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List of years in science (Table)
… 1999 • 2000 • 2001 • 2002 • 2003 • 2004 • 2005 •    2006 • 2007 • 2008 – 2009 – 2010 • 2011 • 2012 •    2013 • 2014 • 2015 • 2016 • 2017 • 2018 • 2019 …
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… 2006 • 2007 • 2008 – 2009 – 2010 • 2011 • 2012 … … 1970s • 1980s • 1990s – 2000s – 2010s • 2020s • 2030s … … 20th century – 21st century – 22nd century …
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The year 2009 in science involves some significant events.

2009 has been designated as the:

• International Year of Astronomy.

[edit] Events

• January 26 - Annular solar eclipse.
• February 23 - Comet Lulin, a non-periodic comet, makes its closest approach to Earth, peaking in brightness between magnitude +4 and magnitude +6.
• March 7 - the Kepler Mission has a successful launch.
• May 19 - Paleontologists announce the discovery of Darwinius masillae, a "missing link" with features similar to lemurs, monkeys, and humans.
• October 1 - paleontologists announce the discovery of an Ardipithecus ramidus fossil skeleton, deeming it the oldest fossil skeleton of a human ancestor.

[edit] Scheduled events

Scientific events scheduled to occur in the year 2009 include:

• February 1 - The International Cospas-Sarsat Satellite System is scheduled to stop monitoring for 121.5 MHz and 243 MHz (Class B) distress signals from EPIRBs and other emergency beacons.
• May 11–22 - STS-125, the last expected Space Shuttle mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope.
• July 22 - Total solar eclipse (longest lasting total eclipse of the 21st century).
• September 29 - NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft makes its final flyby of Mercury, decreasing velocity enough for an orbital capture in 2011.

[edit] Deaths

• February 11 - Willem Johan Kolff (b. 1911), physician, inventor of artificial organs.