Galway Astronomy Club host their 3rd Connacht Starparty on Saturday January 28th 2006. This years event is not themed and as you can see is geared towards a much wider audience than as usual. Again as of the two previous years entry fee is still priced at only €20.
Venue :Westwood House Hotel, On N59 Galway-Clifden 1km from City
Speakers and Talks
1. Dr Mary Bruck : Irish wives in two famous Astronomical Parterships
Mary Brück was born in Co. Meath, and is a Physics graduate of University College Dublin. She obtained her PhD at Edinburgh in the field of solar spectroscopy, after which she was appointed as an astronomer at Dunsink Observatory where her main research interests focused on photographic measurements of the colours and brightness of stars.She then moved to Edinburgh University gaining her doctorate for research in "Studies of H-Alpha line profiles in prominences" . In 1957 she encouraged her husband, the late Professor Hermann Brück, to apply for the post of Astronomer Royal for Scotland. He held this post until his retiral in 1975. The Brücks were the last family of astronomers to live in the official residence at the Royal Observatory.
Her most recent Book is entitled: "Agnes Mary Clerke & the rise of Astrophysics
Agnes Clerke, a woman historian of astronomy of the last half of the 19th century details a significangt period in the rise of modern astrophysics with the development of larger and better telescopes, the use of photography in the mapping of the skies, and the invention of the spectroheliograph. Working primarily from archival sources. In this captivating biography, Dr Mary Brück describes the life and work of a erudite but unassuming woman. The story chronicles the development of astronomy in the last decades of pre-Einstein science, introducing many of the great figures of that age, their achievements and rivalries. She also explores, for example, Clerke’s friendship with William and Margaret Huggins, and her prolific correspondence with eminent astronomers of the age such as David Gill of Cape and George Ellery Hale of CA
2. Leo Enright: Mars 3-D
Ever wondered what it would be like to walk on the surface of Mars? Find
out during this unique presentation by Leo Enright, with a new
illustrated lecture presented entirely in 3-D
3. Dr Paul Roche: 21st Century Robotic Telescopes,bringing the Universe into the Classroom
Dr. Paul Roche is Director of the Faulkes Telescope Project, and UK National Schools' Astronomer. Based at Cardiff University He was Lecturer in Astronomy at Sussex University, Head of Education at the UK National Space Centre, and presented the BBC2 monthly astronomy/space programme "Final Frontier", and more recently the BBC "All Night Star Party" and "Stardate: Venus Transit" shows.
4. Dr Sean O’Donnell: William Rowan Hamilton a reluctant Astronomer
Dr Sean O’Donnell is a Science graduate from Galway and Edinburgh universities who for many years contributed a weekly Science column in the Irish Press and articles on famous Irish scientists and astronomers. His books include William Rowan Hamilton – a Portrait of a Prodigy
There will be a first CSP 06 Gala Dinner in the evening from the hotel's extensive menu (optional extra), Table Quiz After
We will be holding an imaging workshop with Jed a member here and imaging mastro during the lunch break.
Meteorite display including some from the Moon and Mars
Trade Stands some of which you will not have seen before
The NUI Galway Observatory will again be open to the attendees by Professor Mike Redfern and if weather is good bring your own scopes. The observatory consists of a 'state of the art' semi-automated Cassegrain with high quality instrumentation, and a 3 meter radio telescope. The telescope is a 40cm (16") from Astrooptik, in a proper dome. The optics are by Lomo (St Petersburg). It is a classical Cassegrain with 3-element field flattener. The mount is a really massive german equatorial, also from Astrooptik. It has an Apogee 1024 x 1024 camera with an E2V thinned, back illuminated chip.
Ronan Newman
Galway Astronomy Club
Full Programme of Days Events at
www.galwayastronomyclub.ie
