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.