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Author Topic: Galaxy Zoo Get-Together: Astrofest 2008  (Read 28926 times)

Alice

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Galaxy Zoo Get-Together: Astrofest 2008
« on: October 16, 2007, 01:47:47 pm »
6th February update!!!I've just sent out the final letter. If you think you should have received it and you haven't, please e-mail me asap - I won't have access to a computer from Friday evening onwards. You can also PM a few people who've stated here they're going if you want my phone number and you can't get hold of me. If there's any more information you need, give me a shout.

4th January update: I've sent a message out to everyone who's expressed an interest in coming. If you haven't received the message, or if you've decided you'd like to come, please e-mail me as soon as you can!

Update: Astrofest is taking place at Kensington Town Hall, Hornton Street London, on February 8th and 9th. We will be meeting on Saturday 9th.

26th December Update: If you now click on the "Astrofest" link, it now has lots more information about the times, speakers, exhibition, etc. Lots of people coming and Chris and I will be booking a venue for our get-together after Christmas. We will be meeting on Saturday 9th, after the afternoon session is over. Do skim the initial information below and let me know if you'd like to come too!

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Calling all zooites . . .

Every year, usually in the first or second week of February, Astrofest is held in London. It is a 2-day astronomy festival, organised by Astronomy Now, each day comprising 2 sessions of presentations by astronomers and a generally fantastic collection of displays of astronomy equipment and books to browse.

I really enjoyed Astrofest last year. I didn't find out about it in time to book a place in any of the presentations, which was a real shame because Sir Patrick, Brian and zookeeperChris were among the speakers, but I still picked up masses of useful astronomy things for myself and my future classrooms, and I had a great day.

I'm hoping that many Galaxy Zoo people will come along to the 2008 one. I don't yet know what the dates will be, but we thought it was an ideal opportunity for us to get together on the Saturday and either have a pub lunch or go along for some drinks after the day has ended. (Can't be the Friday as I for one will be working, sorry!)

If you are interested in coming along, please send me either a personal message on this forum, or you can e-mail me at a_j_sheppard@hotmail.com. Tell me your preference about what time to meet up. At present, what we need is a vague idea of the numbers so that we can book a venue, though obviously it's at a very early stage! I'm also happy to make a "Galaxy Zoo Label" so we can all find each other, and send you a copy so you can print it off. I expect I will have to walk around waving a banner, but that'll all be part of the fun.

For those abroad who fancy a trip to sunny Britain, I can probably point you to one or two useful websites about finding your way around London and somewhere to stay, but I definitely cannot arrange anything like that for you. Pooling of knowledge here would be ideal.

I'll be able to tell you a lot more in due course! And I hope to hear from many of you soon - it will be terrific to meet you in person.
« Last Edit: February 06, 2008, 07:28:24 pm by Alice »
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Alice

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Re: Galaxy Zoo Get-Together: Astrofest 2008
« Reply #1 on: October 16, 2007, 05:55:19 pm »
P.S. Somebody has sent me a nice idea. Obviously there are many here who are just too far away to come. But don't be sad. We'll report on Astrofest and our meet-up. I expect there will be a thread about it in the Cafe within five minutes of the event ending! And I've no doubt that someone will turn up with a camera . . .
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driller

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Re: Galaxy Zoo Get-Together: Astrofest 2008
« Reply #2 on: October 16, 2007, 06:09:42 pm »
Alice, I'm sure I speak for many of us. Is the Astrofest a largely technical based festival? I have little knowledge above what I've gleaned from GZ, but am still fascinated by all I've seen. I suppose I'm a bit too lazy to delve into technical papers, and wonder if the festival would be over my head. Apart from that, I'd be very interested in coming, and learning more about what seems to me to be a dichotomy: the most relevant topic of all regarding our existence, and yet, to daily human life, the most irrelevant topic. And it would be nice to meet some of the animals in the Zoo.
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Alice

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Re: Galaxy Zoo Get-Together: Astrofest 2008
« Reply #3 on: October 16, 2007, 06:13:31 pm »
Well, I'm no astronomer, so I understand how you feel. There was certainly plenty of stuff way over my head too, but I had a great day. And as people emerged from the lecture theatres in their hundreds, I overheard the comment "That was fantastic!" over and over again.

Could those who've been to Astrofest and especially been to some presentations post their thoughts please?

But also - this won't be taking place at Astrofest; we can always meet you outside it on our way to the pub!  ;D
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jules

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Re: Galaxy Zoo Get-Together: Astrofest 2008
« Reply #4 on: October 16, 2007, 06:53:43 pm »
Astrofest is over 2 days. It's a mix of displays - by telescope manufacturers, astronomy related stores (selling globes of Mars, the Moon, books etc), societies (Eg Society for Popular Astronomy, British Planetary Society, British Astronomical Association) and universities plugging their astronomy courses. There are also 8 mini half hour lectures each day covering a wide range of astronomy related issues. I have found that the lectures are pitched at the "interested general public" to "informed amateur" levels. You can attend just to look at the displays (costs around £5 per day if I remember correctly). You can also choose which lectures to attend - and the ticket price increases accordingly.

If you are hooked by GZ and want to learn a bit more it's ideal. Tickets are available via the Astronomy Now website from December-ish.

