Galway Astronomy Festival 2010

Hi

The Galway Astronomy Club are pleased to announce details of their upcoming Astronomy Festival to take place at the 4* Westwood House Hotel from Friday February 12th to Saturday February 13th 2010. The event will be styled in the same manner as this year (which worked very well)and will have ten different speakers.

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Friday Feb 12th 7.30pm, two talks (free admission)

Philip Walsh: “The Drake Equation”

Professor Paul Mohr: “Cassini, Meridani nodding Ecliptic”

Will be an extensive account of astronomical work based on meridian instruments constructed in five European cathedrals, Santa Maria Novella and the Duomo in Florence, San Petronio in Bologna, Santa Maria degli Angeli in Rome, and Saint Sulplice in Paris. Measurements of the resulting solar images were useful to Cassini in enabling him to distinguish between the Ptolemaic and Keplerian systems - in favour of the latter! An additional bonus was the detection and accurate quantification of secular decline in the obliquity of the ecliptic

Observing afterwards at our Dark sky site 12 miles north of Hotel, Brigits Garden Park see www.galwaygarden.com/

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Saturday February 13th

Dr Aaron Golden NUI Galway: “Has Earth Contaminated the Solar System?
– the Case for Life on Mars”
www.sciencecases.org/mars_life/mars_life.asp

Brian Harvey: “The Asian Space Race”
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_space_race

Alastair Mc Kinstry NUI Galway: "Extra Solar Planets: Climates and
Atmospheres" planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov

Dr Deidre Coffey DIAS: “Investigating Protostellar Jets with the
Hubble Space Telescope after Service Mission 4”
hubblesite.org/gallery/album/star/protostellar_jet/

Dr Vitaly Neustroev NUI Galway: "Amateur Astronomers and Cataclysmic
Variables" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cataclysmic_variable_star

Dr Neal Trappe NUI Maynooth: "ALMA: Exploring the Cold Universe" Title
TBC www.alma.nrao.edu/

Proffessor Alan Smith, Director of Mullard Space Science Lab,
University College London UK : “Space Science: The Next 20 Years”
sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=41177


After Dinner talk presented by Terry Moseley IAA: "Adventures with Heavenly Bodies"

Observing again at Brigits Garden aswell as usual visit to NUI Galway Observatory



Hope to see you there

Ronan Newman
Secretary
Galway Astronomy Club

Sounds good Ronan, I just might make a note to plan early this year! Will your website have an updated accommodation list?

Seanie.

Hi Seanie

Thanks for the vote of confidence about the talks, something there for everyone, even Terry's comical talk should be interesting and lets hope the weather plays ball. I think if anyone ventures this far to Galway they should take a drive out to Connemara especially around the Inagh Valley on one of the evenings,one hour from the city and ZERO light pollution. The Moonless sky is absolutely spectacular, we might even organise some observing if any takers?

I do understand that some were dissappointed earlier when it came to accommadation, I will personally be looking into this and getting quotes on B&B prices, plenty near Hotel and much cheaper, is what I use!

The website will soon recieve a new look and will be updated will abstracts from all the talks

Finally can I wish you Seanie the best with COSMOS 2010, what date?

Ronan Newman

Fair play Ronan.
The line up looks good.

Thanks..As you know yourself Frank plenty of emails organising speakers/talks

Meant to say we will also again next year have the Universe in 3D exhibition from the
Centre of Astronomy at NUI Galway.


Best wishes

Ronan Newman

GAC Secretary & Cordinator Galway AstroFest 2010

galwayastronomyclub.blogspot.com/

R Newman wrote:

we will also again next year have the Universe in 3D exhibition from the Centre of Astronomy at NUI Galway.

Now that *was* a class exhibition. Looking forward to it already!