2009 is the year of what? Yes, it's the year of the Ox. But do you know that 2009 is also the year of the telescope? This year the world celebrates the 400thanniversary of Galileo's observations of the universe through an astronomical telescope  . In 1609, the Italian scientist first pointed a "Dutch perspective glass" at the night sky and made discoveries that changed mankind's conceptions of the universe.  In honor of Galileo's discoveries, the United Nations and the International Astronomical Union have declared 2009 to be the International Year of Astronomy (IYA 2009). IYA 2009 is a yearlong celebration of astronomy. Its goal is to spread knowledge of astronomy's contributions to society and culture and to inspire more interest in astronomy and science, especially among young people. The theme of the celebration is "The Universe, Yours to Discover." One interesting aim of the IYA is to encourage more diversity   in the field of astronomy and physics. IYA organizers hope that the yearlong celebration of astronomy will inspire more females and underrepresented minorities to pursue   careers in science. An event that will help further that goal is 100 Hours of Astronomy (100 HA) that will fall on April. This event aims to have as many people as possible look through a telescope. From April 2ndto 5th, millions of people worldwide will peer through telescopes to catch their first glimpse   of the universe, just as Galileo's did 400 years ago. Sidewalk astronomy events will give city-dwellers   an excellent opportunity to see the moon, the planet Saturn, and other objects in position for early evening observations.  Organizers hope that the activities of IYA will "promote   a greater appreciation of the astronomy." So join the fun. Look through a telescope this year! What does the article mainly talk about?
The celebrations in IYA 2009. The activities on the 400thanniversary of Galileo. The event of 100 Hours of Astronomy. How to spread knowledge of astronomy.