If Chris and the team have been invited to give a GZ presentation - be warned, the tickets are likely to sell fast. This year's Sky at Night presentation was completely sold out (and damn good it was too!)  ;)
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Do you irregulars too?

Go out and point your camera up!

Hanny

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Re: Galaxy Zoo Get-Together: Astrofest 2008
« Reply #5 on: October 16, 2007, 08:02:53 pm »
Alice I think it is great we have a sticky for this! (oh and you already know I want to come ;))
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Dancw39

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Re: Galaxy Zoo Get-Together: Astrofest 2008
« Reply #6 on: October 16, 2007, 08:11:26 pm »
Quote
Every year, usually in the first or second week of February, Astrofest is held in London. It is a 2-day astronomy festival, organised by Astronomy Now, each day comprising 2 sessions of presentations by astronomers and a generally fantastic collection of displays of astronomy equipment and books to browse.


How can we find out if there is an event like this in the US for those without the resources to travel abroad,  Also would any of the zoo-keepers be in attendence at the event for the purpose of lectures, seminars or just wanting to meet us zooites..lol   Dan
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Alice

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Re: Galaxy Zoo Get-Together: Astrofest 2008
« Reply #7 on: October 16, 2007, 08:17:53 pm »
Chris will be there. Hopefully we can drag along some more!  ;D

If anyone hears of an event in the US or another continent, and there are other people from there on this forum who'd like to go, you can start a thread or send me a message to co-ordinate something similar.  :)
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Geoff

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Re: Galaxy Zoo Get-Together: Astrofest 2008
« Reply #8 on: October 17, 2007, 08:00:08 am »
To get an easy to use map of the area around Kensington Town Hall (where Astrofest is held) type the postcode "W8 7NX" into Google Maps:
http://maps.google.co.uk/

If you add "pubs" after the postcode, Google Maps will list all the nearby pubs as well.

Geoff

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scaryitalian

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Re: Galaxy Zoo Get-Together: Astrofest 2008
« Reply #9 on: October 17, 2007, 08:11:02 am »
... what a shame the Bar Cuba (opposite the Royal Garden Hotel) seems to have closed forever: we could have enacted mergers and spiral evolution in the dance hall downstairs...  ;D

The Kensington is nice, but it is a mile away...  :-*  ;D      The Kensington Arms looks great, though...
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peterb01

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Re: Galaxy Zoo Get-Together: Astrofest 2008
« Reply #10 on: October 19, 2007, 02:37:26 am »
Quote
How can we find out if there is an event like this in the US for those without the resources to travel abroad,  Also would any of the zoo-keepers be in attendence at the event for the purpose of lectures, seminars or just wanting to meet us zooites..lol   Dan


Wherever you are in the US - or the world for that matter - find an astronomy club near you. Astrofests, starfests or whatever name is used, are 2-3 day (annual) events held in many parts of the country... there are clubs in every state. Around Chicago, for example, the Chicago Astronomical Society holds their Astrofest in September near Kankakee. Another such fest is a month later at a different location nearby. Clubs like the Northwest Suburban A's, Lake County A's and Naperville Astro Ass'n hold public and members-only viewing sessions, often at long-used locations. Member sessions are mostly at new moon time for best viewing. CAS, NSA, LCA, NAA all have monthly meetings and the NAA has on-going beginner classes.

Public sessions are great for getting a test-look through different telescopes. At a recent public held at the Little Red Schoolhouse near Batavia IL (I think), there were 12 scopes and 65 visitors.

- Peter
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GwydionM

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Re: Galaxy Zoo Get-Together: Astrofest 2008
« Reply #11 on: October 20, 2007, 03:25:54 pm »
I'm a regular at Astrofest, but an extra for Galaxy Zoo sounds nice.

Given that we've contributed to science, maybe the organisers would give it official recognition of some sort.
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Geoff

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Re: Galaxy Zoo Get-Together: Astrofest 2008
« Reply #12 on: October 23, 2007, 02:10:15 pm »
The November issue of Astronomy Now is out and has a booking form for AstroFest on page 72.

You can also book on the web site: http://www.astronomynow.com/astrofest/

Be warned - the conference programme that appears on the web site is for this year, don't know when it will be updated for 2008.

Geoff
« Last Edit: October 23, 2007, 02:53:08 pm by Geoff Roynon »
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scaryitalian

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Re: Galaxy Zoo Get-Together: Astrofest 2008
« Reply #13 on: October 23, 2007, 02:34:08 pm »
... seems the AstroFest pages only get updated at the very last minute, after most of the logistics have been sorted out and confirmed; meanwhile, they keep showing the previous edition.

IIRC, the 2007 booking forms went on-line in the first days of January, but the conference schedule only appeared several days later.

I remember I booked ALL the sessions, because no detail was available yet about what would happen at what time of what day, and I sure did not want to miss Sir Patrick Moore.

Of course I do not regret doing that in the least - all the sessions I attended were extremely interesting and fascinating.
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zookeeperChris

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Re: Galaxy Zoo Get-Together: Astrofest 2008
« Reply #14 on: October 24, 2007, 06:18:52 am »
Just in case there's any confusion, there will not be anything Galaxy Zoo related on the 'Official' programme. So you won't need a ticket to Astrofest to join us, nor will you miss anything GZ related without one.
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