Being able to see glorious pictures of space is something we take for granted. Nowadays, Star Treks are hardly science fiction. iReporters have been posting stories to share their excitement about the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's use of the first astronomical telescope. This event is recognized and celebrated through the designation of 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy.

Kudos go to NightSkyGuy for being the first one to post about it, and additional props go out to MarieSager (who lives near Griffith Park Observatory) for reaching out to other iReporters and asking them to share photos of observatories and other space-related subjects. We've seen a number of pictures popping up of observatories such as Urania Observatory in Vienna, Austria, and Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, where Pluto was discovered. We even got a photo of an International Year of Astronomy banner at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (thanks joanniebalon) and pretty pictures of Hayden Planetarium in New York from sjunat55, not to mention several comets and other astronomical phenomena.

Are you pumped about stargazing? This would be the right year to dive into it. Share your photos and videos of space on iReport.com and kick off the new year in style.

That's cool as in icy, freezing, way too cold to be outside. James Brierton, star iReporter and first-ever iReport summer intern, spent New Years Eve working the roving iReport kiosk in New York's Times Square. That's James in the photo with Anderson Cooper and CNN producer Aspen Steib. (How cold was it? Accuweather says 18 degrees Fahrenheit. James put it like this on his Facebook page: "I had no feeling in three fingers and my face.")

The iReport kiosk James was tending is a computer with a webcam and some software that uploads videos straight to iReport. We use it to collect first-person commentary from people in the middle of a news event; in this case, folks in the middle of a giant freezing street party. Here're some of the videos James helped capture.

Later this week we're sending an iReport kiosk to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. If you're going, stop by and record an iReport.

(By the way - if you're a storyteller, an iReporter and a student who'd like to be the next iReport summer intern, stay tuned for details here on the iReport blog. Meantime, keep sending those iReports.)

If you've looked in our blog archives lately, you may notice that some of the images have gone missing. Unfortunately, during a review of some images used on CNN.com, a good number of them were deleted. We just wanted to say that we're sorry about this, but the blog posts themselves are still archived on the site like they were before. And don't worry, the iReport.com blog is already on its way to being better than ever in 2009!

Many of us have day-to-day gripes, but there's just something special about putting them to song with a few dozen of your closest friends. The Philadelphia Complaint Choir made its iReport.com debut over the holidays with a surprisingly catchy tune about New Jersey drivers, being put on hold by customer service and other complaints.

iReporter ceceliasmith shared this video and says that the idea, which actually started in Finland, has taken off worldwide. The NYU student is working on a documentary about the phenomenon and why it has been so well-received.

The iReport.com community has had a lot to say about it. Ailina wrote: "I think this is a fantastic way to vent frustration (and create art at the same time)! It sure beats honking your horn, verbally assaulting a customer service rep, or burning up cell phone minutes complaining to a friend who doesn't want to be dumped on. If there were a complaint choir near me, I'd join in a heartbeat!"

Studio1203 says: "Bad things happen in life, you deal with it and move on. No one wants to hear you complain. Interesting concept though!"

Love it or hate it, this choir certainly elicits a strong reaction. Check it out here. And if you know of any other offbeat events or groups like this, tell us all about them here!

More is often merrier when it comes to iReporters. We have seen a couple neat iReport collaborations that have blown our minds and opened up the floodgates for the creative possibilities. PunjabiPower sends us a mashed-up mixture of short videos from four other iReporters and we just can't get enough of it. The production value is impressive, ranging from the creative setups and costumes to the fireworks at the beginning and end. If you're not feeling festive after watching this video, I don't know what to tell you. This video reminds us of the fantastic production that started the trend, a 12-person tag team of citizen-journalism-y goodness created by none other than teen sensation maddogza. During election season, he wrangled all those iReporters together and got them all to ask the public to "be heard" in the historic 2008 election.

So we hope these videos give you some inspiration whether you're feeling excited or a little stumped. We encourage you to connect with other iReporters and collaborate with friends. You never know, something magical could happen. Check out our assignment desk to see if there are any stories that fit your bill.

Hi gang, our friends at " News To Me", HLN's showcase for iReports and Web culture, have included many of your incredible images and stories as part of a year-end TV special, "Best of iReport 2008."

From the China earthquake, to the Olympics, the election, hurricane season, the market tanking and banks failing -- iReporters played a vital role in CNN's coverage of the year's biggest stories.

The show airs this weekend on HLN. Click the video above for a sneak preview.

