Galway Astronomy Festival 2015 "New Worlds - New Horizons"

Hi everyone, just a reminder to everyone here that there are two similar Astro Fests here in Ireland, the excellent and revamped COSMOS in Athlone running for well over 20 years and the Galway Astronomy Festival now in its 12th year.

This year we had an exceptional turn out of 120 people on a rain soaked and very stormy February 3rd, which really surpassed our expectations. We would hope for another similar turnout for our next Festival that will take place at the Westwood House Hotel on the 21st of February 2015 with the theme this year "New Worlds New Horizons"

Our view of the Universe has changed dramatically. Hundreds of planets of startling diversity have been discovered orbiting distant suns. Other astronomical observations have also revealed that most of the matter in the Universe is dark and invisible and that the expansion of the Universe is accelerating in an unexpected and unexplained way. New missions pave the way to a better understanding of our solar system and its cosmic interlopers including comets. Recent discoveries, powerful new ways to observe the Universe, and bold new ideas to understand it have created scientific opportunities without precedent. Some of these big questions will be addresses at the 2015 Galway Astronomy Festival with a host well known amateur and academic astronomers from Ireland and the UK.

Speakers

1 Professor Michael Perryman: "Measuring the Distances to the Stars"

Michael is co-author of the “Millennium Star Atlas” and “The Exoplanet Handbook” amongst others. Past involvement inc

• Senior Advisor, European Space Agency
• Head of Astronomy Research, Space Science Department, European Space Agency
• Project Scientist of the new GAIA Space Astrometry mission, European Space Agency sci.esa.int/gaia/
• Project Scientist and manager of the Hipparcos space Astrometry mission, European Space Agency

Daniel (Eclipsedan) Lynch, An Irish Eclipse chaser of 10 solar eclipses and has a wonderful catalogue of images and prelude to the March 2015 Solar eclipse

Nick Howes, Kielder Observatory, UK

Nick is a well known UK astronomer and he will give two talks, a morning talk and he will also give the Patrick Moore memorial after dinner talks

Main talk: "A Tail of Two Comets - Serendipity and Discovery"
After Dinner: "Under African Skies... the Astro Safari adventure of a lifetime"

Professor Susan McKenna Lawlor, Well known Irish professor from NUI Maynooth who will deliver a very topical and wide ranging talk about the Rosetta Mission and the lander of whom her team have built its important data transfer instrument

Dr Chris Watson, An excellent speaker from Queen University Belfast with a talk on the future visions of New Worlds or Extra Solar planets

Dave Grennan . A workshop by Raheney based and leading Irish Amateur Astronomer, Dave Grennan on the construction of his new Supernova finding telescope he recently built. Well done Dave

More info can be seen on our Face Book page at www.facebook.com/galwayAstrofest

Entry only €20

Thank you

Ronan Newman
Chairman
Galway Astronomy Club
www.galwayastronomyclub.ie

Hi

Great to see so much excitement for the Skelligs Star Party 2015 and well done to Roy for putting it all together looks like it has the makings of a super event along with the Perseids, looks like Nick Howes will be crossing the pond three times next year to attend Galway SP, Cosmos SP and the Skelligs SP.

We have a change of speaker to our 13th annual event in Galway on the other side of the year in February 2015. We're delighted to welcome Damien Peach who will be coming instead of Paul Abel, his talk will be a whistle stop tour including some of his best images from the giant worlds of the Solar System, as everyone knows Damien is a world leader in Planetary Astrophotography who has spent the last ten years documenting the changing face of our solar system with crystal clear images good enough to stand alongside those of the Hubble Space Telescope.

While in the afternoon he will also be presenting a 30 minute workshop on his imaging techniques during the lunch break. We will have other topical talks about the March 30 Solar Eclipse, The Rosetta Landing, the GAIA mission, African Star Parties and telescope building. All under one roof in one day and maybe the skies will clear to give us some views of the Winter constellations :scope: .

Full speaker profiles at www.facebook.com/galwayAstrofest

Orion over Galway Bay

Entry only €20

Thank you

Ronan Newman
Chairman
Galway Astronomy Club
www.galwayastronomyclub.ie

I don’t want to wish my life away, but I can’t wait for 21st February to come round, really looking forward to it. This festival is a credit to you Ronan and all those involved.

Mike

hear, hear, Mike.

The organisers of Galway, Cosmos, the Burren Star Party, and the SSP deserve huge credit for all the work they have done in delivering really impressive events. I've been to a few of the big star parties in the US and our little country produces events that stand as their equal. Not forgetting, we also had the Whirlpool Star Party for many years which Shannonside raised to an international profile, bringing the likes of David Levy, John Dobson, Steve O'Meara, Sue French, and many more well-known names to our shores.

Roll on the feast of astronomy for 2015!

John

R Newman wrote: Hi

Great to see so much excitement for the Skelligs Star Party 2015 and well done to Roy for putting it all together looks like it has the makings of a super event along with the Perseids

Thanks Ronan..

Would love to take all the credit, But I have a few
good guys beside me helping with this, Stephen Kershaw
and William Bean have been incredible... As for Mr Howes I reckon he
could apply for an Irish passport..lol

Looks like a great lineup for the G.A.F well done.

Cheers Roy

Interesting list of speakers there Ronan,
Should be able to make it this year all going well. .., if not too busy or away with work.