For your enjoyment and safety: • • •
•
Please make a note of your nearest emergency exit. There is no smoking in any of the indoor areas in Annaharvey, especially around the stables. Please dispose of your cigare e bu s responsibly. Bear in mind that expensive and sensi ve equipment will be on display. If you wish to look through a telescope or touch a sensi ve display, please seek the owner’s permission if in doubt. Children must be supervised at all mes.
When out observing the night time wonders: • •
• • •
The observing area is to the rear of the horse jumping area. As it takes your eyes 20-30 minutes to adjust to dark surroundings, and only 1 second of a bright light to erase that adjustment, please observe a red light-only policy around the observing group(s). If you require the assistance of a white light to find something, please shout out you are doing so in advance. As there will be astro-photographers taking pictures using long dura on exposures, your considera on regarding lights and green laser pointers would be appreciated. There is no need for high beams from cars into and out of Annaharvey at night.
MAC accepts no responsibility for: • • • • •
Vehicles belonging to guests and visitors. Lost or stolen property. Delay of speakers or visitors to the lectures. Injury to persons while on the farm, especially if accessing restricted areas. In addi on MAC would like to reiterate that they are not in anyway responsible for, the weather, the government, taxes, clouds, the price of petrol or the global economy.
We wish you a safe journey home from our Star Party. We hope you enjoyed your stay too. If you have any sugges ons or comments, please let us know — even send us your photos!
midlandsastronomy@gmail.com We hope to see you next year from the 12th - 14th April
“The Universe comes to Tullamore”
Sunday April 15th
Brief history of MAC:
14:30 - Mr. Kevin Berwick
Since 1986, Midlands Astronomy Club (originally known as the Tullamore Astronomical Society - TAS) has been bringing Astronomy and allied subjects to the public in the form of informal lectures and observing sessions. In 1992, in conjunc on with the Irish Astronomical Society (IAS), the first ever Irish Astrofest was held here in Tullamore. Held each Spring, it complemented the Whirlpool Star Party each Autumn in Birr held by the Shannonside Astronomy Club (SAC). Irish Astrofest con nued as a dual-club event un l 1995 when MAC was given responsibility to take over on its own.
“Choosing a telescope”
In 1998, MAC opened its own private observatory on land it purchased 2 miles outside Tullamore. With this new landmark in its history, the Irish Astrofest moved to Annaharvey, and with it the name changed to COSMOS. It con nues every Spring during the weekend available closest to the Spring Equinox. COSMOS a racts both speakers and visitors from all over the country and abroad. The weekend is not a formal event per say, but is meant to give visitors the opportunity to explore more about Astronomy in various ways – lectures, exhibits, meet and greet, observing sessions, and even quizzes that a empt to keep the weekend fun and interes ng for all. Midlands Astronomy Club organises regular outreach events, is an ac ve member of the Irish Federa on of Astronomical Socie es (IFAS), and will con nue the tradi on of promo ng Astronomy and allied subjects during 2012 and beyond.
Like many of us Kevin says he has been interested in the night sky since he was a child. His first telescope came from humble beginnings and consisted of two lenses and a painted cardboard tube. Since then, aperture fever got hold of his mind (and wallet) he has since bought many other telescopes and currently has four at home, two of which actually get used regularly. Kevin says he has learnt the hard way and has wasted a lot of cash on unsuitable op cs over the years. That said, he admits he has enjoyed many, many happy hours under the night sky, more than compensa ng him for his extravagance. His hope is that aEer a ending this talk, you will avoid the many purchasing mistakes that he has made over the years and Kevin suggest that when it comes to buying telescopes, please “Do as I say, not as I do!”.
Where and When?
15:45 - Raffle and Prizes
MAC meets on the first Tuesday of the month in the Presbyterian Hall, High Street, Tullamore from 8pm.
Yes we realise that there is an global economic down-turn but for the cost of a few Euro’s you could walk away from this years COSMOS event with some very nice prizes in our annual raffle. Tickets can be purchased from any MAC commi ee member during the weekend.
All are welcome to a end. It also holds infrequent Observing Nights at its Observing Site in Clonminch on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of each month, or at a member’s house (weather permiBng). You can see more about the club and its events on www.midlandsastronomy.com or contact the club via e-mail at midlandsastronomy@gmail.com. Mee ngs are informal and are aimed at a level to suit all ages. www.midlandsastronomy.com Page - 2
16:15 - Closing address and farewell All over for another year and just in me to start planning next years event. MAC would like to take some me to thank you all for a ending our li le event and wish you a safe journey home. See you next year from the 12th - 14th April, clear skies!
