The Galway Astronomy Club

GAC February meeting by Dr. Karen Weekes
2024-02-12 19:30 - 21:30 UTC | Menlo Park Hotel, Terryland, Galway, Ireland
Galway Astronomy Club are pleased to announce details of our December club meeting, which will take place at 7.30 pm on Monday the 12th February in the Menlo Park Hotel, Terryland, Galway.

Talk: ‘Visions of the night skies while rowing across the Atlantic Ocean’
In this talk Karen will be reliving her experiences under the vast ocean skies and tell us about her amazing voyage to row SOLO across the Atlantic for 80 days and nights and the wonders of viewing a truly dark night sky in the middle of the ocean.

Speaker: Dr. Karen Weekes
Karen Weekes is a performance psychologist and endurance adventurer. In February 2022, she became the first Irish female to row the Atlantic ocean solo and unsupported.
Working within business and sports teams for thirty years, Karen specialises in cognitive and practical coping strategies, pressure management and specific mechanisms for proactive motivation to achieve optimal performance in competitive business and sporting environments.
Her PhD and MSc research explored motivation and coping within ultra-endurance sport, which are tested throughout her personal endurance exploits.

New members and attendees on the night are welcome. We look forward to your company.

GAC March meeting by Dr Elizabeth Butler (QUB)
2024-03-04 19:30 - 21:30 | Menlo Park Hotel, Terryland, Galway, Ireland
Galway Astronomy Club are pleased to announce details of our March club meeting, which will take place at 7.30 pm on Monday the 4th March in the Menlo Park Hotel, Terryland, Galway.

Talk: ‘Living with a (Active) Star’
Space weather is a very complex field, involving many different subject areas, that as a community we are still working to grasp. This talk will discuss what some current points of concern are, and the science and missions being directed at them.
Speaker: Dr Elizabeth Butler
Elizabeth Butler grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota, hating physics. She wanted to write novels about dragons instead. Something shifted in high school – enough that she graduated from Northern Michigan University with a double bachelors in physics and writing.
After taking a gap year to drive mowers and utility carts around 32 miles of hiking trails while composing poetry in her head, she was accepted as a graduate student by the Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences Department of the University of Colorado in Boulder. There, she fell in love with planetariums, solar physics, and the developing field of space weather, and later used all three to become a Fellow in the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research program.
After weathering two wildfire evacuation notices, a mass shooting, and a global pandemic, she graduated with her PhD in 2022, defending a dissertation that was two thirds solar flare physics and one third human subjects work on bridging the space weather research and forecasting communities.
She then accepted the opportunity to move across the pond to work at Queen’s Astrophysics Research Centre, where she has only received one of the seven visits threatened by friends and family. “

New members and attendees on the night are welcome. We look forward to your company.

Irish Astronomy Week
2024-03-09 08:00 - 2024-03-16 17:00
Irish Astronomy Week takes place from March 9th to 16th.

There are many events countrywide including Galway City and County.
Please go to https://www.irishastronomyweek.ie/ to see what is happening near you.
Galway Astronomy Club will be taking part including a public ‘Moonwatch on the Prom’ at 7pm across from the Atlantaquarium on the evenings of March 13th/14th (Weather permitting).
Please check our Facebook page for weather updates on the Moonwatch event.

GAC April Meeting by Dr Emma Whelan (Maynooth University)
2024-04-08 19:30 - 21:30 | Menlo Park Hotel, Terryland, Galway, Ireland
Galway Astronomy Club are pleased to announce details of our April club meeting, which will take place at 7.30 pm on Monday the 8th April in the Menlo Park Hotel, Terryland, Galway.

Talk: ‘Star Formation with the ESO VLT.’
I am an observational astronomer studying star formation and the earliest stages of planet formation. The majority of my data is obtained with the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope. The VLT is one of the worlds most advanced optical telescopes and the flagship facility for European ground-based observatory. I will discuss the VLT, the instruments that have been most important for my work and present some of the most recent results from my group.

Speaker: Dr Emma Whelan (MU)
Emma Whelan graduated from Trinity College Dublin in 2001 with a BA in Physics with Astrophysics. From 2001 to 2005 she studied at the Dublin Institute for Advanced studies for a PhD in observational astronomy specialising in star formation and graduated with a PhD from Trinity College Dublin in 2005. She continued her work in this area at the Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies as part of the Marie Curie Research and Training Network JETSET from 2005 to 2009. In 2009 she was awarded a Marie Curie Fellowship at the Institut de Planétologie et d’Astrophysique de Grenoble and studied there until 2011. In 2012 she moved to the Institut für Astronomie und Astrophysik Tübingen. In 2016 she was appointed as a lecturer in the Experimental Physics Department. Dr Whelan is also a research associate of the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies.

