Tuesday 25 September 2007

The 2007 Whirlpool Star Party

will be on 5-7 October, in Dooley's Hotel, Birr, Co Offaly. It runs from Friday evening, with a reception in the hotel + observing if clear, through to Sunday afternoon. Always the highlight of the Irish amateur astronomy community, it's run by the Shannonside Astronomy Club: see www.shannonsideastronomy.com for details of the programme & speakers. One of the keynote speakers is Dr John Mason - see below.
Accommodation: Since there are often weddings on in Birr or Kinnity that W/E, accommodation can be hard to find. I attach a list of accommodation in the area. Some of it is much more up-to-date than other bits, but it's a start! I have given approximate distances from Birr as a guide. NB, some prices may be quite out of date - always check before booking. I'm sending it as an RTF file, in case any of you are worried about bugs or viruses. It should open just the same as a Word doc.

Dr JOHN MASON's LECTURE TOUR

Well-know broadcaster, writer & lecturer, Dr John Mason, will be one of the top guest speakers at the WSP. He is combining his visit to Birr with a series of public lectures at various astronomy clubs, as follow:

Wed 3 October: IAA, Belfast, QUB, as already notified. www.irishastro.org
Thurs 4 October, IAS/SDAS, Gonzaga College, Dublin. see http://homepage.eircom.net/~irishas/index.htm
Fri 5 - Sun 7 Oct: at the WSP: see www.shannonsideastronomy.com
Mon 8 Oct: CAC, in UCC Cork. see http://uk.geocities.com/astronomycork
Contact the individual clubs for more details.
It was not possible for him to lecture to all the clubs in Ireland, not even all the big ones, given his time constraints and travel logistics, but most people should be able to get to hear him at the WSP if he's not talking to your own local club.

IAA Press Release: LECTURE TOUR BY RENOWNED ASTRONOMER, Dr JOHN MASON

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the space age, which started with the launch of Sputnik 1 on 4 October 2007, the IAA is pleased to announce a major public lecture by well known broadcaster, writer & lecturer on astronomy, Dr John Mason.

Entitled "The Next Giant Leap For Mankind", it will briefly review the history of space exploration over the last 50 years, and then look at the future for human exploration of space.

Dr Mason is doing a major lecture tour in Ireland to mark this anniversary, and we are delighted that he will be giving his first public lecture to the IAA in Belfast.

It will be on 3 October, at 7.30 p.m., in the Bell Lecture Theatre, Physics Building, QUB. Admission is free, and all are welcome.


BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS:

Dr John Mason is a past President of the British Astronomical Association and a frequent guest on BBC TV’s Sky at Night. He is an Honorary Member of the Astronomical-Geodesical Society of Russia, a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society since 1976, and a full member of the International Astronomical Union since 1991.

Dr Mason travels extensively in the UK and overseas, lecturing on a wide range of scientific topics to audiences of all ages and varying degrees of expertise. He is a sought-after speaker with an international reputation as an enthusiastic and entertaining communicator of science.

He has led many overseas expeditions to observe and record phenomena such as annular and total solar eclipses, the polar aurora and major meteor showers to destinations as diverse as Alaska, Australia, Chile, China, Egypt, Hawaii, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, Scandinavia, Siberia and South Africa.

In September 2000, the asteroid 1990 MN (numbered 6092) was named Johnmason by the International Astronomical Union in recognition of his many contributions to astronomy.

UCD: 2007 Inaugural lecture of the ‘Physics with Astronomy & Space Science’ Degree Programme

‘Gamma Ray Bursts and the Birth of Black Holes’, by Dr. Neil Gehrels, Chief of the Astroparticle Physics Laboratory, NASA - Goddard Space Flight Center. Co-recipient of the 2007 Rossi prize
Tuesday, September 25th, 2007, 6pm, Theatre B, Science Hub, UCD
Talk summary: Gamma-ray bursts are intense flashes of gamma rays coming from distant galaxies. They were discovered in the early 1970's by satellites monitoring the nuclear test ban treaty and have been studied ever since. The chase to observe them and understand their origin is a continuing adventure story in astronomical research. We now know that the bursts result from the birth of black holes in the implosion of massive stars. The creation of a gravitational singularity at the centre of the star has amazing consequences with central gas falling inward and high speed jets streaming outward. The resulting explosion is bright enough to be seen from the edges of the visible universe. The lecture will highlight discoveries by NASA's SWIFT observatory. This new satellite has the ability to rapidly re-point itself in the direction of a gamma ray flash and observe them with sensitive space telescopes.
All welcome.

