Four hundred years ago, an Englishman named Thomas Harriot turned a telescope on the Moon and marvelled at its rugged, cratered surface. The drawing he made that night is the oldest known depiction of a celestial object as seen through a telescope, beating Galileo by four months.

We offered lucky Twitterers a chance to win FREE tickets to the Telescope400 event celebrating the 400th anniversary of Harriot’s achievement. Telescope400 is an exciting astronomically-themed day for space enthusiasts young and old taking place at Syon Park, West London on Sunday 26 July 2009.

The competition was simple: put yourself in Thomas Harriot's shoes. Imagine being the first person ever to observe the moon through a telescope. Then imagine that Twitter was around 400 years ago! How would you announce your observations to the world in 140 characters or less?

We had four winners to the competition, each winning a special edition Moone Catalogue plus tickets to the Telescope400 event. The winners were:

@scibuff: "Indeed it moves, but I saw the moon first"

@AJAshworth: "Hmmm... did this months ago. RT @GalileoGalilei I've just viewed the moon thru my telescope!"

@AlphaLyrae: "Magnified our glorious moon, Surface stark and rubble-strewn, Valleys dark, Peaks of white, Dazzled in refracted light"

@mafunyane: "It's one small squint for man, one giant wonder for mankind."

Congratulations to all!

22 July will feature the longest solar eclipse of the 21st Century. At 6 minutes and 39 seconds, it will be an impressive sight for those able to see it. Visible from mainland Asia, Japan's Ryukyu Islands, and through the Pacific Ocean, the experience for people in those regions will be incredible.

To allow astronomers and the public all around the world to witness this spectacle, there are online options available to anyone with a computer and internet connection. Find out how to view the eclipse here

Four hundred years ago, an Englishman named Thomas Harriot turned a telescope on the Moon and marvelled at its rugged, cratered surface. The drawing he made that night is the oldest known depiction of a celestial object as seen through a telescope, beating Galileo by four months.

This is your chance to win FREE tickets to the Telescope400 event celebrating the 400th anniversary of Harriot’s achievement. Telescope400 is an exciting astronomically themed day for space enthusiasts young and old taking place at Syon Park, West London on Sunday 26 July 2009.

INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF ASTRONOMY 2009 PRESS INFORMATION NOTE:
Date: 30th June 2009
Ref: RAS PN 09/45

Issued by:

Dr Robert Massey
Press and Policy Officer
Royal Astronomical Society
Tel: +44 (0)20 7734 3307
Mob: +44 (0)794 124 8035
E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

A CELESTIAL MOUSE: SCOTTISH CHILDREN MAKE A NEW CONSTELLATION (RAS PN 09/45)

Pirze winning images - Please click on the image for a high resolution version

		1st Prize - ‘Wee Sleekit Beastie ‘ by Laura, age 11, from the Dalmeny Primary School
		Detail of winning design of ‘Wee Sleekit Beastie ‘ by Laura, age 11, from the Dalmeny Primary School
Runners up:
		2nd prize 'Mermida'  by Laura, age 9, from Lauder Primary School.
		Equal 3rd prize - 'Lost in the Jungle'  by Abdur, age 11, from Glendale Primary School.
		Equal 3rd Prize - 'Seraurora, the Whisperer of Lights'  by Ruby, age 12, from Broadford Primary School