Eartha Kitt, the original singer of "Santa Baby" died on Christmas Day. Her six-decade career took her from an Orson Welles film to the 1960s "Batman" television series, and everywhere in between. iReporters such as davidjw remembered the singer and actress last week.

Several iReporters actually met Kitt, such as staleyjim, who calls it "a day I will not forget." Kitt sat down with him as he was eating alone at a resort 30 years ago. staleyjim did not realize who she was at the time. "Later that evening, I went to the Bar at the Hotel for the evening entertainment and to my surprise there was the lady from lunch, up on stage singing." Kitt had a drink with him after the show.

Msdbell met her backstage after a show in San Francisco at the age of 10. "Ms. Kitt was bubbly and effervescent during our visit. She spoke to us as if we were old family friends in that purrrrrrfectly sultry voice," she says. "I will always remember how down to earth and friendly Ms. Kitt was to us that day. She was humble, elegant, and extremely gracious. They don't make them like that anymore."

RBMcGrath shared quite a moment with Kitt as he watched one of her performances on his birthday in the late 1970s: "During her show, while singing 'I Wanna be Evil' she slinked down the runway and in the middle of her song sat down on the stage in front of me and offered her foot, which I gently kissed. I took a ring off my finger and handed it up to her. She then waved her hand and abruptly stopped the orchestra. She looked at the ring, looked at me, and looked at the ring again. The entire audience fell silent as she glared at me. I was petrified. And then she growled, 'Too bad you can't afford me.' It was a wonderful moment that I will never forget."

jgerard, who watched many of her performances in recent years and corresponded with her, sums up the feelings of other iReporters who were fans of Kitt: "Her music comforted me during the hardest of times; her drive motivated me to keep going; her activism was inspirational; and her appreciation and admiration toward her fans could only come from the classiest of women."

Do you have an Eartha Kitt story? Share it with us here.

New Year's Eve is tomorrow night so that means it's time to crack out the champagne, funny hats and of course, the Alpacas! Well, at least iReporter Alpacaman includes Alpacas in his New Year's tradition. The Alpaca rancher from Lorida, Florida -- yes, it's a real town, I looked it up on a map -- marched his Alpacas down local streets last year, drawing huge crowds. The people there were even humming "Auld Lang Syne." The communities were so jazzed to see the llama-like creatures that they asked the furry parade to return this New Year's.

And for all the football fans out there, you can catch the Alpacas at three college bowl games on New Year's Day. They'll be wearing jerseys to support their favorite teams -- the Alpacas, I mean.

On the other side of the world in the Philippines, iReporter jvabellar says some people might be eating 12 grapes when the clock strikes midnight. The hope is that the grapes will bring good luck and wealth for the next 12 months. Round, sweet fruits are meant to resemble coins for luck and prosperity.

So, whether you'll be marching with Alpacas or eating grapes for good luck, we want to hear what your plans are for New Year's Eve. Will you be partying with friends or kissing your sweetheart? Send us your celebration plans. Team iReport wishes you all a happy New Year!

This past weekend, I had a close encounter of the iReport kind while I was far from my desk. I was checking out the grand opening of a new light rail line while visiting my hometown of Phoenix, Arizona, for the holidays. After waiting nearly three hours, I finally boarded a train and got to experience my roots in a new light. Thousands of people packed the stops along the route. It seems someone had to have iReported the event, and sure enough, serial iReporter NakedBoyNews submitted a story about the opening.

He was visiting town from Las Vegas, Nevada, and also shot photos of the offbeat-looking Chihuly exhibit at the Desert Botanical Garden. It's a shame we didn't run into each other on a train platform; this could have been a scene straight from a movie, with us running toward one another, arms outstretched… alas. But I thought it was interesting that we were both at the same event, and I was intrigued to see that another iReporter, drkayes, sent us a story about incorporating the light rail into New Year's Eve plans.

Were you there? How's the transit in your area? Comment below and tell us what you think, or visit our assignment desk and see if there's a story idea that intrigues you.

iReporter JKerouac of San Diego has a very unusual holiday tradition, indeed. Every year, he gets together with his family and they re-create a famous photograph or piece of art to send out to loved ones for their Christmas card.

In previous years, they have re-created the famous Beatles "Abbey Road" album cover and the unforgettable image of an American flag being raised at Iwo Jima. This year, they went for a classic painting by Norman Rockwell.

JKerouac's creativity doesn't end there. He came up with a great idea for the Sea World San Diego public relations department's holiday card, portraying members of the department swimming with killer whales Shamu and Baby Shamu.

