Category Archives: Event
Lecture – Weds 30th Nov – Dr Wes Fraser (QUB) – “Recent space exploration: small guys take the spotlight”
Lecture – Weds 16th Nov – Eleanor Edwards – “The Space Academy” and Paul Evans – “Beginners’ Astrophotography”
Lecture – Weds 2nd Nov – Dr David Malone (NUIM) “How we tell the time”
Knowing the date and time is a question that is tightly tied up with astronomy, combined with some history, politics and a bit of physics. This talk will give a summary of how the calendar and clock we have today has changed from ancient times right up to 2016.
Lecture – Weds 19th Oct – Dr Morgan Fraser (UCD) “Gaia: Mapping the Milky Way and Beyond from Space”
Lecture Weds 5th Oct – Prof Jose Groh (TCD) – “Live fast and die hard: the evolution and death of massive stars”
Opening Lecture Weds 21st September – Prof Alan Fitzsimmons – “Sungrazing Comets – Falling Into Hell”
“Images of Starlight” exhibition 2nd August – 30th Sept Linenhall Library
IAA Perseid Meteor Shower Barbeque – Thurs 11th Aug – Cancelled
**Note this event is cancelled due to bad weather**
The Perseid Meteor shower is caused by the Earth passing through the debris trail of Comet 109P Swift-Tuttle which orbits the Sun with a 130 year period. The meteors hit the Earh's atmosphere comparitively fast, aprroximately 35 miles/sec or 120,000 mph and burn up at a height of around 50 miles. This year we are expecting a Zenithal Hourly Rate (ZHR) of as much as 200 on the Thursday night which is outstanding – in fact this year it is possible that we will see an outburst, assuming we hold the event on the Thursday evening.
We have chosen Thurs 11th August for this event this year – it is actually the best night in terms of expected meteor numbers and the weather looks slightly better than the Friday, though if things change closer to the date we may postpone to the Friday – watch this space!. Meet at 8:00pm for the Barbeque with observing from 10:30pm onwards.