Fragments from "100 hours of astronomy" report from Clair McSweeney, BCO:
Thursday evenings live webcast launch was displayed in the theatre and on the large screens at Blackrock Castle Observatory.
Friday nights 100 Hours of Astronomy was a great success even if the weather was against us. Frances McCarthy had 4 capacity sessions at the Hubble scope workshop, each holding 25 children and their parents/guardians. Alan Giltinan held telescope viewing sessions which took place from the rooftop using our 16тАЭ Meade robotic rooftop telescope once skies cleared around midnight. We had capacity crowds of 50 at a time in the theatre showing Eyes on the Skies alternating with feed and reports from telescopes around the world. Visitors received stickers we made up from 100 Hours of Astronomy resources (I saw Saturn! I saw the Moon!) and ESA IYA2009 posters.
We also had various Saturday Sidewalk Astronomy in many different places around Cork, hence "be surprised by an astronomer". Alan Giltinan was in Carrigtwohill, Adrian Collins in Fermoy and Frances McCarthy set up at the ferry in Glenbrook.
We also had a telescope amnesty program; see the full report here.
For more photos go to the BCO 100 hours of astronomy gallery.
