NASA Announces Aug. 27 Mars News Conference

NASA will hold a televised news conference at 2 p.m. PDT (5 p.m.EDT), Monday, Aug. 27, at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., about the activities of its Curiosity rover mission on Mars. The event will feature new images, an update of the rover’s progress, and a special greeting by NASA Administrator Charles Bolden.

Full Story and Links: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2012-258b

Launch Of UNESCO–IAU Astronomical Heritage Web Portal

A new UNESCO–IAU online Portal to the Heritage of Astronomy has been launched today at the IAU’s 28th General Assembly in Beijing, China. The site, which resides at http://www.astronomicalheritage.net, is a dynamic, publicly accessible database, discussion forum and document repository on astronomical heritage sites throughout the world, even if they are not on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

Buildings and monuments relating to astronomy throughout the ages stand as a tribute to the diverse and often complex ways in which people have rationalised the cosmos and framed their actions in accordance with their understanding of it. This includes, but is by no means restricted to, the development of modern science. The importance of the sky in human heritage was recognised by UNESCO when it established its Astronomy and World Heritage Initiative in 2003, and in 2008 it signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the IAU. Since then, the two organisations have been working together to promote astronomical sites of potential “Outstanding Universal Value”.

Full Story: http://www.iau.org/public_press/news/detail/iau1203/