Spring Star Watch 28th March 2009 Aberdeen Astronomical Society

Please forgive me if this is slightly OT, but I'd like to advertise our
IYA2009 spring event below:

http://www.aberdeenastro.org.uk/SpringWatchEvent.htm

Aberdeen Astronomical Society is pleased to announce:

The International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009) is an exciting globalcelebration of astronomy and its contributions to society and culture.Coinciding with the 400th anniversary of Galileoÿs first glimpsesthrough a telescope and the birth of modern astronomy, it gives peopleall over the world the chance to get involved in this fascinatingscience and experience the wonders of the night time sky.On Saturday March 28th, Aberdeen Astronomical Society is hosting itsfirst IYA2009 event called ´Spring Star Watch¡ at the Bettridge Centre,Newtonhill, as part of a series of co-ordinated astronomy events acrossthe country. This event is open to all members of the public that wouldlike to learn more about the night sky. There will be plenty ofastronomical activities no matter what the weather. The evening startsat 7:30 pm and finishes at 9:30 pm.There will be an introductory talk on astronomy explaining what is onview in the night sky and how to go about getting into the hobby. TheCosmic Dome Planetarium will be present to help people find their wayaround the night sky and learn about the constellations. If skies areclear, telescopes and binoculars will be set up outside to show somehighlights of the Spring night sky, such as Saturn, the Orion Nebula andthe Pleiades. We will also be supporting the Cub Scout and Brownieastronomy badge scheme.AAS President, Darren Moody, said ´It was 400 years ago that Galileofirst turned his telescope at the planet Saturn. Weÿre now givingnorth-east stargazers the same opportunity to view the solar systemÿsmost spectacular object through telescopes.¡Refreshments will be available for a small charge.Admission is free although donations to cover costs will be welcome.Children must be accompanied by adults. Youth groups are welcome, butplease contact AAS in advance. The Cosmic Dome Planetarium is asimulation of the night sky and thus very dark. It may not be suitablefor very young children. It can be very cold observing the night sky,so warm clothes and outdoor footwear are essential.Aberdeen Astronomical Society can be contacted by e-mail or via its websitehttp://www.aberdeenastro.org.uk, where full details of this seasonÿsevents can be found. New members are welcome to come along to anymeetings, irrespective of experience.