GAC May Meeting - Astrophotography talk by club member Brendan Spelman + AGM
2024-05-13 19:30 - 21:30 | Menlo Park Hotel, Terryland, Galway, Ireland
Galway Astronomy Club are pleased to announce details of our May club meeting, which will take place at 7.30 pm on Monday the 13th May in the Menlo Park Hotel, Terryland, Galway.

This is our last meeting of our current season and we will have:

Our AGM where club members can voice their opinions on all things club related. Our AGM will offer members the opportunity to join the new club committee for next season.
An interesting talk by club member Brendan Spelman on ‘Deep Sky Astrophotography’. More details below.
A chance to win a telescope and a few other prizes when we will be making the draw for our club raffle. Tickets can be purchased below!
Free tea and coffee on the night and we invite everyone to stay and have a chat before we break up for the summer.

May meeting speaker.
Talk: ‘Introduction to Deep Sky Astrophotography’
Brendan has shared some wonderful images of the night sky on our WhatsApp group throughout the year and we decided to invite him to speak about how he takes these wonderful images. We are delighted to have him as our May ‘guest’ speaker.
Speaker: Brendan Spelman (GAC)
“Brendan is a native of Galway and an IT professional. Always having had a fascination with the universe, his interest in astronomy really kick started when he received a telescope as a gift during the early days of the COVID lockdowns. With a long-standing passion for photography, it was only natural for him to gravitate toward capturing the wonders of the night sky. Fascinated by the intersection of science and art, he eagerly anticipates clear nights, always on the lookout for breaks in the clouds to indulge his curiosity. When hindered by clouds, Brendan enjoys playing board games with his wife and 3 young children. “

Club raffle draw tickets can be purchased here.
The May Meeting Raffle prize is for a Skywatcher 1145 PS (AZ Pronto) telescope.
More prizes are to be announced…

GAC September meeting - by Dr Gary Kenny (ATU Galway)
2024-09-02 19:30 - 21:30 | Menlo Park Hotel, Terryland, Galway, Ireland
Galway Astronomy Club are pleased to announce details of our September club meeting, which will take place at 7.30 pm on Monday the 2nd September in the Menlo Park Hotel, Terryland, Galway.

Talk: ‘Stars of the Universe’
This talk on the stars of the universe is suitable for beginners in astronomy.
Speaker: Dr Gary Kenny (ATU Galway)
Gary Kenny’s astronomy background was Ground Based Gamma-ray using the Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Technique. He has a B.Sc. from Galway Mayo Institute of Technology. He did his Ph.D in High End Astrophysics in the University of Galway.
He was a Senior Technical Officer in the School of Physics in University of Galway to 2012 and since 2012 has been working as a lecturer in Physics and Instrumentation in the Atlantic Technological University.

New members and attendees are very welcome.

GAC October meeting - by Howard J Simkover
2024-10-07 19:30 - 21:30 | Menlo Park Hotel, Terryland, Galway, Ireland
Galway Astronomy Club are pleased to announce details of our October club meeting, which will take place at 7.30 pm on Monday the 7th October in the Menlo Park Hotel, Terryland, Galway.

