From: TerryMoselaol.com

Date: 7 January 2009 01:18:10 GMT

Subject: IAA Lecture, TV Programmes, Galway Astrofest

Hi all,

ƒŠ

1. Final Reminder:ƒŠ The Irish Astronomical Association will hold its opening lecture for IYA2009 on Wednesday 7 January, at 7.30 p.m., in the Bell Lecture Theatre, Physics Building, Queen's University Belfast. Free parking is available on the Main campus, beside the lecture theatre, in the evenings - entrance via University Square.

ƒŠƒŠƒŠƒŠ IAA member Paul Evans will reveal all the secrets of astrophotography for those just starting in this field in his publicƒŠlecture entitled "Astrophotography: The Fundamentals". Admission is free, including light refreshments, and all are welcome.

ƒŠ

2. TV Programmes:ƒŠIAA members got a very privileged preview of "BLAST!" at our New Year Party on Jan 3. If you missed that, you can see it on television on Wed night - see below.

ƒŠƒŠ For IAA members attending Paul's lecture, you might want to set your recorder for some of the following:

(Thanks to Peter Miller for this info:)

JANUARY 7:

(RADIO TIMES BLURB)

The Sky at Night Special From 8:00pm BBC4

Stargazers are in for a treat. An evening of celestial programmes gets under way with a celebration of the humble (and Hubble) telescope. It all began with Galileo... or did it? Patrick Moore furrows his brow over the news that an Englishman may have invented the first. Meanwhile, Chris Lintott visits some mighty examples in the USA, and astronaut Jeff Hoffman describes how he repaired the Hubble Space Telescope.

Next comes a documentary about that very leviathan (Hubble Telescope, 9pm), followed by a full-throttle look at a revolutionary new telescope in Blast! (10pm). Finally, Adam Hart-Davis embraces amateur astronomy in Star Men (11.20pm). Claire Webb

8.00 The Sky at Night Special

New. Patrick Moore charts the development of the telescope over four centuries, while Dr Chris Lintott visits some modern-day astronomical leviathans.ƒŠ (S)ƒŠƒŠƒŠƒŠ 1430804

ƒŠ9.00 Hubble Telescope

Documentary celebration of the world's most famous telescope, examining some of the important discoveries it has allowed scientists to make since its launch in April 1990. (S)ƒŠƒŠƒŠƒŠƒŠƒŠƒŠƒŠ 1450668

ƒŠ10.00 Blast!

New. Filmmaker Paul Devlin's Storyville documentary about a revolutionary new telescope being launched under a Nasa high-altitude balloon in an effort to find out how all the galaxies were formed. (S)ƒŠƒŠƒŠ 10391228

ƒŠ11.20 Star Men

Time Shift investigation of the world of amateur astronomy, examining the new technology that allows members of the public to pursue the hobby to professional standards. With contributions from celebrity stargazers. (S)ƒŠƒŠƒŠƒŠƒŠƒŠƒŠƒŠƒŠƒŠƒŠƒŠƒŠƒŠƒŠƒŠ 2493133

ƒŠ

3. Galway Astrofest / Connaught Star Party:

The 'Western Winter Star Party', hosted by the Galway Astronomy Club, will be held as usual at the excellent Westwood House Hotel, Newcastle, on the NW outskirts of Galway City,ƒŠfrom Friday evening 30 JanuaryƒŠto Saturday 31st, with a closing dinner that evening. They always have an excellent line-up of speakers, the venue is excellent, & theƒŠcraic is good,ƒŠso I wouldn't miss it.

ƒŠ

Provisional Timetable:

Friday January 30th: Board Room

7.30 p.m. Official Opening by Prof Mike Redfern, NUIG. To be followed by a 30 mt talk by him on IYA 2009. Followed by

~ 8pm+:ƒŠ Robert Hensey: "5000 Years of Ritual Astronomy and Archaeology: Cosmology in Prehistoric Ireland'

âÀâÀâÀâÀâÀâÀâÀâÀâÀâÀâÀâÀâÀâÀâÀâÀâÀâÀâÀâÀâÀâÀâÀâÀâÀâÀ..

SaturdayƒŠ JanuaryƒŠ 31st: Main Hall

9.30-10.15am: Registration (If you are attending the evening dinner

please book by 2pm).

10.15: Official Welcome byƒŠ GAC Chairman

10.20: Professor Luke Drury: "The New Gamma Ray Sky"

11.05: Gregg Hallinan: "Looking for a Pulse, the search for Radio Emission from Extra solar Planets"

11.50: Patrick Browne: "Celestial Mechanics"

12.30-2.00.: Lunch. Food served in bar

(1.00-1.35): Astronomy Workshop: Frank Ryan Jnr"ƒŠDigital Astrophotography - An Artistic Approach"

2.00: Dr Andy Shearer: "What we don't Know"

2.50: Dr Tigran Khanzadyan: "Looking at the Universe through Infrared Eyes"

3.40-4.00ƒŠ Tea/coffee break/sale of raffle tickets

4.00: DaveƒŠ Mc DonaldƒŠ ƒŠƒŠ Title TBC (On Asteroid Discovery)

4.30-5.15 Dr Mark Simms Title TBC

6.00: Tour of NUI Galway Telescopic Observatory

7.30: GAC FestivalƒŠ Banquet

8.30: Carl O' Beirnes "An Evening with the Sky at Night"

10.00-1am: Observing at Barna Golf & Country Club, 5 miles drive, dark skies

See: http://galwayastronomyclub.blogspot.com/

www.galwayastronomyclub.ie

ƒŠ

Clear Skies,

ƒŠ

Terry Moseley

ƒŠ