Post by rn1 on Sept 10, 2016 22:34:08 GMT
Hi, some of ye know me, Ronan Newman originally with Galway Astronomy Club now involved with the Gold Tier Mayo Dark Sky Park. I have been planning the Mayo Dark Sky Festival for the past 18 months. On the 5th of May 2016 the Ballycroy/Wild Nephin National Park in North-West Mayo became Ireland’s first Gold Tier International Dark Sky Park as recognised by the International Dark Sky Association. See darksky.org/idsp/parks/mayo/
We hope you join us in the idyllic coastal town of Newport from October 28th-30th 2016 for the Mayo Dark Sky Festival and share your passion for the night sky and astronomy during this fun weekend.
Or come for our Extended weekend from the 27th to the 31st of October.
Program of Events
If you intend on coming to Newport for the festival can you please complete our online registration as it will speed up your own registration on the morning. By pre-registering (no payment necessary) your itinerary, programme and tickets will all be ready for you before the start of the festival and "Beat the Q" as they say through our fast track desk. But essentially it will also make it easier for us to process everyone to all the different events taking place not just the talks and to anticipate numbers.
See the link at docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdi0O5j...k0ahAAsdK4g/viewform
Thursday October 28th @ 8pm Free Entry
Newport Astronomy Club / In association with Mayo Dark Sky Festival
Venue: Graine Uaile Pub, Newport, Co. Mayo
Talk :“A Beginners Guide to Cosmology: The Science of Everything”
Friday October 29th @7pm Free Entry
Venue: Hotel Newport
Opening of the "Western Starlight" Astrophotography Exhibition
Georgia MacMillan (Project Leader of the Mayo Dark Sky Park): “A Mayo Dark Sky Park: From Vision to Reality”
Martin Byrne: “Ancient Irish Astronomical Alignments“
Saturday October 29th @ 9am
Venue: Hotel Newport
Entry Price only €15, €10 for a half day, €5 for Leo Enright Lecture
Morning Session
0900: Registration and trade stands
0950: Introduction and welcome
1000: Nick James: “One Thousand Years of Great Comets and Great Disappointments”
1100: Norah Patten: “Ireland: Our Place in Space”
1200: Lunch break and trade stands (Tea/sandwichs for lunch only €5)
Afternoon Session:
1300: Tony O Hanlon: “Extra Solar Planets & the Potential for Life”
1400: Eamonn Ansbro: “A High Ecliptic Survey of the Outer Solar System”
1500: Tea break and trade stands
1530: Leo Enright: “Europe at Mars: Red Hot News from the Red Planet”
1630: Astronomers Question Time
1700: Closing address
Evening Schedule
Festival dinner @ 7.30pm (Informal dress) only €25 P/P
After dinner talk by John O’Mahony: “Astronomy Down Under: A Personal Voyage”
Sunday October 30th @1000am (Clock go back one hour at 1am
Venue: Hotel Newport
Entry Price only €5
morning Session
1030: Nick James: “Observing the Moon: Then and Now”
1145: John McKeon: “High Resolution Planetary Imaging”
1230: Lunch in Main Bar
1315: Tony O'Hanlon: “Observing from a Dark Sky site and how to get the most from your Equipment"
1400: Dave Grennan: “Building and Operating a Robotic Observatory”
1445: Tea break and trade stands
Free Public Lecture
1500: Lorraine Hanlon: “From Atoms to Astrophysics – How we know what we know about the Universe”
Family Astronomy and Funday Newport National School @11.30am
Big Bear Planetarium shows
Discovery Science Lab with scheduled activities designed for school children
Discussions with amateur astronomers and advice
Information tables
Astronomy Story Telling
Face painting
Drawing
Free Astronomy DVD’s
Cosmic Exhibits and displays
Solar Projection
Rocket Building Workshops with Irish Rocketry Society
Eric Stenzelof the Society will give a talk on Amateur Rockets before the workshops
Parent or Guardian must attend
Age Range 9 - 15
Entry €15 per child
Science Ireland: Hands on Science Shows
Cosmic Art see www.flickr.com/photos/ifstef
Rocket Launch @ 4pm at Burrishoole GAA Pitch
Evening Program
Venue: Brannens Pub, Main Street, Newport @8pm
“Masters of the Universe” General Knowledge and Astronomy Charity Table Quiz
Teams of 5 with six rounds of ten questions on General Knowledge, astronomy, Comedy etc, if weather is poor and there is no observing the Quiz will be pushed back to 9pm.