Talk: ‘Celestial Shadows – Eclipses of the Sun’
Every couple of years, somewhere on the Earth, the Moon’s shadow touches down and sweeps
at supersonic speed across oceans and continents. People situated in the path of this celestial
shadow experience the unforgettable sight of a total eclipse of the Sun. While some ancient
civilizations had a good understanding of solar eclipses, it was not until the early 18th Century
that the date, time and trajectory of an eclipse could be calculated with reasonable precision.
This presentation is about the various types of solar eclipses – what they are, when they
happen, the underlying geometry that causes them, why they are perceived to be rare events,
and the spectacular beauty that they offer to us.
On Monday, April 8, 2024 a total solar eclipse occurred in Mexico, the US and Canada. Public
awareness was handled extremely well by the astronomical community and the media. While
parts of the eclipse track experienced clouds, huge numbers of people were able to view this
stunning celestial alignment safely in clear skies, and to stand within the shadow of the Moon.
Speaker: Howard J Simkover
Howard Simkover was born in Montreal, Canada and obtained his education
there. He graduated as the leading student in McGill University’s Faculty of
Electrical Engineering, and was awarded the British Association Medal for Great
Distinction. He is a Professional Engineer, Ontario, and currently works as a
consultant in policy and governance with Health Canada (federal government
department).
Howard’s lifelong interest in astronomy began at age 7, when he obtained his first
telescope and used it to observe the planet Mars. Later, he became active in the
Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, where he served on the Observation
Committee and the Board of Directors of the Montreal Centre.
For more than two decades, Howard produced numerous shows and lectured on
astronomy at the Montreal Planetarium. Some of his shows played at other
planetaria in Canada and the United States. He has also lectured about
astronomy at the Canada Science & Technology Museum and Carleton
University. He continues to speak to audiences in Canada’s National Capital
Region and to groups elsewhere in the world via online technology. He owns and
regularly uses several telescopes to observe the sky. One of his passions is
eclipses of the sun, which he has “chased” over two dozen times all over the World.

Howard will be joining us via video link from Canada.

GAC November Meeting by Dr Matt Redman (University of Galway)
2024-11-11 19:30 - 21:30 | Menlo Park Hotel, Terryland, Galway, Ireland
Galway Astronomy Club are pleased to announce details of our November club meeting, which will take place at 7.30 pm on Monday the 11th November in the Menlo Park Hotel, Terryland, Galway.

Talk: ‘Of planets and planetary nebulae’
Planetary nebulae were so named due to their planet like appearance in very early telescopes. They are now understood to be the spectacular result of sun-like stars throwing off their outer layers at the end of their lifetimes. A mystery remains though as to how spherical stars can produce the widely diverse range of shapes of nebulae that are observed. Here I will discuss a new idea for shaping such nebulae where the planets that likely surround these aged stars are able to sculpt the outflowing materials. In this way, despite the original misnomer, planets could in fact have an important role in planetary nebulae after all.
Speaker: Dr Matt Redman
Matt Redman is Director of the Centre for Astronomy NUI Galway, and leads a group with research interests in star formation and star destruction processes. He uses radio and millimetre telescope data to investigate the collapse of star forming molecular clouds, and optical and millimetre data for studying the shaping mechanisms of planetary nebulae, novae and supernova remnants. He works at the observational and theory interface, simulating data from telescopes using radiative transfer, photoionisation and spatiokinematic codes.

GAC December Meeting: by John Flannery (Irish Astronomical Society)
2024-12-02 19:30 - 21:30 | Menlo Park Hotel, Terryland, Galway, Ireland
Galway Astronomy Club are pleased to announce details of our December club meeting, which will take place at 7.30 pm on Monday the 2nd December in the Menlo Park Hotel, Terryland, Galway.

Talk: “The World of Atmospheric Phenomena”
Rainbows, along with the ring we sometimes see around the Moon, are the most familiar and frequent types of optical phenomena in the atmosphere, but a new and refreshing appreciation of the daytime sky is revealed by becoming aware of the many other classes that exist. Many of the complex and beautiful patterns result, in most cases, from the interplay of light with two simple substances – air and water. This talk will explore marvels from the blue sky to the zodiacal light.

Speaker: John Flannery (IAS)
One if Irelands leading amateur astronomers, John is editor of the IAS quarterly journal and is active in astronomy outreach. He also compiles the IFAS calendar of celestial events for the year ahead, and writes astronomy columns for Whitaker’s Almanac and The Irish Times. His main interests as an amateur astronomer are the sky lore of world cultures; binocular observing; and astronomical history.

New members and attendees are very welcome.
We look forward to your company.

