IAS / SDAS Joint Celebration 50 Years of Space Exploration

Imagine on October 4th 2007 it will be 50 years since the launch of Sputnik 1 .What a lot has been achieved since 1957, what a lot of exploration to come.

The IAS and SDAS will be celebrating 50 years of space exploration in Gonzaga college Dublin. Dr John Mason will open our eyes to the future of space exploration - the next 50 years - how interesting.

Some schools have got involved and we will be displaying Space in Art as children see it. Artistic contributions from St Andrews National School in Blackrock, Griffith Barracks Educate Together School SCR, St Peters National school in Walkinstown and some individual works from other pupils, and people.

Also involved are children from inner city Dublin, Bridgefoot Street Summer Project, Donore Avenue Summer Project , works from children of all ages and abilities just for the fun of it.

We will have a model of Sputnik ( best we can do )

If anyone out there would like to add to our exhibition with any space memorabilia that would be super.
Indeed if anyone out there wants to contribute some Space in Art that would also be fantastic.

Deirdre Kelleghan
Irish Astronomical Society
South Dublin Astronomical Society

Hi all

Here is a little biog on Dr John Mason our speaker fot this Thursdays talk in Gonzaga college.Hope to see you there.

Dr John Mason is a past President of the British Astronomical Association and a frequent guest on BBC TV's Sky at Night. He is an Honorary Member of the Astronomical-Geodesical Society of Russia, a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society since 1976, and a full member of the International Astronomical Union since 1991.

Dr Mason travels extensively in the UK and overseas, lecturing on a wide range of scientific topics to audiences of all ages and varying degrees of expertise. He is a sought-after speaker with an international reputation as an enthusiastic and entertaining communicator of science.

He has led many overseas expeditions to observe and record phenomena such as annular and total solar eclipses, the polar aurora and major meteor showers to destinations as diverse as Alaska, Australia, Chile, China, Egypt, Hawaii, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, Scandinavia, Siberia and South Africa.

In September 2000, the asteroid 1990 MN (numbered 6092) was named Johnmason by the International Astronomical Union in recognition of his many contributions to astronomy."

Deirdre Kelleghan
Irish Astronomical Society/ South Dublin Astronomical Society

I'll be there

See Deirdre's fabulous replica of Sputnik 1 at www.southdublinastronomy.org

And indeed Dr Mason will be delivering this lecture to us in the Irish Astronomical Association in Belfast this Wednesday evening, Oct 3rd at 7.30. Details at

www.irishastro.org

I am very much looking forward to this lecture!

Good luck with the lecture Paul. The talk is different to the one John will give in Birr and he is always a highly entertaining speaker.

John