Observing the Moon

Keep you calenders free for the Galway Astronomy Festival 2010 which will be held this February 12th to 13th at the Westwood House Hotel on the outskirts of Galway City. This is the seventh annual event and it is very popular amomg Irish astronomers. The atmosphere is highly informal, and the emphasis is as much on meeting old friends as it is on hearing the many talks with observing timed to coincide with the new Moon.

“The talks begin on the Friday evening and resumes on the Saturday morning with ten talks in total and a visit to the NUI Galway Observatory. Saturday evenings Festival dinner and talk is always a popular attraction with vetern Irish astronomer Terry Moseley this year providing the entertainment.” – Galway Astronomy

Here is the list of speakers.

Friday February 12^th

1. Philip Walsh: “The Drake Equation”
2. Professor Paul Mohr: “Cassini, Meridani nodding Ecliptic”

Saturday February 13^th

1. Professor Alan Smith “Space Science – the next 20 years”
2. Terry Moseley “Adventures with Heavenly Bodies”
3. Brian Harvey “The Asian Space Race”
4. Dr Neal Trappe “ALMA: Exploring our Cosmic Origins”
5. Dr Deirdre Coffey“Investigating Protostellar Jets with the Hubble Space Telescope after Service Mission 4”
6. Dr Aaron Golden NUI Galway: “Has Earth Contaminated the Solar System? – the Case for Life on Mars”
7. Dr Vitaly Neustroev NUI Galway: “Amateur Astronomers and Cataclysmic Variables”
8. Alastair Mc Kinstry NUI Galway: “Extra Solar Planets: Climates and Atmospheres”

Stands and Exhibition

1. Galway Astronomy Club in association with the French Embassy “Exploring the Universe, our next steps”

Observing

Brigit’s Garden is a country park at Pollagh, Rosscahill, a mile north of the N59 between Oughterard and Moycullen. It is set in a beautiful rural location with Lough Corrib on one side & Connemara on the other and has wonderful dark skies. The distance from the Westwood House Hotel is only 12 miles which equates to about 15 minutes drive time.

I certainly hope to make it! Contact Galway Astronomy for more details.