GAC January Meeting: by James Dire (Blinn College)
2025-01-06 19:30 - 21:30 | Menlo Park Hotel, Terryland, Galway, Ireland
Talk: ‘The History of Innovations in Telescopes’
This talk will start with the invention of the telescope in the late 16th century and cover all of the innovative improvements in telescope designs for astronomical use from the 17th through 21st centuries. The talk will not only concentrate on the innovations, but also on the scientists and engineers responsible for the improvements throughout the centuries.
Speaker: Dr James R Dire (Blinn College)
Dr James Dire earned bachelors degrees in chemistry, physics and mathematics from the University of Missouri, Kansas City. He went on to earn a MS degree in physics from the University of Central Florida and a MA degree in atmospheric science from The Johns Hopkins University. Subsequently he completed a PhD from Johns Hopkins in planetary astronomy. His dissertation was on the seasonal photochemistry in the atmosphere of Saturn’s moon Titan.
After 23 years in the armed forces, which included duty as a physics and astronomy professor at both the US Naval Academy and the US Coast Guard Academy, Dr. Dire became a college administrator. He served as an associate provost at Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Spring North Carolina and as Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of Hawaii’s campus on Kauai, and Chancellor of Methodist College in Peoria, IL. He currently is the Dean of Physical Sciences at Blinn College in Bryan, Texas.
Dr. Dire is a seasoned astronomical observer and astrophotographer. He has authored a deep space column in the Astronomical League’s Reflector magazine since 2010 and is contributes myriad article to Astronomy Technology Today and Solar Astronomy Today. in Astronomy Technology Today. He is a past president of the Astronomical Society of Kansas City and currently is a member of the Peoria Astronomical Society, the Las Vegas Astronomical Society, and the Kauai Educational Association for Science and Astronomy.

Astrofest 2025
2025-02-08 09:30 - 18:00 | Menlo Park Hotel, Terryland, Galway, Ireland
Full AstroFest 2025 details can now be found here https://www.galwayastronomyclub.ie/astrofest-2025/

Accommodation:
If you wish to avail of a reduced Astrofest rate when booking at the Menlo Park Hotel for the 7th & 8th February 2025,
please email reservations@menloparkhotel.com or call 091-761122 to make a reservation to receive the discount.
Make sure to mention you are attending the festival.

GAC February Meeting: by Dr Alexandra Ruth Fogg (DIAS)
2025-02-10 19:30 - 21:30 | Menlo Park Hotel, Terryland, Galway, Ireland
Galway Astronomy Club are pleased to announce details of our February club meeting, which will take place at 7.30 pm on Monday the 10th February in the Menlo Park Hotel, Terryland, Galway.

Talk: ‘Wind, Storms and Raining Particles: Earth’s Space Weather’
In this talk, Alexandra will discuss the “winds”, “storms” and “rains” of Earth’s Space Weather. We will start at the centre of the Solar System, where the Sun’s atmosphere bubbles and streams out. This solar “wind” crashes into planets throughout the solar system, driving “stormy” conditions which in turn drive all kinds of dynamics. We will explore famous space weather storms throughout Earth’s history, and the impacts they have had on human technology. Finally, particles which “rain” down on the Earth’s atmosphere dramatically drive the Earth’s aurora: it’s Northern and Southern lights, and similarly driver aurorae throughout the Solar System.

Speaker: Dr Alexandra Ruth Fogg (DIAS)
Alexandra is a Space Scientist working at DIAS Dunsink Observatory, a site of historical significance in Irish (and international) astronomy. She has always been passionate about science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), and so completed her Physics degree with a specialism in space science and technology at the University of Leicester in 2016. With a passion for space physics, Alexandra completed a PhD on Earth’s Space Weather in 2020, which was a springboard for a career in space science.
Since 2020, Alexandra has worked in Dublin, researching Earth’s Space environment and Space Weather through many different avenues. She has also explored similarities and differences with the space environments of different planets of the solar system.

New members and attendees are very welcome.
We look forward to your company.

Irish Astronomy Week 2025
2025-03-01 08:00 - 2025-03-08 21:00
Galway Astronomy Club are delighted to be participating in ‘Irish Astronomy Week’ again this year. We will be having our busiest year so far with events throughout the whole week.

Here are events happening in the Galway region

March 1st – Ballybane Library – 2:30pm – ‘An Introduction to Deep Sky Astrophotography’ by Brendan Spellman (GAC)
March 1st – Westside Library – 3:00pm – ‘Wonders of the Night Sky’ by John Keady (GAC)
March 3rd – Menlo Park Hotel – 7:30pm – ‘Irish Neolithic Art and Astronomy’ by Martin Byrne
March 4th – Galway City Library – 6:15pm – ‘Celtic Rock: Chasing Asteroids from Ireland’ by Dave McDonald
March 5th – Loughrea Public Library – 6:00pm – ‘Cosmic Wonders’ by Ronan Newman (IAW)
March 6th – Oranmore Library – 11:00am – ‘Photographing the Night Sky’ by Adrian Nolan (GAC)
March 6th – Saint Colman’s Church, Gort – 6:30pm – ‘Celtic Rock: Chasing Asteroids from Ireland’ by Dave McDonald
March 6th – Salthill Promenade – 7:00pm – ‘Planet & Moon Watch’ – Weather Permitting!
March 7th – Salthill Promenade – 7:00pm – ‘Planet & Moon Watch’ – Weather Permitting!
March 8th – Leabharlann an Spidéal – 3:00pm – ‘Aistear Réalteolaíochta‘ le Seán Ó Céide (GAC)

