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 To celebrate the launch of the amazing new full-dome digital planetarium show, "We Are Astronomers", IYA2009 in the UK announced a competition to win four free tickets to see the show at your nearest planetarium, along with an exclusive poster signed by the show's narrator, David Tennant.
We Are Astronomers is playing in digital planetariums across the UK throughout IYA2009. To find your nearest planetarium that is hosting the show, visit our WAA page
You can watch a trailer of the show here
The compeition was quite simple; write us a twitter astronomy haiku! We had dozens of entries over the past few weeks, all of a very high standard, but the winning entry was from @MazP
Archer's bow stretched tight
Sirius and Orion
hunt the night sky down
Congratulations, @MazP, the poster and tickets will be with you soon!
Honourable mentions go to the second and third place haikus. In second place is this haiku from @JustNoah
Look into the night
The whole universe looks back
Suspended on stars
And in third place is from @AJAshworth
Explosions of stars,
lighting the black universe.
The dust-blooms of life.
Well done to everyone who took part! Follow us on Twitter @astronomy2009uk for all the latest news from IYA2009
The Judges
The haikus were judged by:
Brian Hill is a poet with a keen interest in astronomy. He has written over fifty poems on various astronomical themes and performs live as a storyteller and poet under the stars. He has collaborated in the development of several multimedia planetarium shows where the mysteries of the universe are explored through the visual arts, poetry, storytelling and performance. As well as writing poetry, stories and performance, Brian Hill works in graphic design, video-making and in training for artists and community groups in the North of Scotland.
Brian explains what he was looking for in the winning haiku: "I was looking for several things: simple language, an idea with movement, and something original or edgy which was quietly cosmic as well. The top three seemed to capture those things: three simple phrases, lightness and darkness opposed, and eternity."
Ian Robson is director of the UK Astronomy Technology Centre, the chair of IYA2009 in the UK, and is currently president of the International Astronomy Union Commission 55 on 'Communicating Astronomy with the Public'; IAU Working Group on the International Year of Astronomy 2009; and Council Member of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Steve Owens is UK co-ordinator of IYA2009, with a background in planetarium management and science communication |
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