Prof Mark Bailey, Director of Armagh Observatory, asked me to circulate the following (slightly edited for space) :

"W5 Science Outreach programme. (W5 is at the Odyssey Centre, Belfast) This is mainly to advertise both Miruna's exhibition "Living with a Star" at W5 all this week (see p. 7 of attached booklet) and also Simon Jeffery's special astronomy talk "Inside the Stars" (see p. 3), on Thursday 27 September.
However, there is a very interesting programme going on all autumn/winter in W5 and I am sure that many people on your mailing list (school teachers included) might be interested in some of the other events.
The brief details for Simon's lecture are: "Inside the Stars", W5, Thursday 27 September, 11:00 to 12:00.
Those for Miruna's Exhibition are: "Living with a Star: Surviving Near our Explosive Sun", W5, Monday 24 to Sunday 30 September. All Welcome to both.
Contact details for W5 are at the back of the brochure.

ARMAGH PLANETARIUM TO RE-LAUNCH SPUTNIK!

An important anniversary in the history of space exploration takes place in the coming weeks. Fifty years ago, on 4th October 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite to successfully orbit the earth. This event was to change the course of history, and the launch of this tiny satellite is now widely regarded as heralding the dawn of the space age. Since Sputnik, data returned by orbiting satellites, interplanetary probes and human explorers have vastly expanded our knowledge of the Universe beyond Earth.

To celebrate this historic event, Armagh Planetarium is hosting a special day of activities on Saturday 29th September 2007, with free admittance for the over 50s (bring your ID)! Along with our children’s show ‘Secret of the Cardboard Rocket’, we will be showing ‘Dawn of the Space Age’ - an authoritative account of the last fifty years of space travel, from Sputnik up until the present day. Dr Tom Mason (Planetarium Director) will be presenting talks on Sputnik’s fifty year legacy, suitable for all the family.

Budding rocket scientists are invited to take part in our ‘Launch Your Own Sputnik’ Competition, where entrants design and make their own Sputniks and rockets, before trying them out on the launch pad. Prizes will be awarded for the furthest travelling satellites!

To join in our celebrations please pre-book your ticket on 028 3752 3689. For further information and a list of show times visit www.armaghplanet.com

Open Daily 11.30am-5.00pm. Booking is Essential

Prices

Adults £6.00 per show

Children (under 16) / Senior Citizens (65 yrs +) £5.00 per show

Family Concession Rate £18 (for maximum 2 adults plus 3 children)

Group Rates (more than 20 people) £5.00 per person

Exhibition Area Only £2.00 per person

SPECIAL IAA LECTURE FOR 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF SPACE AGE, Wed 3 October

We are delighted and honoured to have the one and only Dr John Mason, lecturer extraordinaire, to give a special lecture to the IAA in Belfast to celebrate 50 years of space exploration. John Mason is a celebrated lecturer, writer, broadcaster & general expert on anything and everything to do with astronomy & space. Frequent guest on the Sky At Night, Past President of the BAA, Eclipse Tours & Meteor Tours Guest Expert Astronomer - you name it, he knows about it!

John will be giving a series of lectures in Ireland, commencing with the one to the IAA in Belfast on Wed 3 Oct (OK, so it's one day early, but we wanted to get him first!). Other venues are Dublin, the WSP in Birr, and Cork. More on those in next email.

Entitled "THE NEXT GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND", it will be held in the IAA's NEW MEETING VENUE: The BELL LECTURE THEATRE, PHYSICS BUILDING, MAIN CAMPUS, QUB, UNIVERSITY ROAD, BELFAST. Many thanks to Prof Stephen Smartt for facilitating a very good deal for us.

