Pre-announcement for COSMOS 2014 (April 4th to 6th)

Hi All,

I know it is in plenty of time, but MAC would like to advise a change of venue in COSMOS 2014's location on April 4th to 6th - we will be hosting our event in the 4 Star Shamrock Lodge Hotel in Athlone, County Westmeath. We would like to thank Linda Deverell and her staff for the previous 15 years at Annaharvey Farm, for which we have been extremely grateful for. Visit the page here to see our current speaker line-up to understand why we are changing location!

Anyone who has booked accommodation in Tullamore for the event may want to reconsider changing! The MAC website will provide an accommodation list on its Cosmos 2014 page in the coming days.

Thanks,

Seanie.

Hi Seanie. Where can we set up the telescopes? Is there a guarantee of zero light pollution -as was the case at the Annaharvey Farm?

Aubrey.

Athlone?, so no observing then ??

Hi guys the hotel itself is looking over a bog and has a field infront and looking south for observing, also the hotel is going to kill the lights on the grounds of the hotel.
We have another pitch lined up if needed only 5 min drive from the hotel and on the same road so no getting lost, so observing is a must at this event.
The hotel is on the west side of Athlone so its mainly away from the lights in town.

Thanks
Jason Fallon
Chairperson
Midlands Astronomy Club

Annaharvey was dark, but the ring road around Tullamore in the last few years did degrade the sky, zero light pollution connote be found in many places anymore.

I remember the first year I was at Anna Harvey's and the lads told me they were observing "out back"
I lugged my 10inch nearly half a mile before I caught up with them : blink:
Had I'd known what was meant, I would have thrown it in the back of the car like the rest of yis.... :woohoo:

this new venue sounds great, especially if the skys are clear and we are observing on the grounds