He even has a few tips for those who would like to add a dash of creativity to their card next year. "Try a personal touch. Photograph a scene from your bedroom window, include a favorite quote that keeps you motivated throughout the year, visually interpret what the year has meant to you."

CNN.com Live's Reggie Aqui interviewed JKerouac about where he came up with these great ideas. Check out the interview here! And if you have any creative, offbeat photos or videos, share them with us!

Here's something we hope will make holiday season in iReport-land a little more wonderful: our iReport end-of-year special on CNN! It's called "iReport 2008 -- Caught on Camera," and it airs Saturday and Sunday (December 27 and 28) at 8 pm ET. And now you are getting an exclusive sneak peek at the special!

You all have had an incredible year, from breaking news coverage, to funny photos and videos, to insightful commentary. This special is your chance to see the most compelling iReports you created this year. You might even see yourself or one of your own iReports on TV!

We're also reflecting on a great year of iReports in a couple of other ways. Check out two features we recently published on CNN.com:

Year in review: Choose your picks for best iReports of the year
2008 in 30 seconds: You summed up your year in 30 seconds or less -- and so did the iReport production team!

Have the happiest of holidays, and don't forget to watch the special and check out all the amazing work you've done this year on iReport. It's our way of not only showing off your best work, but also saying thank you for being part of the iReport community and a critical part of CNN's news coverage.

UPDATE: Check out HLN interviews with superstar iReporters zennie62 and WCNreporter here and here.

Recently, I sat down and spoke with Mrs. Claus. She was in town for a home and garden show at the Georgia World Congress Center. During our interview, she revealed that she is "a little worried" about her husband, Santa Claus, after seeing his exploits on iReport.com and later on CNN. "I've never seen him act like this," she said. And to tell you the truth, I've been noticing the same thing.

He's been everywhere, doing everything. iReport.com user canuck66 got some nice footage of Santa taking up skiing in Banff, Alberta, while surfervince and kqsurfkc spotted a surfing Santa in southern California. bbzimmerman has some photos of him Scuba diving. Sometimes Santa likes to get away and hang with the boys, as evidenced by his appearance at Santacon in San Francisco, California. He's even been spotted on the beach in Brazil, cavorting in Latvia, riding a rickshaw and driving a tractor. "He's not getting any younger," Mrs. Claus said. "I guess this is his way of coping with being the jolly old elf."

He seems to be doing better than the Grinch, who stoncray last saw aiming his radar gun to catch speeders in Orlando, Florida. Where have you seen Santa Claus? Send us your photos and video of Father Christmas and holiday celebrations.

DISCLAIMER: No promises about the existence of Mr. and Mrs. Claus -- or the lack thereof -- but this post is written in jest. That's not to say that Santa isn't having a midlife crisis, however.

UPDATE: Also making a lot of appearances on iReport in recent days: Santa's dogs!

Every so often we notice something like this that really gets our attention. rosehips ventured out into the cold in Colville, Washington late last week to iReport on the snow, and decided to ask passersby not only their thoughts on the snow but on President-elect Barack Obama's new cabinet.

So we'd like to challenge you: Do you think you can accomplish two iReport topics at one time? Fire up your camera and give it a shot!

A rare snowfall in Las Vegas, Nevada, prompted Darryl and Maria Roberts to film the wintry landscape as they drove around their neighborhood Wednesday. The couple, with their children in tow, couldn't believe the sight. "It's unbelievable," Darryl exclaimed over and over, as his children begged to go outside and play in the snow.

The video has sparked quite a response on iReport.com today. It's been viewed more than 160,000 times and many people left comments criticizing the couple for not letting their children enjoy the rare snowfall.

As it turns out, Darryl and Maria did allow their children, ages 8, 10 and 16, to play outside once they returned home. "They had never seen snow," Darryl said. They made snow angels for hours and built their first snowman. The family made sure to take photos of the memorable experience.

Has winter arrived early where you live? Share your photos and video, and tell us how the weather is affecting you.

The key word here is "friendly."

There've been a couple of pretty big blowups lately between members of our community, and some folks have posted iReports with personal attacks against other users.

This is not OK.

If you do it, we will remove the post. If you do it a lot, we will be forced to terminate your account.

We really don't want to do this, so if you are having a problem with another member, please let us know by sending an email to report.violations@ireport.com.

If you see a comment or an iReport post that you think violates our Community Guidelines click the report violation link and we will check it out.

Thanks.