See more IAW 2025 events and news here: https://www.irishastronomyweek.ie/

GAC March Meeting: by Martin Byrne
2025-03-03 19:30 - 21:30 | Menlo Park Hotel, Terryland, Galway, Ireland
Galway Astronomy Club are pleased to announce details of our March club meeting, which will take place at 7.30 pm on Monday the 3rd March in the Menlo Park Hotel, Terryland, Galway.

Talk: ‘Irish Neolithic Art and Astronomy’
Speaker: Martin Byrne
Martin Byrne is a Fáilte Ireland approved guide with 25 years experience of leading tours. He is also a traditional musician and loves to include musical interludes on his tours. Having taken up the fiddle twenty years ago, he now also play banjo and uillann pipes. Martin is an expert on ancient megalithic structures, particularly chambered cairns, and their astronomical alignments.
Martin has investigated Chambered Cairns – a type of ancient monument with internal chambers found on mountain tops and hills all across Ireland.
He originally became interested in these monuments for their wonderful megalithic engraved symbols, which are the oldest written ‘documents’ in Ireland. He has since been working on the solar and lunar alignments which illuminate interiors of monuments. Martin will shed some light on our early ancestors and their knowledge of Astronomy.

New members and attendees are very welcome.
We look forward to your company.

GAC April Meeting: Aoife Rose Taylor (TCD)
2025-04-07 19:00 - 21:30
Galway Astronomy Club are pleased to announce details of our April club meeting, which will take place at 7.00 pm on Monday the 7th April in the Menlo Park Hotel, Terryland, Galway.

Please note earlier start time of 7:00pm – Main speaker starts promptly at 7:15pm!

Talk: ‘Strengthening science-society relationships through astronomy-art collaborations’
Humanity’s relationship with the Universe is not solely scientific – it is also deeply embedded in culture. Throughout history, communities around the globe have looked to the stars to make sense of the world around them, to guide them on journeys, to inspire stories that pass on knowledge from generation to generation, and to simply enjoy the beauty of the night sky. Art can provide us with new perspectives that unlock, explore and strengthen relationships between science and society, and offer inclusive ways for citizens to critically engage with scientific topics and research. With major socio-scientific crises and a pandemic of misinformation facing our planet, strengthening these relationships has never been more vital. In this talk, I will present examples of astronomy-art (and science) collaborations that cover topics from preserving and celebrating indigenous knowledge, to using satellite imagery to evoke active citizenship, and all with the aim of engaging their audience with the wonders of science and its role within society.

Speaker: Aoife Rose Taylor (TCD)
Aoife studied an undergraduate degree in Physics and Astronomy, and then went on to do a 2 year masters; 1 year of astronomy and 1 year of science communication. She worked in the Old Observatory at Leiden University, the Netherlands where she was an exhibition and event co-ordinator, focusing on art-astronomy collaborations. Aoife then moved to Trinity College Dublin to focus more on science communication (both research and practice) and is now undertaking a professional doctorate in the area of inclusive science communication.

New members and attendees are very welcome.
We look forward to your company.

GAC May Meeting: by Adrian Nolan (GAC) - followed by our club AGM
2025-05-12 19:30 - 21:30 | Menlo Park Hotel, Terryland, Galway, Ireland
Galway Astronomy Club are pleased to announce details of our May club meeting, which will take place at 7.30 pm on Monday the 12th May in the Menlo Park Hotel, Terryland, Galway.

This is our last meeting of our current season and we will have:

Our AGM where club members can voice their opinions on all things club related. Our AGM will offer members the opportunity to join the new club committee for next season.
An interesting talk by club member Adrian Nolan on ‘Photography’. More details below.
Our usual sky diary. Where we will discuss what is up in the night sky and upcoming events.
Free tea and coffee on the night and we invite everyone to stay and have a chat before we break up for the summer.