ENTRANCE TO PHYSICS BUILDING: The entrance is at the door at the foot of the spiral staircase in the Physics Building, which is "No 5" on the QUB map on their website: see www.qub.ac.uk. Or go directly to the QUB website map, it's building number 5 (just opposite "1b") http://www.qub.ac.uk/home/TheUniversity/Location/Maps/MainCampus/
On www.multimap.com, the entrance to the building is at:
www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?lat=54.5838&lon=-5.9346&scale=5000&icon=x
On Google Earth, or FlashEarth.com, the entrance to the building is at: N 54 deg 35' 2.0 "; W 5 deg 56' 4.4".
It's just opposite the opening in the South Wing of the main QUB building. That lies just to the left of the circled number 5 indicating that building.
That door is normally locked, but we will have someone on duty there from 7.10 p.m. to 7.30 (or 7.35 p.m. if we are feeling generous) to admit you. If you are late - tough luck: you won't get in!
PARKING: There is free parking within the main campus after about 5 p.m., but there will be other events on too, so you'll have to compete for parking spots. The entrance is from UNIVERSITY SQUARE, which is one-way only, in the direction from University Road towards Botanic Avenue/College Park. The barrier will be up, so just drive in, across in front of the main building, then turn left at the end of the front facade of that building.
The Physics building is the large 2-3 story modern(ish) building now on your right. The entrance is down the slight hill, on your right.
Park anywhere in this vicinity if you can; otherwise just find a space where you can: anywhere not 'prohibited' is OK, as long as you don't block anyone else. You can also park free on University Square if you wish.
There is also an entrance from the far end of University Avenue, in College Park - that will bring you in to the East of the main building, so use the map to locate the physics building.
REFRESHMENTS will be provided free of charge, as usual, after the lecture.
EXITING: The vehicle exit from the campus is from the gate directly onto University Road, beside the Whitla Hall ('7' on the map): there is an automatic barrier there which will lift as the car approaches it - go slowly until it lifts! NB, this is one-way only - No entry by this route!
Let's see plenty of you there for what will be a most entertaining & informative lecture.

Saturday 15 September 2007

NEW LECTURE VENUE!!

PLEASE NOTE: IAA LECTURE MEETINGS FOR THE NEW SESSION WILL BE HELD IN QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY, BELFAST!

Because of huge increases in room hire costs being imposed by Stranmillis College, we will be holding our future meetings in the BELL LECTURE THEATRE, PHYSICS BUILDING, MAIN CAMPUS, QUB, UNIVERSITY ROAD, BELFAST. Many thanks to Prof Stephen Smartt for facilitating a very good deal for us.

Starting with the opening meeting on Wed 19 September, at 7.30 p.m. SHARP, by Prof Tom Ray of DIAS, entitled "The Birth of Stars and Planets: Do we really know how the Solar System Formed?" Prof Ray is one of the leading researchers in this field, with an experiment approved and in preparation for the James Webb Space Telescope (successor to the HST). He is also one of the most accessible and popular speakers on astronomy in Ireland, and this lecture is one definitely not to be missed!

