlight ways the general public can get involved with astronomy - or at least get some of their questions about astronomy answered. Astronomy Week encompasses Astronomy Day starting on the previous Monday and ending on the following Sunday.

WHEREAS
Today, Astronomy Day has 14 organizations that cosponsor the event internationally.

WHEREAS
Astronomy Day events take place at hundreds of sites across the United States. Internationally, England, Canada, New Zealand, Finland, Sweden, the Philippines, Argentina, Malaysia, Iran, Ireland, New Guinea plus many other countries have hosted Astronomy Day activities.

WHEREAS
Astronomy Day is supported in Falmouth by such organizations as the 300 Committee and the Falmouth Astronomers to encourage local interest and participation in the science of astronomy, and the preservation and enjoyment of our natural environment.

NOW THEREFORE
We, Brent Putnam, Ahmed A. Mustafa, Mary Pat Flynn, Melissa C. Freitag and David Braga, as Selectmen of the Town of Falmouth do hereby PROCLAIM Saturday, May 7, 2011 as

“ASTRONOMY DAY”


IN WITNESS THEREOF
, we have hereunto set our hand and caused the great seal of the Town of Falmouth to be affixed.

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