Five Coming Events [Fed: Terry Mosely]

Forwarding From Terry:

1. SPECIAL IAA VISIT TO ARMAGH PLANETARIUM: Friday 29 August, 7.30 p.m. A special visit to see the superb exhibition of model spacecraft at the Planetarium has been arranged. Normal admission rates apply. This will be your last chance to see the exhibition, as that is the last day! These include International Space Station (scale 1:20); Ariane 5 Launcher (1:10); Mars Express with Beagle 2 (1:4); Smart-1 (1:4); Envisat (1:4); Galileo (1:4); Integral (1:4). Definitely not to be missed! Also Robert Hill will give a short talk to IAA members about the future of the Planetarium, and how we can work together.

2. Telescope Day at the Argory, near Moy, Co Tyrone, Sat 13 September, 2-5 p.m. We have been asked to provide a display of telescopes, with solar observing if clear, at a special event at the National Trust House, "The Argory", not far off the M1, near Moy. This is on same day as our first event at WWT at Castle Espie , although it is from 2-5, and WWT is from 8 to late. Would any members in the area - say Armagh, Dungannon, Craigavon etc, who would like to volunteer to help out at this event, particularly if you can bring a telescope! Please contact me asap. Thanks.

3. Provisional Programme 2003-2004
Meeting
Speaker / Event
TITLE
6th Sep
"Mars & Stars"; special event, 8 - late; Carnfunnock Country Park, Larne: Stardome, talks, observing etc.
13 Sep
"Telescopes at the Argory", The Argory, Moy, Co Tyrone; 2-5 p.m. - see separate details
13 Sep
"Mars & Stars"; special event, 8 - late; WWT, Castle Espie, Comber, Co Down: Stardome, talks, observing etc.
14 Sep
"Mars & Stars"; special event, 8 - late; WWT, Castle Espie, Comber, Co Down: Stardome, talks, observing etc.
24th Sep
J. Kelly Beattie (Editor, Sky & Telescope)
"A Stone's Throw: Meteorite Transport Between Planets"
8th Oct
Dr Ian Morrison (Jodrell Bank Observatory)
(Latest developments in radio astronomy)
22nd Oct
Derek Heatly
"Ireland's First Space Tourist"
5th Nov
Members night: Jacquie Milligan & Barry Loane
Bulgarian Observatory Trip; + My Geodesic Observatory
19th Nov
Nigel & Mark Stronge
"Astrophotography on a Budget"
3rd Dec
Dr Lynn Moran (UCD)
(Gamma Ray Bursts)
17th Dec
Terry Moseley
"Aliens - Where Are They?
3rd Jan
Xmas Party - Tudor Cinema, Comber Co Down
7.30 p.m.: Film + Fun - more details later
7th Jan
Prof Mark Bailey (Director, Armagh Observatory)
"The Origin of Comets"
21st Jan
Patrick McCafferty
"What if you don't know it's a comet?"
4th Feb
Dr Alan Fitzsimmons (QUB)
"What Happens When An Asteroid Misses?"
18th Feb
Dr Monica Grady (Natural History Museum) TBC
To be confirmed
3rd Mar
Member's Night- Enniskillen School
(School Observing Projects)
16 Mar
Robert Hill (Armagh Planetarium) NB - TUESDAY!
(Title tba)
31st Mar
Kevin Nolan (The Planetary Society)
"What Has Astronomy Ever Done For Us?"
14th Apr
Prof Bill Napier (Armagh Obs & Cardiff University)
"Children of the Galaxy"
17 (or 24) Apr
IAA Birr Event, Birr, Co Offaly. 1-day event
Various speakers, + observing evening with 72-inch if clear
28th Apr
AGM
+ of course, George Brannan's unmissable video!

All events are in Lecture Room 5, Stranmillis College, Belfast, at 7.30 p.m., unless stated otherwise.
The full printed programme card will be sent out as soon as final remaining details are confirmed; in the meantime, please note dates & venues. NB: there are TWO events on 13 Sep, at 2p.m. & 8 p.m., and there are two successive events at WWT, on 13 & 14 Sep at 8 p.m.

4. SPECIAL MARS EVENTS: Please note particularly the special events at Carnfunnock Country Park, A2 N of Larne, on 6 September, and at WWT, Castle Espie, near Comber, on 13 & 14 September, all from 8 to late. These dates were chosen to give the best chance of observing Mars while it is still big & close, and yet high enough in the sky for reasonable views before midnight. We will have a mobile planetarium, displays, talks, a Martian meteorite (I'm not joking!), and of course observing with a variety of powerful telescopes if clear. These events are open to the public, so we'll need as many members there as possible, with telescopes if possible, but come along & observe and help generally if you can, even if you can't bring a telescope. We'll view other things too, of course, if clear.

5. Please note your diaries for another special event in Birr, mainly, but not exclusively, for all our Southern members, on 17 April (maybe, but unlikely, on 24 April: date TBC asap.) The last one, several years ago, was a great success, and Lord & Lady Rosse are very keen to have us back again. We'll have another selection of excellent speakers, a fun quiz for all, and observing that evening if clear, using the great 72-inch 'Leviathan', and other member's telescopes. Provisional start 10.30 or 11.00, ending that evening. More details soon.

Was in Armagh recently. ESA show is definetly worth a visit. Very nice displays of models of spacecraft. I have one question though: the Ariane 5 Launcher is supposed to be a 1:10 scale model. The one in the Armagh only looked about 3-3.5m high. Is the Ariane 5 launcher only about 30 to 35m high? Mabey it is, I don't know. I always it would have been much higher....closer to the 100m mark. Anyone know for sure?
Michael