NB: ENTRANCE TO PHYSICS BUILDING: The entrance is at the door at the foot of the spiral staircase in the Physics Building, which is "No 5" on the QUB map on their website: see www.qub.ac.uk. Or go directly to the QUB website map, it's building number 5 (just opposite "1b") http://www.qub.ac.uk/home/TheUniversity/Location/Maps/MainCampus/
On www.multimap.com, the entrance to the building is at:
www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?lat=54.5838&lon=-5.9346&scale=5000&icon=x
On Google Earth, or FlashEarth.com, the entrance to the building is at: N 54 deg 35' 2.0"; W 5 deg 56' 4.4".
It's just opposite the opening in the South Wing of the main QUB building. That lies just to the left of the circled number 5 indicating that building.
That door is normally locked, but we will have someone on duty there from 7.10 p.m. to 7.30 (or 7.35 p.m. if we are feeling generous) to admit you. If you are late - tough luck: you won't get in!
PARKING: There is free parking within the main campus after about 5 p.m., but there will be other events on too, so you'll have to compete for parking spots. The entrance is from UNIVERSITY SQUARE, which is one-way only, in the direction from University Road towards Botanic Avenue/College Park. The barrier will be up, so just drive in, across in front of the main building, then turn left at the end of the front facade of that building.
The Physics building id the large 3 story modern(ish) building now on you right. The entrance is down the slight hill, on your right.
Park anywhere in this vicinity if you can; otherwise just find a space where you can: anywhere not 'prohibited' is OK, as long as you don't block anyone else. You can also park free on University Square if you wish.
There is also an entrance from the far end of University Avenue / College Park - that will bring you in to the East of the main building, so use the map to locate the physics building.
REFRESHMENTS will be provided free of charge, as usual, after the lecture, and to encourage you to come we'll have some extra treats!
EXITING: The vehicle exit from the campus is from the gate directly onto University Road, beside the Whitla Hall ('7' on the map): there is an automatic barrier there which will lift as the car approaches it - go slowly until it lifts! NB, this is one-way only - No entry by this route!
Let's see plenty of you there for this new phase in the IAA's history.

Google Sky

Google has announced the launch of Sky, a new feature that enables users of Google Earth to view the sky as seen from planet Earth.
With Sky, users can now float through the skies via Google Earth. This easy-to-use tool enables all Earth users to view and navigate through 100 million individual stars and 200 million galaxies. High resolution
imagery and informative overlays create a unique playground for learning about space.
To access Sky, Google Earth users need only click "Switch to Sky" from the "view" drop-down menu in Google Earth, or click the Sky button on the Google Earth toolbar. The interface and navigation are similar to that of standard Google Earth steering, including dragging, zooming, search, "My Places," and layer selection.
As part of the new feature, Google is introducing seven informative layers that illustrate various celestial bodies and events:
* Constellations - From Cassiopeia to Andromeda, the Constellations layer connects the points of constellations through space, labelling each with its given name. Users can learn about the stars that make up their favourite constellations.
* Backyard Astronomy - The Backyard Astronomy layer lets users click through a variety of place-marks and information on stars, galaxies, and nebulae visible to the eye, binoculars and small telescopes. This layer is useful for the amateur astronomer who might benefit from a comprehensive, organized way to reference fragments of the night sky.
* Hubble Space Telescope Imagery - The HST layer provides the user with over 120 beautiful high-resolution images provided by the Hubble Space Telescope, NASA/ESA's renowned orbiting telescope.
* Moon - The Moon layer displays animations of two months of both lunar positions and moon phases.
* Planets - The Planets layer exhibits the seven other official planets and their positions in the sky two months into the future.
* Users Guide to Galaxies - The Users Guide to Galaxies layer enables users to go on virtual tours through different types of galaxies, from Ursa Minor Dwarf to the Milky Way.
* Life of a Star - The Life of a Star layer takes the user on a tour through the different stages of a star's life cycle.

Sky was created by Google's Pittsburgh engineering team by stitching together imagery from numerous scientific third parties including the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), the Sloan Digital Sky Survey
(SDSS), the Digital Sky Survey Consortium (DSSC), CalTech's Palomar Observatory, the United Kingdom Astronomy Technology Centre (UK ATC), and the Anglo-Australian Observatory (AAO). The initiative was born out of the University of Washington's participation with the Google Visiting Faculty Program, which makes it possible for leading academic researchers to visit Google with their work for 6-12 month periods.

The announcement follows last month's inclusion of the NASA layer group in Google Earth, showcasing NASA's Earth exploration. The group has three main components, including Astronaut Photography of Earth, Satellite Imagery, and Earth City Lights. Astronaut Photography of Earth showcases photographs of the Earth as seen from space from the early 1960s on, while Satellite Imagery highlights Earth images taken by NASA satellites over the years and Earth City Lights traces well-lit cities across the globe.

To access Sky in Google Earth, users need to download the newest version of Google Earth, available at: http://earth.google.com. The feature will be available on all Google Earth domains, in 13 languages.