Galway Astronomy Festival Mar 4-5

newmanr1

Hi,


This year’s Galway Astronomy Festival (4th-5th March) addresses the theme of life and death in the universe from a professional as well as an amateur astronomer’s perspective. It will commence with a public lecture and exhibition of the most famous Irish Meteorites, including bits of rock from the Moon and Mars. Everybody is invited to have a hands-on experience of these rare specimens! Outstanding national and international authorities continue the meeting, discussing the origins of life in the universe (Prof. Chandra Wickramasinghe/ Prof. Richard Butler), supernovae, black holes and the end of life (Prof. Mike Redfern/ Tom Boles), and potential killer asteroids (Dr. Matthew Parkes/ Dave Mc Donald). A workshop instructing participants how best to take images of our most essential life-supporting star, the Sun (Dave Gradwell), a visit to NUI,Galway’s robotic observatory and two observing nights at the Bearna Golf Club – far away from city lights – will complement the programme. Various stands from Astronomy Ireland, North Down Telescopes or the Irish Rocketry Society will enrich the programme, including the display of a state-of-the-art 3D computer planetarium programme.
The Galway Astronomy Festival, now in its 8th year, has become one of the most popular events in Ireland, where amateurs and professionals meet in friendship. This is essential for exchanging information, successful stargazing and mutual progress. The dinner talk on dark skies and observatories in the USA (Dr. Andy Mc Crea) will leave no doubt about it.




The main observing will take place at Bearna Golf Club (visible in google Earth/Street view), just six miles from the hotel on the very south eastern tip on Connemara with a clear unobstructed view of the night sky.Entrance fee is reduced this year to €25 for the Saturday. Diner optional extra.

The NUI, Galway Centre for Astronomy and the Galway Astronomy Club cordially invite you to a Public Talk and meteorite Exhibition

“METEORITES AND FAMOUS IRISH FALLS” by Dr. Matthew Parkes
Natural History Museum, Dublin.

Date: Friday, 4th March
Time: 7.30pm.
Venue: NUI, Galway, Dillon Theatre

Free entrance, free parking

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Galway Astronomy Festival “Life and Death in the Universe”
Saturday, 5th March

9.00 – 9.45 am Registration
9.45 – 10.00 am Launch by Dr. Andrew Shearer, Director of NUIG Centre for Astronomy

10.00 – 11.15 Prof. Richard Butler (NUIG), The Creation Part II – Supernova 1987a
Served as head of the Chemistry dept Professor of Chemistry at NUI Galway from 1981 to 2008. Last spoke at the festival in 2007 with a talk on the organic chemistry of meteorites. He is a long-time amateur astronomer.

11.15 – 12.30 Prof. Chandra Wickramasinghe (Cardiff), Cosmic Dragons: Life and Death in the Cosmos
Chandra Wrickramashinge, the scientist who caused a sensation when he proposed that life on Earth could have been 'seeded' from space. Is a distinguished astronomer who has made important contributions to the theory of cosmic dust with his late collaborator, Sir Fred Hoyle. Director of the Cardiff Centre for Astrobiology and holds the highest doctorate (ScD) from the University of Cambridge, along with several other international distinctions. He is an award-winning author and co-author of over 20 books and over 350 scientific papers


12.30 – 14.00 Lunch and optional Workshop with Dave Gradwell (Portumna) on “The Art of Solar Imaging”
Dave Gradwell has been interested in astronomy for 20 years and always leaned toward astrophotography. Starting from basics “Imaging the Sun”, this workshop will instruct participants how best to take images of our most essential life-supporting star at its best. He bought a Coronado PST in 2006 and so began a long time infatuation with the Sun. From projection to high resolution imaging in multiple wavelengths, this talk is designed to ignite an interest in an object that is too often over looked.


14.00 – 15.00 Prof. Mike Redfern (NUIG), Black Holes and Alexander Anderson
Professor for astronomy at NUI Galway and more recently single Point of Contact (and Chair) of the Irish Node for the International Year of Astronomy 2009. Since retiring in 2009 he has devoted his spare time to public astronomy outreach

15.00 – 16.00 Dave McDonald (Kildare), Irish Asteroids and Near Earth Objects
Dave Mc Donald is an amateur astronomer based in County Kildare, discover of two asteroids, the first only the second asteroid discovered from Ireland - the first (9 Metis) having been discovered by Andrew Graham in April 1848 from Markree Castle Observatory in County Sligo. While only recently and during his study of the light curve of asteroid 5714 Krasinsky, he made the serendipitous discovery of an eclipsing binary star. Chair of the Irish Federation of Astronomical Societies, Dave is a regular contributor to the IFAS boards and to the affiliated clubs

16.00 – 16.30 Tea/Coffee

16.30 – 17.30 Tom Boles (Coddenham), Hunting Supernovae
Tom Boles is a British amateur astronomer who manages a private astronomical observatory in Coddenham, Suffolk. He is currently the most successful exploding-star-hunter in history, with over record 138 supernovae discovered, many up to 100 million light-years away. He has also held positions of President and Vice President of the British Astronomical Association and is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society. He has co-authored three books on popular astronomy, including the 2008 Yearbook of Astronomy, More Small Astronomical Observatories, The Science and Art of CDD Astronomy, and has published numerous articles in several magazines such as Astronomy Now, Sky and Telescope

17.30 Raffle
18.00 – 19.00 Visit to the Robotic NUIG Imbusch Observatory (optional)

19.00 – Dinner including Dinner Talk by Dr. Andy Mc Crea (Past President of the Irish Astronomical Assoc and editor of "Stardust"), “A Search for some of the Darkest Sites in America”

21.00 Astronomy Table Quiz or Observing

For full details and accom links please go to our website at www.galwayastronomyclub.ie

Hope to see you there
Galway Festival Committee

Aiel

Very cool event.I cant make it to most of the talks on the Saturday but i'd love to go to the observing on the Saturday night if clear skies.Ive an old DTG 6.25" telescope that ive brought up around Barna Gold Club before,its a good spot.

mikom

An Astronomy Festival, good idea.
However beware the wrath of GAAW should you spy any American military satellites through your telescopes.

biko

Cool event but see charter bullet 7.
Also you signed up to promote it.
And it costs money.