All proceeds going to the Mayo-Roscommon Hospice
Monday October 31st
We encourage people to head north into the Dark Sky Park passing some of the new viewing spots along the way and to stop off at the Ballycroy National Park Interpretive Centre, where hopefully TBC they will be displaying the Ireland in Space Exhibition. The park is vast, barren but beautiful and on a dark night.....oh Wow!
Observing ..Yes guys thats what interests us
During our Dark Sky Weekend and to acknowledge our unpredictable weather we intend to hold an observing session on the first available clear night at two locations simultaneously, firstly for serious astronomers with expensive equipment at the Brogan Carroll Boothy in the Letterkeen Forest and secondly a Public event at the very dark Burrishoole Abbey on the shore of Clew Bay, parking places are limited and pre-booking is required.
IFAS members are welcome to Letterkeen but parking priority will be given to people with Telescopes as we only have 20 car spaces. Please book in advance on the Friday evening and if you can bring some people in the car also. Red light rules as this is an exceptionally dark site with no light domes in any direction. Readings from SQM meters at the Letterkeen forest regularly well exceeded 21.9 mpsas and proved that under clear skies, this site excels in Visual Limiting Magnitude, Bortle Scale and Unihedron Sky Quality Meters. The carpark is surrounded by one of the largest forest blocks in the country and offers spectacular views of the night sky in all directions. Astronomy Heaven...
Dimmed lights only on approach road, drive slowly and please follow the stewards. 15 mins drive from Newport. See See www.google.ie/maps/@53.979867,-9.5631574...,44.7t/data=!3m1!1e3
Many Thanks
Ronan Newman
mayodarkskyfestival.wordpress.com/
We hope you join us in the idyllic coastal town of Newport from October 28th-30th 2016 for the Mayo Dark Sky Festival and share your passion for the night sky and astronomy during this fun weekend.
Or come for our Extended weekend from the 27th to the 31st of October.
Program of Events
If you intend on coming to Newport for the festival can you please complete our online registration as it will speed up your own registration on the morning. By pre-registering (no payment necessary) your itinerary, programme and tickets will all be ready for you before the start of the festival and "Beat the Q" as they say through our fast track desk. But essentially it will also make it easier for us to process everyone to all the different events taking place not just the talks and to anticipate numbers.
