Astronomy for Beginners
Nationwide Evening Classes
Commencing on October 10th, 2013
Listen to David Moore speak about the Evening Classes and more on radio HERE!
Astronomy
"We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars," said a clever Oscar Wilde. An astronomy night course can help you make sense of what you see when you look up at the night sky...
Astronomy is as old as human life itself. From the time our knuckles first brushed the forest floors, we have looked to the night sky and wondered. The earliest dedicated astronomers were priests, who observed the skies in an attempt to predict the future and divine the reasons for earthly events. They were often wrong, and perpetuated the idea that the Earth was the centre of the universe and never moved.
Taking place in Nationwide
Course Details
Astronomy for Beginners evening classes have been professionally developed by the Astronomy Ireland team and are aimed towards the general public.
The course style is informal and questions are very much encouraged throughout the course.
There is no mathematical content and the course is designed for people who want to know more about every aspect of the Universe from the night sky to the Big Bang!
There will be 8 classes in total with a duration 2 hours; 7:30 to 9:30 including a 15 minute break. Registration is on February 13th 2013 in all locations- registration will take place at 7:00pm before the first class begins with a second registration night on February 20th for those who miss the first night.
Course Content
The course is given over a period of 8 weeks and covers the following topics
Introduction to the Night Sky
Find out about the night sky and many amazing sights such as the Milky Way
The image to the right shows the Milky Way, the galaxy that the Sun is a part of. It's so large it takes light about 100,000 years
to cross it. Earth is about 25,000 light-years from the centre of the Milky Way.
The Sun and the Moon
Learn about the Sun and the Moon; their history, how they affect us here on Earth and how they interact during an eclipse
The image to the right was taken during the 2006 solar eclipse that was visible over Siberia, Russia.
The Planets and Stars
Learn about the planets that make up our Solar System, and how other stars compare to the Sun
The image to the right shows the Sun, the eight planets and the five of the largest dwarf planets. The sizes of the planets and Sun
are scaled although distance is not.
Click the image to see full size
The History of Astronomy
Learn how astronomy has been studied through history by people including the builders of Newgrange
Newgrange is over 5,000 years old, making it older than both Stonehenge and the Great Pyramid of Giza! Every winter, on the
morning of the shortest day, the rising sun shines directly into the passage leading to the tomb in the centre.
Telescopes
Learn how to set up and use a telescope yourself
As well as learning about telescopes at the classes you can always drop into or call
Astronomy Ireland's telescope shop.
Deep Sky Objects
Space is big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind- bogglingly big it is.
- Douglas Adams
Take the chance to find out for yourself just how much Douglas Adams got things right when he said that.
The image to the right is the Hubble Telescope Ultra Deep Field. Every dot of light is an entire galaxy of stars!
Cosmology
Learn about cosmology, the history and the fate of the universe
Click the image to see full size
Course Requirements
A pen and paper is all that you need to bring along to the course. The lecturer will have detailed handouts for each topic, which will be distributed to the entire class.
The following materials will be available upon registration, which you can purchase to enhance the learning experience.
Stargazer Pack
Astronomy, (6th Edition), D. L. Moche, Wiley Publications.
Booking Details
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Members €130
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Non Members €180
Parent/Guardian & Child Package: €200
(Call to arrange. Denotes sibling/parent/guardian/etc. Child must be under 16) Upon registering the group will be signed up as a household package membership and will receive the first issue of Astronomy Ireland magazine immediately.
Courses must be booked in advance as places at each venue are limited.
There will be 8 classes in total with a duration 2 hours; 7:30 to 9:30 including a 15 minute break. Registration is on February 13th in all locations- registration will take place at 7:00pm before the first class begins with a second registration night at the second class for those who miss the first night.
| CLICK TO BOOK | LOCATIONS AND MAPS |
| BOOK DUBLIN | Trinity College: Fitzgerald Building (map of campus) |
| BOOK WATERFORD |
You can also pay by Laser or credit card by calling (01) 890 1111 Monday to Saturday until 5:30pm. Any enquiries regarding the classes should be sent to classes@astronomy.ie
Printable Booking Form (Word Document downloadable from HERE) should be accompanied by a cheque/postal order/bank draft and posted to Astronomy Ireland, PO Box 2888, Dublin 5., or fax with credit card details to (01) 890 1133.
N.B. OTHER AREAS will be added in the coming months so sign up to our FREE emailing list to get details as they are announced CLICK HERE.
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