Midlands Astronomy Club has created a Facebook page so that our members and non-members alike can: • Keep up-to-date on future out-reach events. • Be informed of upcoming lectures. • Have online access to the latest astronomy news as it happens. • See photos of all club events and activities. Find us on www.facebook.com
www.midlandsastronomy.com Page - 11
Sunday
Friday
April 15th
April 13th
11:45 - Dr. Apostolos Christou, Armagh Observatory
19:45 - Registration and Exhibits
“Stargazing On Mars”
Welcome to COSMOS 2012 please take the me to register at our event and get yourself a number of handouts including the latest MAC newsle er and the latest Sky Maps (www.skymaps.com) for April which can be used over the course of the weekend.
Dr Apostolos Christou, known to many as "Tolis", is a Research Astronomer at Armagh Observatory in Northern Ireland (h p://www.arm.ac.uk). His early interest in Astronomy, partly inspired by Carl Sagan's "Cosmos" television series, led him to pursue an academic career in the field. He holds a first (BSc) degree in Applied Mathema cs from the University of Athens, an MSc in the Mathema cs of Nonlinear Models from HeriotWa University & the University of Edinburgh and a PhD from Queen Mary, University of London in Solar System Dynamics. In 2001, he took a research post in the Armagh Observatory where he has been ever since. His main research interests revolve around the origin and evolu on of small solar system bodies such as asteroids, comets and planetary satellites. He is also interested in the techniques of spacecraE guidance, naviga on and control, in par cular those concerning deep space missions. In his (incredibly shrinking) free me he enjoys the fun side of observing the night sky. He has increasingly found himself partnering with amateur groups, direc ng their enthusiasm towards projects such as occulta ons, transits etc. that are both fascina ng to watch and scien fically useful. His other hobbies include reading (a lot of it!) watching films and various types of physical ac vity such as playing badminton (badly) and running.
13:00 - Lunch and outdoor observing Time to take a break and enjoy some of the delicious home-made food on offer at the Annaharvey Equestrian Farm. AEerwards why not step outside for some fresh air and par cipate in some outdoor observing, cloud observing is proving very popular these days ☺
Annaharvey Farm, Tullamore, Co. Offaly www.annaharveyfarm.ie Equestrian Holidays Luxury B&B Farm Foods Art Workshops Equestrian and Outdoor Clothing www.midlandsastronomy.com Page - 10
As always the MAC commi ee will be on hand and willing to help you out if you have any ques ons or issues during your stay with us, don’t be shy they won’t bite ☺
20:30 - Mr. Laurence Rigney, Midlands Astronomy Club
“Intelligent Life in the Universe” As is tradi on for COSMOS, the first speaker of our event is a MAC member and this year it is the turn of Laurence Rigney. Laurence has completed a BSc in Physics and Astronomy at NUI Galway and is currently working as a teacher of Maths and Science in Tullamore. When not correc ng homework Laurence enjoys reading, squash and soccer in his spare me and describes himself as a Singulatarian (h p://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singularitarianism), don't worry we had to look that up too!!! Laurence says he’s always had an interest in Astronomy and Sci Fi, par cularly Star Trek, but not Star Wars! So he’s obviously a man of good taste. Laurence’s talk is on intelligent life in the universe and says that one of the main reasons is that he finds it such an interes ng topic with huge scope for marrying imagina on and science as well as ideas about our own future as a species.
Late - Observing session Take to the field with your telescopes and binoculars, or just look through the ones there. No admission charge – just wrap up warm and stay as long as you can handle! All welcome. Please see our Safety Rules to ensure the event is enjoyed by everyone. www.midlandsastronomy.com Page - 3
Sunday Global Astronomy Month - April 2012
April 15th
April 2012 will again be a busy month for amateur and professional astronomers, educators and astronomy enthusiasts as Global Astronomy Month (GAM) returns for its second edi on. The annual event, organized by Astronomers Without Borders, celebrates the Universe in the spirit of the Interna onal Year of Astronomy 2009 cornerstone project "100 Hours of Astronomy."
