The event will start at the 4* Westwood House Hotel just outside Galway City with registration from 9am-9.45am and first speaker on stage at 10.00am. This year we had an exceptional turn out of 120 people on a rain soaked and very stormy February 3rd, which really surpassed our expectations. We would hope for another similar turnout for our next Festival with the theme this year "New Worlds New Horizons"
Our view of the Universe has changed dramatically. Hundreds of planets of startling diversity have been discovered orbiting distant suns. Other astronomical observations have also revealed that most of the matter in the Universe is dark and invisible and that the expansion of the Universe is accelerating in an unexpected and unexplained way. New missions pave the way to a better understanding of our solar system and its cosmic interlopers including comets. Recent discoveries, powerful new ways to observe the Universe, and bold new ideas to understand it have created scientific opportunities without precedent. Some of these big questions will be addressed at the 2015 Galway Astronomy Festival with a host well known amateur and academic astronomers from Ireland and the UK.
Speakers
1. Michael Perryman: "Measuring the Distances to the Stars"
Michael is co-author of the “Millennium Star Atlas” and Project Scientist of the new GAIA Space Astrometry mission, European Space Agency sci.esa.int/gaia/
2. Daniel (Eclipsedan) Lynch, An Irish Eclipse chaser of 10 solar eclipses and has a wonderful catalogue of images and prelude to the March 2015 Solar eclipse
3. Nick Howes, Kielder Observatory, UK
Nick is a well known UK astronomer and he will give two talks, a morning talk and he will also give the Patrick Moore memorial after dinner talks
4. Damien Peach, world leading planetary imager who has spent the last ten years documenting the changing face of our solar system with crystal clear images good enough to stand alongside those of the Hubble Space Telescope
5. Susan McKenna Lawlor, renowned Irish professor of Space Technology Ireland & NUI Maynooth, her talk will look at the Rosetta Comet mission for which her team built an instrument on its lander that will touchdown on the comet this November.
6. Chris Watson: An excellent speaker from Queen University Belfast with a talk on the future visions of New Worlds or Extra Solar planets.
7. Dave Grennan: Irish amateur astronomer and discoverer of three supernovae including one built with a homemade telescope of which the talk will be about http://www.webtreatz.com
Evening program also with dinner, talk afterwards followed by a table quiz see more info including reviews at http://www.irishastronomy.org/index.php ... Itemid=211
Our city is a vibrant, bustling centre of the arts and commerce, though it still retains a relaxed and intimate atmosphere. Galway is also one of the most popular tourist destinations in Ireland. The city, with its medieval streets, waterways, extensive range of shopping facilities, wealth of music sessions and other cultural events, is a place to be treasured. The seaside town of Salthill, a Galway suburb, is a renowned summer resort. Its fine beaches open directly onto spectacular Galway Bay.
Entry only €20(£15) We recommend you use http://www.gohop.com for finding connections to Galway from your location of departure. Hope to see you there, full information along with details of our very busy club schedule will be available at http://www.galwayastronomyclub.ie

Thank you
Ronan Newman
Chairman
Galway Astronomy Club