Astronomy Ireland gearing up for Ireland's biggest telescope festival

Astronomy Ireland’s upcoming ‘Star-B-Q’ will combine star-gazing with a barbecue. Billed as ‘Ireland’s biggest telescope festival’, 500 people will view the dark skies over the country’s highest village, Roundwood, in Co Wicklow, this weekend.

This annual Astronomy Ireland fundraiser is an evening of celestial enlightenment: powerful telescopes will chart the ‘heavens’, with a barbecue as refreshment. “We even have a trick up our sleeve to beat the Irish weather, should the need arise,” says Astronomy Ireland director, David Moore. “We will still have demonstrations, guest speakers and the barbecue on the night, regardless of the weather. However, if the sky is overcast, a separate, telescope-only event will be organised for the following weekend, where people will still get to see the wonders of the universe.” Ireland’s best-known astronomer, David will present a ‘guided tour’ of the universe, starting with Earth and our solar system, moving out to the stars in the Milky Way, distant galaxies, and the edge of the universe.

As this year will be the best to see the northern lights, keynote speaker, Dave Gradwell, will discuss solar storms and how they trigger aurora displays. “The sun varies in activity every 11 years, but this, latest cycle has proved difficult to predict. His talk will explain the solar cycle, why this one has bucked the recent trend, and what influence a strong solar maximum could have on our day-to-day lives,” says Dr Brian Espey, from TCD, who will discuss light pollution.