$150,000 grant (Texas Regional Collaboratives, UT Austin) 1.17 high school teachers (6 Texas Regions) 3-week course at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Introductory astronomy course Participation in IASC (Astrometrica) Use of Internet-based telescopes Use of HOU software and exercises Follow-up programs and activities: IASC Asteroid Search Campaigns (Fall 2008) INO Internet-Based Telescopes (Fall 2008) Annual HOU TRA Meeting (June 2009) NASA WISE E/PO (Spring 2010) Texas Regional Collaborative Astronomy Project

International Astronomical Search Collaboration (IASC) Yerkes Observatory (University of Chicago) The seeds for IASC began in June 2006 at the Hands-On Universe annual meeting held at the Yerkes Observatory (University of Chicago). Teachers expressed a need for an on-going program in astronomy and astrophysics that allowed them access to real-time images for analysis by their students. This expressed need and the networking of professionals, amateurs, and educators at the Yerkes meeting led directly to the creation of IASC.

The International Asteroid Search Campaign (IASC) is an Internet- based educational service program provided at no charge to participating high schools and colleges. Centered at Hardin-Simmons University (Abilene, TX), IASC is a collaboration of the Lawrence Hall of Science (University of California, Berkeley) Astronomical Research Institute (Charleston, IL) Astrometrica (H. Raab, Austria) Students make original discoveries of astronomical objects that are officially certified and recognized by the International Astronomical Union. ARI

IASC Program Flow Diagram Astronomical Research Institute Hardin-Simmons University Astrometrica ARI HSU & AstrometricaMinor Planet Center (Harvard)

Since the start of IASC in October 2006, 126 high schools & colleges have participated from 10 countries: A total of 107 original asteroid discoveries have been made along with 2 comet confirmations and over a thousand NEO confirmations including 6 VIOs. Country# of Schools Bulgaria1 China6 Germany1 Italy1 Japan6 Morocco1 Poland7 Portugal3 Russia1 United States73

ObjectStudentsSchool Locatio nDate K08Q34ZK. McCrorySidney High SchoolTX10/01/08 K08S07BReagan, Terpe, & KemppainenFolsom Lake CollegeCA10/01/08 K08SK9AMapes, Howerton, & WhiteJefferson High SchoolVA10/01/08 K08SF1WS. CaldwellVernon High SchoolTX10/02/08 K08SK9CB. GlassHardin-Simmons UniversityTX10/05/08 K08SK9DJohnson & KranIASC AstronomerCA10/05/08 K08SK9MCardenas, etal. Mountain View Community CollegeTX10/05/08 K08SK9ED. Rothrock Madisonville Junior High SchoolTX10/05/08 K08SK9BBedkowski & ZaborowskiZespó³ Szkól nr 7, SzczecinPoland10/06/08 K08SK9GOgg & Theiler Madisonville Junior High SchoolTX10/12/08 K08SK9HTerpe & KamppainenFolsom Lake CollegeCA10/12/08 K08SK9FMorin & JonesPlymouth State UniversityNH10/12/08 K08SM3ZCardenas, etal. Mountain View Community CollegeTX10/17/08 K08SM6T Bedkowski, Dziedzic, & JacyszynZespó³ Szkól nr 7, SzczecinPoland10/17/08 K08TG0AMapes, Urbach, & WhiteThomas Jefferson High SchoolVA10/17/08 K08U20NHowerton, Vanaya, & UrbachThomas Jefferson High SchoolVA10/17/08 K08UO0JMajszak & WaczynskaZespó³ Szkól nr 10, ToruniuPoland10/19/08 K08T62BZiemer, Lentz, & PengCordova High SchoolCA10/19/08 K08U00KMajszak & WaczynskaZespó³ Szkól nr 10, ToruniuPoland10/19/08 K08U99QLisiewicz, Palma, & PorebskiZespó³ Szkól nr 10, ToruniuPoland10/25/08 K08U99PS. TerpeFolsom Lake CollegeCA10/25/08 K08U99RMorin & JonesPlymouth State UniversityNH10/29/08 K08UJ9XBusey & SchmidtMeredith CollegeNC10/30/08

1. Al Akhawayn University, Ifrane (Morocco) 2. Ball State University (IN) 3. Broad Run High School (VA) 4. Cracow Pedagogical University (Poland) 5. Downingtown High School West (PA) 6. Escola Secundaria de Alvide (Portugal) 7. Escola Secundaria Fernando Namora (Portugal) 8. Gimnazjum Miejskie im. M. Ko (Poland) 9. Hitachi High School (Japan) 10. LO im Adama Mickiewicza (Poland) 11. LO im Marii Sklodowskiej-Curie (Poland) 12. LO im Tadeusza Czackiego (Poland) 13. Madisonville Junior High School (TX) 14. Meredit College (NC) 15. Sturgis Charter Public School (MA)

Contact Information: Keely Finkelstein

The state offers waivers to supply reimbursement for purchases of Astronomy textbooks. “Pursuant to TEC § This waiver allows the district reimbursement for the purchase of non-state adopted textbooks used in Photojournalism, Astronomy, Environmental Science, and Human Geography courses for which no textbooks were adopted by the state. Reimbursement is equal to the state maximum cost or the cost of the textbook, whichever is lower.” You can download a related pdf at: An article about surveying introductory astronomy textbooks at the college level is available at