Wednesday 21 April 2010

IAA AGM + Bring & Buy; Armagh Lecture & Open Day; MAC Observing

Hi all,

1. IAA AGM: The AGM of the Irish Astronomical Association will be on Wednesday 21 April. As usual it will be held in the Bell Lecture Theatre, Physics Building, Queen's University, Belfast. There will also be the usual short talk on the night sky. It will be followed by a 'Bring and Buy' sale. All are welcome to attend, but only paid up members of the IAA may take part in any official business.
Admission free, including light refreshments. See www.irishastro.org for full details.

2. Public Lecture, St. Patrick's Trian, Armagh, 8.00pm Thursday 13 May.
Martin Hendry (Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Glasgow): "Did We Really Land on the Moon?"
More than 40 years after Apollo 11 there are a surprising number of theories around --- in books, documentary programmes and the internet --- that Neil Armstrong's famous "One small step" was an elaborate hoax, filmed in secret here on Earth. Conspiracy theorists point to a range of "evidence" to support their claim, including waving flags, strange shadows, no stars in the sky and deadly solar radiation. In this talk, using real Apollo video footage and a
series of simple demonstrations, we will take a closer look at the science behind "moon hoax" claims, and ask whether we really did land on the Moon.
The public lecture is free of charge and open to all. To obtain a ticket, please contact Mrs Aileen McKee, Armagh Observatory, College Hill, Armagh; Tel: 028-3752-2928; E-mail: ambn@arm.ac.uk.

3. Armagh Heritage Day 2010: FROM EARTH TO SKY: REFLECTING ON ARMAGH'S
HERITAGE THROUGH TIME, organized by the Armagh Visitor Education Committee
(AVEC) at the Navan Centre, Killylea Road, Armagh, from 10:00am to 4.00pm on Wednesday 19th May.
This is the fifth heritage day organized by AVEC to promote the wealth of Armagh City and District's cultural heritage. This year the event, which will be opened by Councillor Thomas O'Hanlon, Mayor of Armagh City and District, will trace the historical development of Armagh from pre-Christian times right up to the present day.
The principal speaker is Professor Jim Mallory (Professor of Prehistoric Archaeology, Queen's University Belfast), who will provide an introduction to Navan - Emain Mhacha - and the Celts. Local speakers drawn from the membership of AVEC are Dr Greer Ramsey (Armagh County Museum), who will provide a view of Armagh through time using information and artefacts contained in the Armagh County Museum, and Professor Mark Bailey (Armagh Observatory) who will highlight how the results of modern astronomical research are providing a new framework for interpreting prehistory and Earth's place in space. There will also be guided tours of the Navan Centre and information and displays about the work of AVEC and its more than a dozen individual members, all of whom are working together to promote better cooperation, communication and partnership amongst the visitor attractions and education and lifelong learning institutions in the City of Armagh.
Admission to the event is free of charge and open to all. To obtain a ticket, please contact Mrs Aileen McKee, Armagh Observatory, College Hill, Armagh; Tel: 028-3752-2928; E-mail: ambn@arm.ac.uk. The full programme as well as further information about the AVEC institutions can be accessed from the AVEC website http://scholars.arm.ac.uk/avec/.

4. MAC Moonwatch: Saturday 24 April sees the Midlands Astronomy Club take to Athy to host a Moon Watch. The location will be the VTOS Learning Centre, map and directions will be given via email later. If you're interested in coming along, you're more than welcome to do so. Declan Molloy, MAC Chairperson, will begin from around 8:00pm and would love if you could join him. Bring your telescope or binoculars, Declan will have his 16" Dobsonian for you to view the Moon and other deep space wonders.
If the weather is bad we will move the event indoors where a few short talks will be presented by MAC committee members and a show of how to best use your telescope or binoculars.
Admission is free, make sure you wrap up warm (it still gets cold at night this time of year), and we hope to see you there!
More details from: Seanie Morris, Secretary, Midlands Astronomy Club (formerly Tullamore Astronomical Society). www.midlandsastronomy.com. Tel: 087 6825910

Clear Skies,

Terry Moseley

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