“Buran: The Russian Space Shuttle” Dermot lives in Stradbally Co. Laois and is a secondary school teacher of Graphics and Construc on Studies. Like most of us Dermot’s main hobbies are of course astronomy, but he is also interested in flying scale aircraE and Ford RS cars. Dermot says his biggest interest in astronomy is in the area of space flight especially the NASA Shu le programme and Interna onal Space Sta on. This lecture was par cularly chosen because of his interest in spaceflight/shu les and because of the similari es of Buran to the NASA shu le. Dermot also has a keen interest in all aspects of backyard astronomy.
This is the third edi on of GAM, aEer its launch last year, when Astronomers Without Borders (AWB) coordinated seven global events dedicated to remote observing, figh ng light pollu on, world peace, observa ons of the sky and cultural manifesta ons, as well as encouraging the organiza on of local events. "There's something for everyone", says Mike Simmons, President of Astronomers Without Borders. “IYA2009 showed the way to involving more people than ever," and GAM is riding that wave of excitement in the discovery of our Universe." Join the celebra on in April 2012 as Global Astronomy Month brings together thousands of passionate individuals and hundreds of organiza ons worldwide to share their enthusiasm in innova ve new ways, connec ng people through a great sense of sharing the Universe! It's a month of celebra ng Astronomers Without Borders' mo o - One People, One Sky!
www.midlandsastronomy.com
Currently, Dermot is interested in researching the ISS and the effects of living on it for extended periods of me. As a Construc on Studies teacher you can imagine he can knock together a few bits of wood which is exactly what he is doing where he is in the last stages of building a homemade domed observatory. To the right we can see a recent image of the Sun taken in H-alpha light by long !me MAC member Michael O'Connell.
Deirdre Kelleghan, AWB National Coordinator for Ireland, is ready for Global Astronomy Month 2012. Are you? - Photo credit, Bernard Kelleghan
MAC Committee 2012
Page - 4
10:30 - Mr. Dermot Gannon, Midlands Astronomy Club
Chairperson – Declan Molloy
Librarian – Adrian Waters
Vice Chairperson – John Lally
Facebook Rep – Jason Fallon/Shane Fallon
Secretary – Seanie Morris
Members – Laurence Rigney, Darren Dempsey
Treasurer – Paul Fitzgerald
and Michael O’Connell
Taken with a Coronado Solarmax 90 filter and DMK21 camera, the image is made up of 21 smaller images s!tched together to form an overall mosaic of the Sun. Each single piece of the mosaic is processed from a 1,000 frame video file captured by the DMK21 camera. In all, it took a whopping 6GB of data to create this image. The barely visible blue dot in the top le3 of the image is Earth shown to scale for compara!ve purposes. h4p://www.astroshot.com/ www.midlandsastronomy.com Page - 9
Saturday
Saturday
April 14th
April 14th
16:30 - Table Quiz
09:45 - Registration and Exhibits
Think you’re smart enough to take part in our FREE Table Quiz this year? Then make sure you have indicated that on the registra on form at our check-in desk! You could win a much sought aEer and highly valued, judging by the amount of chea ng that goes on, COSMOS ’12 trophy. The quiz will take place in the lecture room and will be hosted by our own Seanie Morris and will be made up of six rounds of Astronomy and General Knowledge ques ons.
Welcome to COSMOS 2012 please take the me to register at our event and get yourself a number of handouts including the latest MAC newsle er and the latest Sky Maps (www.skymaps.com) for April which can be used over the course of the weekend.
18:00 - Finish followed by IFAS Assembly Meeting
10:15 - Open address by Mr. Declan Molloy, Midlands Astronomy Club Chairman
Immediately following the table quiz, the IFAS General Mee ng will take place for IFAS Reps in the adjoining conservatory.
As always the MAC commi ee will be on hand and willing to help you out if you have any ques ons or issues during your stay with us, don’t be shy they won’t bite ☺
Our Chairperson Declan Molloy will give a short opening address and cover any administra ve items to ensure your stay with us is both safe and enjoyable.
20:00 - COSMOS Dinner Details for the dinner can be obtained at the registra on desk. Wine may be purchased from Recep on for dinner. Please enquire upon registra on for full details. AEer dinner there is the chance to observe the Astronomical Wonders from Annaharvey, or stay inside and chat with friends, old and new.
Late - Observing session Take to the field with your telescopes and binoculars, or just look through the ones there. No admission charge – just wrap up warm and stay as long as you can handle! All welcome. Please see our Safety Rules to ensure the event is enjoyed by everyone.
10:30 - Mr. Girvan McKay, Midlands Astronomy Club
“Return To Vostok” Girvan says he hasn’t recently been very active in observational astronomy, having been taken up with other things (writing, publishing, etc.). However, he has long enjoyed astronomy, and in particular he has had an interest in exobiology and the search for life in the universe. Like many of us Girvan says “I like a warm bed too much to be out observing on frosty nights”. As for hobbies and other pursuits, Girvan’s main interests are in linguistics which in the past he has tried to link to astronomy.
www.irishastonomy.org
Filler
Check out Ireland’s largest community of Amateur Astronomers online, with forums, observing aids, monthly publica ons, compe ons, and more. www.midlandsastronomy.com Page - 8
www.midlandsastronomy.com Page - 5
Saturday
Saturday
April 14th
April 14th
11:45 - Mr. Thierry Legault
“In pursuit of space ships”
14:45 - Mr. Eamonn Ansbro, Breffni Starwalkers
“Surveying for Edgeworth Kuiper Belt Objects from Ireland”
Thierry is an engineer by trade and lives in the suburbs of Paris in a site that is very polluted by city lights but from here he can take images of the Sun, the Moon, planets and nebulas with narrow band filters but for deep sky imaging (galaxies, comets, nebulas...) he, like many of use, has to travel to darker skies. Thierry became interested in digital astrophotography in the beginning of 90's with high resolu on lunar and planetary imaging. This work lead to him wri ng two books “The New Atlas of the Moon” with Serge Brunier and "Astrophotographie". Thierry has also wri en numerous ar cles and lectures about imaging in Europe and USA (Sky and Telescope, Ciel et Espace, Astronomie Magazine, Chasseur d'Images to name a few). Thierry has a number of bragging rights, the asteroid number 19458 has been officially named Legault at the Interna onal Astronomical Union. His photographs, especially of space shu le and space sta on, have been published in newspapers and magazines and have been shown on TV worldwide and in May 2009, he was able to a end the launch of the space shu le Atlan s for the STS-125 mission (the last Hubble servicing mission) from the press site of the Kennedy Space Centre and later visit the hall where the shu le Discovery was being prepared for a future flight. Thierry’s current focus is on the ISS and satellite imaging and he employs two methods to do this: passages in front of the Sun (or the Moon) and twilight video captures with a dedicated automa c tracking telescope. This chase of satellites, in addi on with total eclipses, leads him to travel across Europe and even some mes Africa, America and Oceania.
Eamonn has been involved in astronomy since the age of 8 and progressed to making his own mirrors from 4 to 18 inches diameter and later telescopes. Eventually Eamonn set up a home-built 18-inch telescope and observatory in Dublin where he led the “Gang of Ten” observing team, and made a number of discoveries. His most important discoveries so far are co-discovery of a hydrogen envelope around the rings of Saturn published in Nature; Lunar moonquakes aler ng NASA and a nova which catapulted him onto the RTE main news. From his Dublin observatory, Eamonn has also carried out ground-breaking work in the area of variable stars. He coordinated the work of variable star observing groups around the world, and served as Co-Editor of the Amateur Variable Star Directory of the Interna onal Union of Amateur Astronomers and presented his findings to the IAU. As Vice President of the Interna onal Union of Amateur Astronomers he was able to bring the IUAA General Assembly to Dublin. Eamonn now lives up in the hills in a remote corner of County Roscommon. Being off the beaten track with no television, for entertainment he has resorted to studying for a Masters degree in Astronomy, discovering a change in albedo in the belts of Jupiter since one of the last space probes was there. He is currently wri ng up his PhD thesis at the Planetary Space Science Research Ins tute at Open University, having designed and built a robo c 36-inch telescope and carried out a successful 4-year outer solar system high eclip c survey. He is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and has wri en and published over 50 ar cles and papers in the field of astronomy. Always maintaining his commitment to amateur astronomers as well as the professional astronomy community, Eamonn is a founding member of a new astronomical club in the Northwest, the Breffni Starwalkers in Co. Leitrim.
13:00 - Lunch and outdoor observing Time to take a break and enjoy some of the delicious home-made food on offer at the Annaharvey Equestrian Farm. AEerwards why not step outside for some fresh air and par cipate in some outdoor observing, cloud observing is proving very popular these days ☺ www.midlandsastronomy.com Page - 6
16:00 - Break Time to take a break and enjoy some of the delicious home-made food on offer at the Annaharvey Equestrian Farm. www.midlandsastronomy.com Page - 7
Saturday
Saturday
April 14th
April 14th
11:45 - Mr. Thierry Legault
“In pursuit of space ships”
14:45 - Mr. Eamonn Ansbro, Breffni Starwalkers
“Surveying for Edgeworth Kuiper Belt Objects from Ireland”
Thierry is an engineer by trade and lives in the suburbs of Paris in a site that is very polluted by city lights but from here he can take images of the Sun, the Moon, planets and nebulas with narrow band filters but for deep sky imaging (galaxies, comets, nebulas...) he, like many of use, has to travel to darker skies. Thierry became interested in digital astrophotography in the beginning of 90's with high resolu on lunar and planetary imaging. This work lead to him wri ng two books “The New Atlas of the Moon” with Serge Brunier and "Astrophotographie". Thierry has also wri en numerous ar cles and lectures about imaging in Europe and USA (Sky and Telescope, Ciel et Espace, Astronomie Magazine, Chasseur d'Images to name a few). Thierry has a number of bragging rights, the asteroid number 19458 has been officially named Legault at the Interna onal Astronomical Union. His photographs, especially of space shu le and space sta on, have been published in newspapers and magazines and have been shown on TV worldwide and in May 2009, he was able to a end the launch of the space shu le Atlan s for the STS-125 mission (the last Hubble servicing mission) from the press site of the Kennedy Space Centre and later visit the hall where the shu le Discovery was being prepared for a future flight. Thierry’s current focus is on the ISS and satellite imaging and he employs two methods to do this: passages in front of the Sun (or the Moon) and twilight video captures with a dedicated automa c tracking telescope. This chase of satellites, in addi on with total eclipses, leads him to travel across Europe and even some mes Africa, America and Oceania.
Eamonn has been involved in astronomy since the age of 8 and progressed to making his own mirrors from 4 to 18 inches diameter and later telescopes. Eventually Eamonn set up a home-built 18-inch telescope and observatory in Dublin where he led the “Gang of Ten” observing team, and made a number of discoveries. His most important discoveries so far are co-discovery of a hydrogen envelope around the rings of Saturn published in Nature; Lunar moonquakes aler ng NASA and a nova which catapulted him onto the RTE main news. From his Dublin observatory, Eamonn has also carried out ground-breaking work in the area of variable stars. He coordinated the work of variable star observing groups around the world, and served as Co-Editor of the Amateur Variable Star Directory of the Interna onal Union of Amateur Astronomers and presented his findings to the IAU. As Vice President of the Interna onal Union of Amateur Astronomers he was able to bring the IUAA General Assembly to Dublin. Eamonn now lives up in the hills in a remote corner of County Roscommon. Being off the beaten track with no television, for entertainment he has resorted to studying for a Masters degree in Astronomy, discovering a change in albedo in the belts of Jupiter since one of the last space probes was there. He is currently wri ng up his PhD thesis at the Planetary Space Science Research Ins tute at Open University, having designed and built a robo c 36-inch telescope and carried out a successful 4-year outer solar system high eclip c survey. He is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and has wri en and published over 50 ar cles and papers in the field of astronomy. Always maintaining his commitment to amateur astronomers as well as the professional astronomy community, Eamonn is a founding member of a new astronomical club in the Northwest, the Breffni Starwalkers in Co. Leitrim.
13:00 - Lunch and outdoor observing Time to take a break and enjoy some of the delicious home-made food on offer at the Annaharvey Equestrian Farm. AEerwards why not step outside for some fresh air and par cipate in some outdoor observing, cloud observing is proving very popular these days ☺ www.midlandsastronomy.com Page - 6
16:00 - Break Time to take a break and enjoy some of the delicious home-made food on offer at the Annaharvey Equestrian Farm. www.midlandsastronomy.com Page - 7
Saturday
Saturday
April 14th
April 14th
16:30 - Table Quiz
09:45 - Registration and Exhibits
Think you’re smart enough to take part in our FREE Table Quiz this year? Then make sure you have indicated that on the registra on form at our check-in desk! You could win a much sought aEer and highly valued, judging by the amount of chea ng that goes on, COSMOS ’12 trophy. The quiz will take place in the lecture room and will be hosted by our own Seanie Morris and will be made up of six rounds of Astronomy and General Knowledge ques ons.
Welcome to COSMOS 2012 please take the me to register at our event and get yourself a number of handouts including the latest MAC newsle er and the latest Sky Maps (www.skymaps.com) for April which can be used over the course of the weekend.
18:00 - Finish followed by IFAS Assembly Meeting
10:15 - Open address by Mr. Declan Molloy, Midlands Astronomy Club Chairman
Immediately following the table quiz, the IFAS General Mee ng will take place for IFAS Reps in the adjoining conservatory.
As always the MAC commi ee will be on hand and willing to help you out if you have any ques ons or issues during your stay with us, don’t be shy they won’t bite ☺
Our Chairperson Declan Molloy will give a short opening address and cover any administra ve items to ensure your stay with us is both safe and enjoyable.
20:00 - COSMOS Dinner Details for the dinner can be obtained at the registra on desk. Wine may be purchased from Recep on for dinner. Please enquire upon registra on for full details. AEer dinner there is the chance to observe the Astronomical Wonders from Annaharvey, or stay inside and chat with friends, old and new.
Late - Observing session Take to the field with your telescopes and binoculars, or just look through the ones there. No admission charge – just wrap up warm and stay as long as you can handle! All welcome. Please see our Safety Rules to ensure the event is enjoyed by everyone.
10:30 - Mr. Girvan McKay, Midlands Astronomy Club
“Return To Vostok” Girvan says he hasn’t recently been very active in observational astronomy, having been taken up with other things (writing, publishing, etc.). However, he has long enjoyed astronomy, and in particular he has had an interest in exobiology and the search for life in the universe. Like many of us Girvan says “I like a warm bed too much to be out observing on frosty nights”. As for hobbies and other pursuits, Girvan’s main interests are in linguistics which in the past he has tried to link to astronomy.
www.irishastonomy.org
Filler
Check out Ireland’s largest community of Amateur Astronomers online, with forums, observing aids, monthly publica ons, compe ons, and more. www.midlandsastronomy.com Page - 8
www.midlandsastronomy.com Page - 5
Sunday Global Astronomy Month - April 2012
April 15th
April 2012 will again be a busy month for amateur and professional astronomers, educators and astronomy enthusiasts as Global Astronomy Month (GAM) returns for its second edi on. The annual event, organized by Astronomers Without Borders, celebrates the Universe in the spirit of the Interna onal Year of Astronomy 2009 cornerstone project "100 Hours of Astronomy."
“Buran: The Russian Space Shuttle” Dermot lives in Stradbally Co. Laois and is a secondary school teacher of Graphics and Construc on Studies. Like most of us Dermot’s main hobbies are of course astronomy, but he is also interested in flying scale aircraE and Ford RS cars. Dermot says his biggest interest in astronomy is in the area of space flight especially the NASA Shu le programme and Interna onal Space Sta on. This lecture was par cularly chosen because of his interest in spaceflight/shu les and because of the similari es of Buran to the NASA shu le. Dermot also has a keen interest in all aspects of backyard astronomy.
This is the third edi on of GAM, aEer its launch last year, when Astronomers Without Borders (AWB) coordinated seven global events dedicated to remote observing, figh ng light pollu on, world peace, observa ons of the sky and cultural manifesta ons, as well as encouraging the organiza on of local events. "There's something for everyone", says Mike Simmons, President of Astronomers Without Borders. “IYA2009 showed the way to involving more people than ever," and GAM is riding that wave of excitement in the discovery of our Universe." Join the celebra on in April 2012 as Global Astronomy Month brings together thousands of passionate individuals and hundreds of organiza ons worldwide to share their enthusiasm in innova ve new ways, connec ng people through a great sense of sharing the Universe! It's a month of celebra ng Astronomers Without Borders' mo o - One People, One Sky!
www.midlandsastronomy.com
Currently, Dermot is interested in researching the ISS and the effects of living on it for extended periods of me. As a Construc on Studies teacher you can imagine he can knock together a few bits of wood which is exactly what he is doing where he is in the last stages of building a homemade domed observatory. To the right we can see a recent image of the Sun taken in H-alpha light by long !me MAC member Michael O'Connell.
