Image: Paul Evans

Stop Press - IAA/IYA 2009 "Space and Aliens Competition" - Results!

The judges deliberations are over! The results are out!

Congratulations go to Overall Grand Winner, Martin Campbell from Dungannon. Congratulations also to all those winners and placed in the specific categories.

The full results in all the categories are here...

QUB PUBLIC LECTURE: "Is There No Place Like Home? - Our place in the solar system" - 15th March 2010

Professor Carl D. Murray, Astronomy Unit, School of Mathematical Sciences, Queen Mary College, University of London

Room G07 Peter Froggatt Centre. Main Site, Queen’s University Belfast
7.00pm Monday 15th March 2010.Please come early, Admission on first come basis.

Carl Murray is a key scientist in the imaging team of the Cassini-Huygens project which is a joint NASA/ESA robotic spacecraft mission currently studying the planet Saturn, its moons and rings.

http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm

Image: IYA 2009 Ireland

IAA lecture, 24th March 2010 - Dr Tom Mason

"Presenting Science at Armagh Planetarium: Mind-blowing Numbers and Controversies"

The Planetarium is a multifaceted organisation dedicated to astronomy education for all levels, from nursery through to retirement age. It is the Planetarium's unique ability to adapt to changing audience needs that have enabled it to stay at the forefront of science education since its formation. Dr Tom Mason is its Director and he will be telling us all about how the brief is delivered.

Image: Armagh Planetarium

April 2010 - Global Astronomy Month

Global Astronomy Month (GAM 2010) is Astronomers Without Border’s response to the desire to continue IYA2009 into the future. New ideas, new opportunities and more participation. Connecting people around the world in these events will create an even greater sense of sharing, just as in AWB’s motto and the slogan for GAM – One People, One Sky.

The IAA will be taking part in this event with a Public Observing night at Delamont Country Park on the night of either Fri 16th or Sat 17th April - the weather will decide the night nearer the time - watch the Forum!

IAA member Adam Jeffers sent in this fabulous image of M51, The Whirlpool Galaxy, taken from urban Belfast (!) using a 10" Newtonian 'scope and modified Canon D300 DSLR. Cracking image Adam!

Image: UCL

 Past IAA lecture, 24th February 2010

This talk was given by Dr Lucie Green, of the famous Mullard Space Science Laboratory, London. Dr Green is well known as a TV presenter on astronomy.

Her talk was entitled "Living in the Sun's Atmosphere", and  covered all the fascinating and potentially dangerous aspects of living on a planet which is constantly bombarded by the Solar Wind, and is hit every so often by massive Coronal Mass Ejections, producing fantastic aurorae.

The Sun is just 'awakening' after one of the longest and deepest solar minima on record, and we are now seeing sunspots more regularly, and there was even an aurora visible from N. Ireland earlier this week. But the best is yet to come, as we build up to Solar Max in a few years time.

A top quality lecture - entertaining and informative at the same time!