May meeting speaker.
Talk: ‘Photography – Terrestrial and Cosmic’
Most of you will now be familiar with Adrian’s wonderful photography over the last few years, where he has captured the wonders of the night sky from around Connemara and Galway City. He has also shown some of the wonderful Nature photographs and some interesting city photos too. Adrian will be discussing his techniques and will be happy to answer your photography questions.
Speaker: Adrian Nolan (GAC)
Award winning photographer Adrian Nolan is originally from Cork. He joined the Galway Astronomy Club after moving to Salthill. Adrian can often be found travelling through Connemara or the streets of Galway to capture his wonderful images. He has been sharing his amazing work with us on our social channels for the last few years.
All are welcome and we look forward to your company.

GAC Daytrip to Loughcrew Megalithic Site - June 21st 2025
2025-06-21 09:00 - 18:00 | Loughcrew Cairns, Co. Meath, Ireland
Galway Astronomy Club are delighted to announce details of our club daytrip to Loughcrew Megalithic Site in June.
Galway Astronomy Club are organising a daytrip to Loughcrew Megalithic Site this coming June.
We will be getting a guided tour by Anthony Murphy on Saturday June 21st (The Summer Solstice).
Places will be made available on a first come first served basis.
Destination: Loughcrew Megalithic Site.
Details: Transfer to and from Loughcrew and a guided tour by Anthony Murphy.
Time/Date: June 21st 2025 – times to be confirmed
Cost: €60 p/p
Pickup/Drop off: Galway City – exact locations to be confirmed.
We may be adding a stop or two to this trip and we will confirm this closer to the time, any additional costs would be extra.
Please make payment either at our last club meeting on May 12th or by the booking link below.
We expect tickets to sell fast so if you are interested in joining us please don’t delay.
Best regards.
Galway Astronomy Club Committee

GAC September meeting: Guest speaker: Brian MacGabhann
2025-09-01 19:30 - 21:30 | Ardilaun Hotel, Taylors Hill, Galway, H91 H29F
Galway Astronomy Club are pleased to announce details of our September club meeting, which will take place at 7.30 pm on Monday the 1st September in the Ardilaun Hotel, Taylors Hill, Galway.

Talk: ‘On the shoulders of Giants: The story of our attempts to understand the cosmos. ‘
We are so used to growing up with the knowledge that those strange lights in the night sky are stars and planets that it is difficult to picture how confusing and terrifying they must have appeared to our early ancestors. Armed with nothing more than their eyes and their imaginations our forbears slowly groped towards an understanding of what was above them. This is the story of that five thousand year journey, from the builders of the monuments of Newgrange and Stonehenge, to the astronomers of Babylon and Greece, through the fierce disputes of the Middle Ages and on in to the modern era of Space stations and Lunar landings. Along the way we’ll encounter a host of fascinating characters and stories; such as Aristarchus of Samos, who accurately measured the circumference of the Earth using two wooden sticks; and the mad Danish nobleman Tycho Brahe, who lost his nose in a sword fight and built a vast observatory on an underground Island; some of the giants on whose shoulders we now stand.

Speaker: Brian MacGabhann
Brian MacGabhann began amateur astronomy at the age of 14. He is the former education and outreach officer with Galway Astronomy Club, and later club chair. Brian helped organise the Galway Astronomy Festival for several years. He is the founder and resident lecturer with the Renmore History Society in Galway. He has lectured extensively to clubs and groups throughout Ireland, including giving lectures at Dunsink Observatory, and the Kerry and Mayo Dark Sky festivals and of course previously here at the Galway Astronomy Festival.

GAC October Meeting with James Fradgley MSc. FRAS UK
2025-10-06 19:30 - 21:30 | Ardilaun Hotel, Taylors Hill, Galway, H91 H29F
Galway Astronomy Club are pleased to announce details of our October club meeting, which will take place at 7.30 pm on Monday the 6th October in the Ardilaun Hotel, Taylors Hill, Galway.

Talk: “Comets – What they are, where they come from?”
In this talk James will describe the make-up and structure of the Comets that inhabit our Solar System. He will talk about some history, effects and threat to Earth from collisions of comets with Earth. He will discuss the formation of the solar system and the Oort cloud where long period Comets originate, as well as the Kuiper Belt where short period comets originate. He will also talk generally about myths and legends associated with comets.

