Honour for Dave McDonald

Folks - I still haven't managed to get the PC up and running yet but Fiona's laptop is OK! So here goes...

Thank you all very much for your warm congratulations. It is truly a great honour and I'm very very proud to receive the distinction. But I would like to point out that I genuinely feel that all ye folks on these boards and others in the Astronomy field in Ireland have played your very own part. Over the years I have been given opportunities, received technical advice, help and assistance from very many of you. So you should all take some of the credit - I certainly could not have done it without you.

I would also point out that I believe there are others in Ireland who equally deserve such an honour, even one or two who I personally thinkl deserve it more than me - I hope they receive it some day and get the recognition they deserve.

I would like to thank those who were involved in putting the citation forward, to the Lowell Observatory and Ted Bowell for setting aside a chunk of rock just for me and for those of you who surreptitiosly gathered my personal data without letting on at all (Dave Grennan, Michael O'Connell and Terry Mosely). Forgive me if there were others involved who I'm not aware of - thanks to you too.

My last mention goes to John McConnell. John rang me this morning to give me the news and after I had picked myself up, we had a great old chat. John was the main proponent of the citation and he very kindly spent the time and energy seeing it through. So thanks John and, although I know you wouldn't dream of taking any, this credit is also yours.

On a final note, a few words on 21782 Davemcdonald: At the moment, it is an eye-popping magnitude 21.1. By mid-August, it brightens to a blistering 20.7... It isnt until April 2009 that it hits a blinding mag 18.3 - at which point I might just be able to image it with the C14. I'll do my best to get an animation if I can. If that fails, I'll have to wait until July 2013 when it his a retina burning 17.5 - but its the middle of the summer Still, I can always follow its progress on my planetarium program...

Thank you all very much for your kind words.

Warm wishes.
Dave

p.s. - Deirdre - thank you for a lovely email!
p.p.s. Michael - the text asking for my birthday makes perfect sense now - and I thought I was getting a prezzy from NASA

p.p.s. Michael - the text asking for my birthday makes perfect sense now - and I thought I was getting a prezzy from NASA

Well, I thought it no harm to check with Fiona. I assumed she would know, but I couldn't say why I wanted it.

congrats Dave!

Man I thought it was bad having one Dave McDonald around. But now having two floating around one in Celbridge and the other floating around the night sky, I think it's time for another hobby :lol: :lol: :lol:

Man I thought it was bad having one Dave McDonald around. But now having two floating around one in Celbridge and the other floating around the night sky, I think it's time for another hobby :lol: :lol: :lol:

Well at least they are both small dim objects....
:lol:


Sorry Dave, I couldn't resist that line...Carl started it! Don't blame me!

Man I thought it was bad having one Dave McDonald around. But now having two floating around one in Celbridge and the other floating around the night sky, I think it's time for another hobby :lol: :lol: :lol:

Well at least they are both small dim objects....
:lol:


Sorry Dave, I couldn't resist that line...Carl started it! Don't blame me!

Michael I,m just picking myself up off the ground that gave me a great laugh sorry Dave but It was a great one liner :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: