Page 65 - The Gonzaga Record 2004
P. 65
Y o u n g S c i e n t i s t
Back l-r: G. Barry, B. Nolan, C. Maguire, S. Shinkwin
Front l-r: E. Lannoye, D. Mahon, C. Hughes, Mr. Joe 0 Briain
A stronom y
This year really saw the Astronomy Club go from strength to strength, increasing
both in the depth and breadth of its activities and events, as well as in the size and
enthusiasm of its membership. So much went on in the course of the year that the
most that one can hope to achieve here is to give a flavour of what went on and
thank those who made it possible.
With the resumption of the school year there was already much to discuss. In
August, Mars had come within its closest distance to Earth in 60,000 years. Veteran
members told tales of their trip at the start of the summer to Scotland where they
were the among the lucky few in this part of the world who got enough gaps in the
cloud cover (the bane of all astronomers who don’t live in the desert) to be able to
view the annular eclipse of the sun in May. In fact, Thomas Kinsella gave a humor
ous account of this in the first meeting in September (though what exactly is funny
about an eclipse I can’t quite make out). For the gloomier and more apocalyptical-
ly-minded members of the society, there was a talk in October about the various
ways in which the world might end. Alarmingly, it attracted the largest gathering
ever at an Astronomy Club event. Further talks included one by the RTE and BBC
astronomy correspondent Leo Enright on the American and European missions,
another by Brian Seals of the ‘Eliptomaniacs’ about witnessing eclipses in Bulgaria,
Zimbabwe, Madagascar and Scotland, and yet another by Bart Busschots of XUI
Maynooth about Virtual Telescopes in Education, as well as regular ‘Constellation
of the Month’ briefings, and so on.
Page 63
Back l-r: G. Barry, B. Nolan, C. Maguire, S. Shinkwin
Front l-r: E. Lannoye, D. Mahon, C. Hughes, Mr. Joe 0 Briain
A stronom y
This year really saw the Astronomy Club go from strength to strength, increasing
both in the depth and breadth of its activities and events, as well as in the size and
enthusiasm of its membership. So much went on in the course of the year that the
most that one can hope to achieve here is to give a flavour of what went on and
thank those who made it possible.
With the resumption of the school year there was already much to discuss. In
August, Mars had come within its closest distance to Earth in 60,000 years. Veteran
members told tales of their trip at the start of the summer to Scotland where they
were the among the lucky few in this part of the world who got enough gaps in the
cloud cover (the bane of all astronomers who don’t live in the desert) to be able to
view the annular eclipse of the sun in May. In fact, Thomas Kinsella gave a humor
ous account of this in the first meeting in September (though what exactly is funny
about an eclipse I can’t quite make out). For the gloomier and more apocalyptical-
ly-minded members of the society, there was a talk in October about the various
ways in which the world might end. Alarmingly, it attracted the largest gathering
ever at an Astronomy Club event. Further talks included one by the RTE and BBC
astronomy correspondent Leo Enright on the American and European missions,
another by Brian Seals of the ‘Eliptomaniacs’ about witnessing eclipses in Bulgaria,
Zimbabwe, Madagascar and Scotland, and yet another by Bart Busschots of XUI
Maynooth about Virtual Telescopes in Education, as well as regular ‘Constellation
of the Month’ briefings, and so on.
Page 63
