Prof. Mark Bailey recieves MBE

A bit late with this...

Observatory Director Honoured
The Director of the Armagh Observatory, Professor Mark E. Bailey, has been awarded the MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours, published on Saturday, June 16th. He was awarded the honour for Services to Astronomy.

Professor Bailey was born in Taplow, Buckinghamshire and attended Burnham Grammar School, Bucks. He graduated BA (Physics, Cantab 1974), MSc (Astronomy, Sussex 1975) and PhD (Astronomy, Edinburgh 1978). On receiving the award, he said: "It is a great honour to receive this recognition; it reflects not just on my work over the years, but on that of the astronomers and other staff at the Observatory and also those - in government and often in the background - who have worked tirelessly to support the Armagh Observatory over many years."

Professor Bailey has been Director of the Armagh Observatory since 1995 October and his current research interests include the origin and dynamical evolution of comets and other "small" solar system bodies. The subject of his doctorate was the origin and evolution of active galactic nuclei. He is the author of numerous scientific papers and joint-author of the book "The Origin of Comets."

Before coming to Armagh, Professor Bailey held a number of university positions at Cambridge, Sussex, and Liverpool. He is currently Vice President of the Royal Astronomical Society, and has an asteroid named after him - Minor Planet (4050) Mebailey - named on 11th March 1990 for work on the origin of comets, the dynamics of the Oort cloud and the capture of comets into short-period orbits.

Mark Bailey is keen to see the Armagh Observatory maintain its unique character as an international astronomical research institute and also, through its growing programmes of education and public outreach, play a leading role in public understanding of astronomy, geophysics and related sciences.

Professor Bailey sent a note of congratulations to our then chairperson, Mark Stronge, after he heard me on the Gerry Anderson show on Radio Ulster talking about the March lunar eclipse! (don't ask! It all happened so fast! But we'd a great night despite me showing my ignorance to the province!)

I didn't stop grinning for days after Mark told me of the letter!

I listened to Mia's interview and it was a great promo for amateur astronomy. She even fielded the double entendre jokes about how big the scope should be with a lot more political correctness than I have come to expect.

I think Phil has it on MP3 if anyone wants to listen to someone (ie me) ramble inanely about astronomy, just ask! I'm not afraid! I'll get the link!

(is Seanie on holiday?? )

Mia - would love to have a listen.

Reminds me of a show I did with Derek Mooney (RTE1) - we were talking about Uranus. He of course revelled in pronouncing it the embarrasing way...

Cheers

Dave

Saying nothing Dave!