Speaker: James Fradgley MSc FRAS UK
James Fradgley has a background in physics and astronomy. After an unrelated career he has returned to astronomy in his retirement. He is an experienced speaker who has given talks on many astronomy related subjects, all packed with interesting information. He has served as Chair of the Southern Area Group of Astronomical Societies (SAGAS) as well as having roles in several other groups. James is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Galway Science and Technology Exhibition 2025
2025-11-09 10:00 - 17:00
It is that time of year again! The Galway Science and Technology Exhibition 2025 takes place in the University of Galway on Sunday November 10th. The Galway Astronomy Club will be there again with our usual stand to share the wonders of astronomy with the public.
This is a really fun event and is such a rewarding experience to share the wonders of the universe with the inquisitive young and not so young! We have had fantastic days at this exhibition in the past and are really looking forward to taking part again.
Stop by and say hello if you are at the exhibition, and if you would like to volunteer an hour or so to help out, please contact the club, you would be very welcome.

Exhibition details can be found here: https://galwayscience.ie/

GAC November Meeting with Prof Emeritus Andrew Shearer (University of Galway)
2025-11-10 19:30 - 21:30 | Ardilaun Hotel, Taylors Hill, Galway, H91 H29F
Galway Astronomy Club are pleased to announce details of our November club meeting, which will take place at 7.30 pm on Monday the 10th November in the Ardilaun Hotel, Taylors Hill, Galway.

Talk: ‘What we still don’t know : what should we know in 20 years’ time’
Astrophysics and cosmology is at a turning point with a number of problems which hopefully will be addressed in the next 20 years. These problems include big questions. What is the nature of dark energy and dark matter? What does the Hubble tension tell us? Is there life outside the Earth: In our solar system? Around other stars? For my own research questions include what causes fast radio bursts? Will we ever develop a full understanding about how pulsars work?
This talk will address these problems firstly by laying out what we don’t know and what observations have taken place over the last 20 years to address them. The talk will then go onto look at the new observatories, instruments and space missions designed to address them.

Speaker: Prof Emeritus Andrew Shearer (U of G)
Professor Emeritus Andrew Shearer’s main interest is in studies of objects which change on short timescales – such as pulsars. He has made observations with most of the world’s major observatories. With others at NUIG he has developed instrumentation, GASP, to study the optical polarisation from pulsars. For over twenty years Andy Shearer has been involved in a number of public engagement and outreach events. The main thrust of his work has been to bring astronomy (and Physics) to a much wider community.

All are welcome and we look forward to your company.

GAC December Meeting with Prof. Martin Hendry (University of Glasgow)
2025-12-01 19:30 - 21:30 | Ardilaun Hotel, Taylors Hill, Galway, H91 H29F
Galway Astronomy Club are pleased to announce details of our December club meeting, which will take place at 7.30 pm on Monday the 1st December in the Ardilaun Hotel, Taylors Hill, Galway.

Talk: ‘Listening to Einstein’s Universe: The Dawn and Exciting Future of Gravitainal-Wave Astronomy
Gravitational waves are ripples in the fabric of the cosmos predicted by Albert Einstein more than 100 years ago and produced by some of the most extreme phenomena in the universe: exploding stars, colliding black holes, even the Big Bang itself. To detect them has required the construction of the most sensitive scientific instruments ever built: giant laser interferometers capable of measuring tiny changes in the curvature of space, less than a millionth millionth the width of a hair. Such technology may sound like science fiction, yet these remarkable instruments are now routinely detecting the spacetime ripples from colliding black holes billions of light years from the Earth.
Join University of Glasgow scientist and “black hole hunter” Professor Martin Hendry for a whistle-stop tour through the exciting new field of gravitational-wave astronomy: the ground-breaking discoveries that Martin and his colleagues are making, the remarkable engineering and technology that has enabled them, and how they are helping us to tackle some of the biggest mysteries of Einstein’s universe.

Speaker: Prof Martin Hendry (University of Glasgow)
Martin Hendry is Professor of Gravitational Astrophysics and Cosmology at the University of Glasgow, where he is also Clerk of Senate and Vice Principal of the University. He is a senior member of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration: the global team of more than 1500 scientists who, with their colleagues in the Virgo Collaboration, made the first ever detection of gravitational waves – a discovery awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize for Physics. Martin is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics and is also a Fellow (and currently Vice-President) of the Royal Society of Edinburgh – Scotland’s National Academy. He is a passionate advocate for science education and communication and in 2015 he was awarded the MBE for services to the public understanding of science.

Prof Hendry will be joining us by video link on the night.