Deirdre Kelleghan, AWB National Coordinator for Ireland, is ready for Global Astronomy Month 2012. Are you? - Photo credit, Bernard Kelleghan
MAC Committee 2012
Page - 4
10:30 - Mr. Dermot Gannon, Midlands Astronomy Club
Chairperson – Declan Molloy
Librarian – Adrian Waters
Vice Chairperson – John Lally
Facebook Rep – Jason Fallon/Shane Fallon
Secretary – Seanie Morris
Members – Laurence Rigney, Darren Dempsey
Treasurer – Paul Fitzgerald
and Michael O’Connell
Taken with a Coronado Solarmax 90 filter and DMK21 camera, the image is made up of 21 smaller images s!tched together to form an overall mosaic of the Sun. Each single piece of the mosaic is processed from a 1,000 frame video file captured by the DMK21 camera. In all, it took a whopping 6GB of data to create this image. The barely visible blue dot in the top le3 of the image is Earth shown to scale for compara!ve purposes. h4p://www.astroshot.com/ www.midlandsastronomy.com Page - 9
Sunday
Friday
April 15th
April 13th
11:45 - Dr. Apostolos Christou, Armagh Observatory
19:45 - Registration and Exhibits
“Stargazing On Mars”
Welcome to COSMOS 2012 please take the me to register at our event and get yourself a number of handouts including the latest MAC newsle er and the latest Sky Maps (www.skymaps.com) for April which can be used over the course of the weekend.
Dr Apostolos Christou, known to many as "Tolis", is a Research Astronomer at Armagh Observatory in Northern Ireland (h p://www.arm.ac.uk). His early interest in Astronomy, partly inspired by Carl Sagan's "Cosmos" television series, led him to pursue an academic career in the field. He holds a first (BSc) degree in Applied Mathema cs from the University of Athens, an MSc in the Mathema cs of Nonlinear Models from HeriotWa University & the University of Edinburgh and a PhD from Queen Mary, University of London in Solar System Dynamics. In 2001, he took a research post in the Armagh Observatory where he has been ever since. His main research interests revolve around the origin and evolu on of small solar system bodies such as asteroids, comets and planetary satellites. He is also interested in the techniques of spacecraE guidance, naviga on and control, in par cular those concerning deep space missions. In his (incredibly shrinking) free me he enjoys the fun side of observing the night sky. He has increasingly found himself partnering with amateur groups, direc ng their enthusiasm towards projects such as occulta ons, transits etc. that are both fascina ng to watch and scien fically useful. His other hobbies include reading (a lot of it!) watching films and various types of physical ac vity such as playing badminton (badly) and running.
13:00 - Lunch and outdoor observing Time to take a break and enjoy some of the delicious home-made food on offer at the Annaharvey Equestrian Farm. AEerwards why not step outside for some fresh air and par cipate in some outdoor observing, cloud observing is proving very popular these days ☺
Annaharvey Farm, Tullamore, Co. Offaly www.annaharveyfarm.ie Equestrian Holidays Luxury B&B Farm Foods Art Workshops Equestrian and Outdoor Clothing www.midlandsastronomy.com Page - 10
As always the MAC commi ee will be on hand and willing to help you out if you have any ques ons or issues during your stay with us, don’t be shy they won’t bite ☺
20:30 - Mr. Laurence Rigney, Midlands Astronomy Club
“Intelligent Life in the Universe” As is tradi on for COSMOS, the first speaker of our event is a MAC member and this year it is the turn of Laurence Rigney. Laurence has completed a BSc in Physics and Astronomy at NUI Galway and is currently working as a teacher of Maths and Science in Tullamore. When not correc ng homework Laurence enjoys reading, squash and soccer in his spare me and describes himself as a Singulatarian (h p://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singularitarianism), don't worry we had to look that up too!!! Laurence says he’s always had an interest in Astronomy and Sci Fi, par cularly Star Trek, but not Star Wars! So he’s obviously a man of good taste. Laurence’s talk is on intelligent life in the universe and says that one of the main reasons is that he finds it such an interes ng topic with huge scope for marrying imagina on and science as well as ideas about our own future as a species.
Late - Observing session Take to the field with your telescopes and binoculars, or just look through the ones there. No admission charge – just wrap up warm and stay as long as you can handle! All welcome. Please see our Safety Rules to ensure the event is enjoyed by everyone. www.midlandsastronomy.com Page - 3
Sunday April 15th
Brief history of MAC:
14:30 - Mr. Kevin Berwick
Since 1986, Midlands Astronomy Club (originally known as the Tullamore Astronomical Society - TAS) has been bringing Astronomy and allied subjects to the public in the form of informal lectures and observing sessions. In 1992, in conjunc on with the Irish Astronomical Society (IAS), the first ever Irish Astrofest was held here in Tullamore. Held each Spring, it complemented the Whirlpool Star Party each Autumn in Birr held by the Shannonside Astronomy Club (SAC). Irish Astrofest con nued as a dual-club event un l 1995 when MAC was given responsibility to take over on its own.