See the link at docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdi0O5j...k0ahAAsdK4g/viewform
Thursday October 28th @ 8pm Free Entry
Newport Astronomy Club / In association with Mayo Dark Sky Festival
Venue: Graine Uaile Pub, Newport, Co. Mayo
Talk :“A Beginners Guide to Cosmology: The Science of Everything”
Friday October 29th @7pm Free Entry
Venue: Hotel Newport
Opening of the "Western Starlight" Astrophotography Exhibition
Georgia MacMillan (Project Leader of the Mayo Dark Sky Park): “A Mayo Dark Sky Park: From Vision to Reality”
Martin Byrne: “Ancient Irish Astronomical Alignments“
Saturday October 29th @ 9am
Venue: Hotel Newport
Entry Price only €15, €10 for a half day, €5 for Leo Enright Lecture
Morning Session
0900: Registration and trade stands
0950: Introduction and welcome
1000: Nick James: “One Thousand Years of Great Comets and Great Disappointments”
1100: Norah Patten: “Ireland: Our Place in Space”
1200: Lunch break and trade stands (Tea/sandwichs for lunch only €5)
Afternoon Session:
1300: Tony O Hanlon: “Extra Solar Planets & the Potential for Life”
1400: Eamonn Ansbro: “A High Ecliptic Survey of the Outer Solar System”
1500: Tea break and trade stands
1530: Leo Enright: “Europe at Mars: Red Hot News from the Red Planet”
1630: Astronomers Question Time
1700: Closing address
Evening Schedule
Festival dinner @ 7.30pm (Informal dress) only €25 P/P
After dinner talk by John O’Mahony: “Astronomy Down Under: A Personal Voyage”
Sunday October 30th @1000am (Clock go back one hour at 1am
Venue: Hotel Newport
Entry Price only €5
morning Session
1030: Nick James: “Observing the Moon: Then and Now”
1145: John McKeon: “High Resolution Planetary Imaging”
1230: Lunch in Main Bar
1315: Tony O'Hanlon: “Observing from a Dark Sky site and how to get the most from your Equipment"
1400: Dave Grennan: “Building and Operating a Robotic Observatory”
1445: Tea break and trade stands
Free Public Lecture
1500: Lorraine Hanlon: “From Atoms to Astrophysics – How we know what we know about the Universe”
Family Astronomy and Funday Newport National School @11.30am
Big Bear Planetarium shows
Discovery Science Lab with scheduled activities designed for school children
Discussions with amateur astronomers and advice
Information tables
Astronomy Story Telling
Face painting
Drawing
Free Astronomy DVD’s
Cosmic Exhibits and displays
Solar Projection
Rocket Building Workshops with Irish Rocketry Society
Eric Stenzelof the Society will give a talk on Amateur Rockets before the workshops
Parent or Guardian must attend
Age Range 9 - 15
Entry €15 per child
Science Ireland: Hands on Science Shows
Cosmic Art see www.flickr.com/photos/ifstef
Rocket Launch @ 4pm at Burrishoole GAA Pitch
Evening Program
Venue: Brannens Pub, Main Street, Newport @8pm
“Masters of the Universe” General Knowledge and Astronomy Charity Table Quiz
Teams of 5 with six rounds of ten questions on General Knowledge, astronomy, Comedy etc, if weather is poor and there is no observing the Quiz will be pushed back to 9pm.
All proceeds going to the Mayo-Roscommon Hospice
Monday October 31st
We encourage people to head north into the Dark Sky Park passing some of the new viewing spots along the way and to stop off at the Ballycroy National Park Interpretive Centre, where hopefully TBC they will be displaying the Ireland in Space Exhibition. The park is vast, barren but beautiful and on a dark night.....oh Wow!
Observing ..Yes guys thats what interests us
During our Dark Sky Weekend and to acknowledge our unpredictable weather we intend to hold an observing session on the first available clear night at two locations simultaneously, firstly for serious astronomers with expensive equipment at the Brogan Carroll Boothy in the Letterkeen Forest and secondly a Public event at the very dark Burrishoole Abbey on the shore of Clew Bay, parking places are limited and pre-booking is required.
IFAS members are welcome to Letterkeen but parking priority will be given to people with Telescopes as we only have 20 car spaces. Please book in advance on the Friday evening and if you can bring some people in the car also. Red light rules as this is an exceptionally dark site with no light domes in any direction. Readings from SQM meters at the Letterkeen forest regularly well exceeded 21.9 mpsas and proved that under clear skies, this site excels in Visual Limiting Magnitude, Bortle Scale and Unihedron Sky Quality Meters. The carpark is surrounded by one of the largest forest blocks in the country and offers spectacular views of the night sky in all directions. Astronomy Heaven...
Dimmed lights only on approach road, drive slowly and please follow the stewards. 15 mins drive from Newport. See See www.google.ie/maps/@53.979867,-9.5631574...,44.7t/data=!3m1!1e3
Many Thanks
Ronan Newman
mayodarkskyfestival.wordpress.com/