David Malin + Meade special event

Thanks to Armagh Planetarium, who are sponsoring a special lecture tour by world-famous astrophotographer David Malin - "The Man Who Colours Stars". Working with the 150" AAT and the UK Schmidt Telescope at Siding Springs in Australia, David Malin developed special new techniques, such as unsharp masking, now universally used, and took astronomical photographs which were never equalled, let alone surpassed, until the HST was fixed. David will be visiting Galway, Limerick and Cork as part of this tour. Contact Prof Mike Redfern ( mike.redfern@nuigalway.ie ); Tony O'Hanlon ( tony.ohanlon@vitalograph.ie ), or Dr Niall Smith ( nsmith@cit.ie ) respectively, for further details.
But the IAA has teamed up with Armagh Planetarium and Meade Telescopes/ BCF/Telescope House to lay on an extra unmissable special event to coincide with David Malin's lectures at Armagh Planetarium, on Saturday 12 May.
The Planetarium will open at 11.30 a.m., when David Malin will give a SPECIAL, extra, lecture to IAA members and other amateur astronomers: this will go into more detail about the techniques and the astronomy, so this is an event not to be missed. Admission by ticket only, which must be pre-booked with the Planetarium.
And running from 1.30 until closing time at about 5 p.m., the IAA has arranged, through the one & only Dr Andy McCrea of North Down Telescopes, and BCF/Telescope House in London, a special MEADE TELESCOPE EVENT. Star of the show will be the new 16" Lightbridge Dobsonian - the first one in Ireland. There will also be the latest Meade LX200, & lots of smaller items including binoculars. Peter Gallon of BCF/Telescope House will be there to talk about all the latest products & equipment.
In addition, members of the IAA will be demonstrating some of their own telescopes & discussing the pros and cons of each type, and how to use them & get the best from them.
There will be a special discount price on the 16" Lightbridge, and you can haggle on other items!
David Malin's public lectures will be at 2.30 and 3.30, and also MUST be pre-booked with Armagh Planetarium.
N.B. Please specify to the Planetarium which lecture you intend to go to: 11.30 (for astronomers), or 2.30 or 3.30, for the public.
N.B. Normal admission charges to the Planetarium will apply that day, except for IAA members who are running the Telescope event. This admission charge will admit you to the exhibition area, or to the exhibition area + a show in the stardome, depending on what you want - different charges apply.
Further details on the Armagh Planetarium website: www.armaghplanet.com.
Remember, normal admission charges to the Planetarium apply, but there is no extra charge for the David Malin lectures, but you MUST pre-book to reserve a place at any of the Malin lectures.
More details later when available.
Clear Skies,
Terry Moseley