Not only will it mark the 400th anniversary of Galileo pointing a telescope to the sky but also the 40th anniversary of man landing on the moon.

The July 1969 moon landing proved to be a significant event in the history of mankind and also for the Parkes Radio Telescope who received and conveyed pictures around the world of Neil Armstrong’s famous ‘one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.’

The two special milestones have resulted in UNESCO and the UN General Assembly endorsing 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy (IYA).

In Australia, a 12-month program has been planned commencing in Sydney on New Years Eve with a Pulsar countdown.

Parkes’ time to shine will occur during July with an open weekend planned at The Dish on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19.

Moves are currently underway to invite several high profile speakers who were involved with the famous Apollo mission to visit Parkes for the celebrations.

As part of IYA, July has been titled Moon Madness Month.

July 21 will commemorate the 40th anniversary of the first manned moon landing – a time back in 1969 when both The Dish and the Honeysuckle Creek Tracking Station were heavily involved.

Parkes Shire Council along with management of The Dish and executive members of the Central West Astronomical Society attended a meeting late last month to sure up ways of maximising Parkes involvement in next year’s celebrations.

Council has agreed to host a civic function in July to acknowledge the moon landing and the integral role played by the Parkes Radio Telescope.

Mayor of Parkes Ken Keith said that many events would take place in Parkes – particularly at The Dish - throughout 2009.

‘A range of cultural, educational and historical exhibitions, guest speaker programmes and a plethora of other projects designed to stimulate public interest in astronomy – particularly at student levels – have been planned,’ Cr Keith said.

‘The year’s activities certainly promise to provide another exciting chapter in the history of both Parkes and The Dish.’