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| Paper: |
Three Years After the IYA: An Update on the Galileoscope Project |
| Volume: |
473, Communicating Science |
| Page: |
279 |
| Authors: |
Fienberg, R. T.; Arion, D. N.; Pompea, S. M. |
| Abstract: |
The Galileoscope is a high-quality, low-cost refractor kit developed by a team of astronomers, optical engineers, and science educators for the International Year of Astronomy (IYA) 2009. To date more than 190,000 of these kits have been sold or donated to recipients in more than 100 countries. We worked hard to develop, produce, and distribute Galileoscopes so that people everywhere can experience the thrill of observing lunar mountains and craters, Jupiter's Galilean satellites, the rings of Saturn, and bright star clusters like the Pleiades through a telescope that they will be proud to own and that offers superior optics and mechanics, as well as demonstrable educational value, at the lowest possible cost. Three years after the IYA, the Galileoscope is still available. As explained on our new website, sales of individual kits are now made through a growing network of retailers who charge from U.S. $50 to $60 per kit plus shipping. We continue to sell Galileoscopes in bulk direct to EPO professionals, starting at quantities of just 6 kits (1 case), for $25 each plus shipping; this facilitates the continued use of the kits in formal and informal educational venues, where budgets are often tight. We have also entered into a partnership with the nonprofit Astrosphere New Media Association to create Telescopes For Teachers, a program whereby U.S. citizens can make tax-deductible contributions to provide Galileoscopes to teachers of their choosing.
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