It’s official. If there is a chance for entering or breaking a world record, Mexico will be there. That, my friends, you can take to the bank.
Fourty two sites within 27 Mexican states will join this weekend in the 2009 Mexico Challenge event. The idea is to get enough telescopes looking at the moon simutaneously to earn, yet another Guinness World’s Record. The chance for the record will be the grand finale of Mexico’s international Year of Astronomy.
The event which has been organized and sponsered by the Institute of Astronomy of UNAM, the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN), the National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics (INAOE) , the Mexican Academy of Sciences (AMC), the National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT), the Amateur Astronomers Association, the French Embassy, and Alliance Française among others will begin at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 24, 2009.
According to the Urania Astronomical Society of Morelos, on this date, it will be possible to view some of the moon’s thousands of impact craters from asteroids and meteorites.
Unofficial estimates are expecting more than 2000 observers within the 42 sites. Although sponsers have promoted the intent of entering a new Guinness world record, the most important aspect of this event, they state, is to engage and welcome all ages into the fascinating world of astronomy.
