As part of International Year of Astronomy 2009, the Irish Astronomical Association is pleased to announce a major public competition, with substantial prizes, for all ages, and in various categories, so that anyone can enter.
Submission deadline extended to 15 December 2009
Entries can be made in any one, or more than one, of the following subject areas and categories:
Subject areas: Anything to do with astronomy, cosmology, manned spaceflight, rocketry, unmanned space research, тАШaliensтАЩ or possible life elsewhere in the universe, light pollution, telescopes and other astronomical instruments and observatories, possible future human travel to the stars, astronomy/space and the environment, astronomy/space and our culture and heritage etc.
Age Groups: Entries will be divided into several age groups, to encourage children of various ages, as well as adults.
Junior: Up to and including 9 years of age, as on 31 October 2009.
Intermediate: 10 years up to and including 15 years of age, as on 31 October 2009.
Senior: 16 years of age and above.
Schools are encouraged to promote this competition, and to encourage their pupils to enter, but it is a condition of entry that the work is all that of the entrant, and not partly that of a teacher or parent or other older person!
Junior and Intermediate entrants MUST supply a photocopy of some document giving proof of age along with their entry.
Prizes: there will be prizes for First, Second and Third best entries in each of the 5 categories above, in each of the three age groups, totaling 45 prizes.
There will also be one overall тАШGrand PrizeтАЩ for the best overall entry, out of all those received, in all age groups, and all categories. This will be decided by awarding marks out of 100 for each of the entries, according to the age group. So an exceptional entry by a junior or intermediate might score higher than any of the senior entries, and so would win the overall Grand Prize. This prize will be a proper astronomical telescope, and can be suited to the age of the winner.
Other prizes will include binoculars, books, CDs, DVDs, posters, etc.
Deadline: All entries MUST be received by noon on 31 October 2009, to allow time for judging and award of the prizes before the end of 2009.
Judging: Judging will be carried out by a panel comprising the President and at least two other members of Council of the IAA. The decision of the judges will be final. No members of their immediate families will be permitted to enter, and in the event of an entry from some other person where the impartiality of the judge might be in doubt, another judge from the IAA Council may be substituted.
Eligibility: this competition is open to anyone resident in the island of Ireland during the period 1 January to 31 October 2009.
Publicity: It is a condition of entry that all participants must be willing to have their names and home towns published on the IAA website, and the IYA2009 website, if they should win any of the prizes. And further, that the overall winner will agree to a photograph, accompanied by name and home town details, which will appear on the websites above, and also possibly in the local or regional press, and/or the broadcast media.
SUBMISSION OF ENTRIES: All entries other than models should be sent to: Terry Moseley, 6 Collinbridge Drive, Newtownabbey, Co Antrim, BT36 7SX. CORRECT POSTAGE MUST BE PREPAID! Entrants are advised to obtain proof of postage, and to keep a copy of their entry wherever possible.
DO NOT send by Registered Post, or any form of delivery which requires my signature, as I will rarely be there to sign for them!
Models, i.e. 3-d constructions of any sort, should be sent safely, or hand-delivered to: Armagh Planetarium, College Hill, Armagh, BT61 9DB, or delivered there during normal opening hours.
All entries must be accompanied by the entrantтАЩs full name, address, age (if under 16), telephone number and email address, if any. The name and address should also be firmly affixed to the actual entries themselves, e.g. any models, drawings or paintings, photographs etc.
Observations: the entrant MUST give the date and time of the observation, and details of the instrument (i.e. telescope or binoculars) and magnification used.
Photographs (including digital): the entrant MUST give the date and time of the photograph, details of the camera, lens or telescope used, exposure, and processing.
Return of Entries: Any entries which are required to be returned must be accompanied by the appropriate return stamped addressed envelope, and any models sent to Armagh Planetarium must be collected from there by the entrant, at a suitable time.