“Choosing a telescope”
In 1998, MAC opened its own private observatory on land it purchased 2 miles outside Tullamore. With this new landmark in its history, the Irish Astrofest moved to Annaharvey, and with it the name changed to COSMOS. It con nues every Spring during the weekend available closest to the Spring Equinox. COSMOS a racts both speakers and visitors from all over the country and abroad. The weekend is not a formal event per say, but is meant to give visitors the opportunity to explore more about Astronomy in various ways – lectures, exhibits, meet and greet, observing sessions, and even quizzes that a empt to keep the weekend fun and interes ng for all. Midlands Astronomy Club organises regular outreach events, is an ac ve member of the Irish Federa on of Astronomical Socie es (IFAS), and will con nue the tradi on of promo ng Astronomy and allied subjects during 2012 and beyond.
Like many of us Kevin says he has been interested in the night sky since he was a child. His first telescope came from humble beginnings and consisted of two lenses and a painted cardboard tube. Since then, aperture fever got hold of his mind (and wallet) he has since bought many other telescopes and currently has four at home, two of which actually get used regularly. Kevin says he has learnt the hard way and has wasted a lot of cash on unsuitable op cs over the years. That said, he admits he has enjoyed many, many happy hours under the night sky, more than compensa ng him for his extravagance. His hope is that aEer a ending this talk, you will avoid the many purchasing mistakes that he has made over the years and Kevin suggest that when it comes to buying telescopes, please “Do as I say, not as I do!”.
Where and When?
15:45 - Raffle and Prizes
MAC meets on the first Tuesday of the month in the Presbyterian Hall, High Street, Tullamore from 8pm.
Yes we realise that there is an global economic down-turn but for the cost of a few Euro’s you could walk away from this years COSMOS event with some very nice prizes in our annual raffle. Tickets can be purchased from any MAC commi ee member during the weekend.
All are welcome to a end. It also holds infrequent Observing Nights at its Observing Site in Clonminch on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of each month, or at a member’s house (weather permiBng). You can see more about the club and its events on www.midlandsastronomy.com or contact the club via e-mail at midlandsastronomy@gmail.com. Mee ngs are informal and are aimed at a level to suit all ages. www.midlandsastronomy.com Page - 2
16:15 - Closing address and farewell All over for another year and just in me to start planning next years event. MAC would like to take some me to thank you all for a ending our li le event and wish you a safe journey home. See you next year from the 12th - 14th April, clear skies!
Midlands Astronomy Club has created a Facebook page so that our members and non-members alike can: • Keep up-to-date on future out-reach events. • Be informed of upcoming lectures. • Have online access to the latest astronomy news as it happens. • See photos of all club events and activities. Find us on www.facebook.com
www.midlandsastronomy.com Page - 11
For your enjoyment and safety: • • •
•
Please make a note of your nearest emergency exit. There is no smoking in any of the indoor areas in Annaharvey, especially around the stables. Please dispose of your cigare e bu s responsibly. Bear in mind that expensive and sensi ve equipment will be on display. If you wish to look through a telescope or touch a sensi ve display, please seek the owner’s permission if in doubt. Children must be supervised at all mes.
When out observing the night time wonders: • •
• • •
The observing area is to the rear of the horse jumping area. As it takes your eyes 20-30 minutes to adjust to dark surroundings, and only 1 second of a bright light to erase that adjustment, please observe a red light-only policy around the observing group(s). If you require the assistance of a white light to find something, please shout out you are doing so in advance. As there will be astro-photographers taking pictures using long dura on exposures, your considera on regarding lights and green laser pointers would be appreciated. There is no need for high beams from cars into and out of Annaharvey at night.
MAC accepts no responsibility for: • • • • •
Vehicles belonging to guests and visitors. Lost or stolen property. Delay of speakers or visitors to the lectures. Injury to persons while on the farm, especially if accessing restricted areas. In addi on MAC would like to reiterate that they are not in anyway responsible for, the weather, the government, taxes, clouds, the price of petrol or the global economy.
We wish you a safe journey home from our Star Party. We hope you enjoyed your stay too. If you have any sugges ons or comments, please let us know — even send us your photos!
midlandsastronomy@gmail.com We hope to see you next year from the 12th - 14th April
“The Universe comes to Tullamore”