Astrofest 2016 (London)

• by johnfairweather

  Astrofest tickets are now available.

  Posted October 2, 2015 4:04 PM

• by Capella05 moderator

  Not living in London anymore, I doubt I will attend. Have fun anyway!

  Posted October 2, 2015 4:49 PM

• by johnfairweather

  Thanks.

  Well, I'm up in Oxford for a conference in November, hope the weather is nice to me (expensive hotel).

  Posted October 2, 2015 4:57 PM

• by Peter_Dzwig

  Got my Astrofest tickets! Both days.

  Posted December 21, 2015 9:48 PM

• by Peter_Dzwig in response to Capella05's comment.

  Shame. Where are you now?

  Posted December 21, 2015 9:49 PM

• by ElisabethB moderator

  I'll probably be there ! Haven't booked my tickets yet !

  Posted December 21, 2015 9:53 PM

• by johnfairweather in response to Peter_Dzwig's comment.

  In answer to Peter's earlier query (elsewhere), the list of Conference speakers is here - http://europeanastrofest.com/conference/

  Also here -
  Megan Argo
  Allan Chapman
  Michèle Heurs
  Hugh Hudson
  Andrew Pontzen
  Debbie Lewis
  Brian May
  Mark McCaughrean
  Matt Taylor
  Tom Whyntie

  Posted December 22, 2015 8:39 PM

• by Peter_Dzwig

  Thanks.

  Peter

  Posted December 22, 2015 11:45 PM

• by GeoffRoynon

  I'll probably be there for lunch in the pub on Saturday. I find the actual exhibits and stalls much too crowded, they need to hire a larger building.

  Posted January 3, 2016 4:38 PM

• by johnfairweather in response to johnfairweather's comment.

  This has now been updated.

  Posted January 6, 2016 5:27 PM

• by Capella05 moderator in response to Peter_Dzwig's comment.

  Hi Peter,

  I now live in Oxford, so it is the time and expense that might prevent me from coming down. Also, the one talk I wanted to goto is on the Friday morning when I am working 😦

  Like Geoff, I will be there on Saturday lunchtime, for a pint or two, at the usual pub.

  Posted January 7, 2016 7:44 PM

• by johnfairweather

  Talking to one of the organisers yesterday, they might do some recording of talks.

  There are still a few slots left for talks, though (I suppose) they might move them around to different sessions. (I recently went to Oxford for a conference talk on a Thursday, but a few days earlier they had moved it to the Tuesday, but I had already booked my hotel.)

  Two more talks should be appearing on the list in the next few days, one should be on Galaxies (a similar one, I attended an all-day session yesterday) and the other will be on a UK space project, which took a bit of persuading for them to include it.

  Posted January 9, 2016 2:19 PM

• by Peter_Dzwig in response to Capella05's comment.

  Which is the usual pub?. I haven't done Astrofest before.

  Peter

  Posted January 10, 2016 7:44 PM

• by johnfairweather in response to Peter_Dzwig's comment.

  "The Devonshire Arms" (Marloes Road).

  Posted January 10, 2016 8:53 PM

• by johnfairweather

  All the Talk slots have now been filled.

  Posted January 13, 2016 11:50 PM

• by GeoffRoynon

  The Devonshire Arms may be busy on Saturday the 6th as the Six Nations rugby is on that day - first game starts at 2:25.

  Posted January 18, 2016 10:24 AM

• by ElisabethB moderator

  Ah yes ! Six Nations and Astrofest coincide a lot ! 😄

  We'll have to find some place without a tv then ! 😄

  Posted January 18, 2016 7:48 PM

• by Capella05 moderator

  I will leave that up to you two too decide where to meet - my meetup organisation days are over!

  Just give the place and time, and I will be there 😃

  Posted January 18, 2016 8:12 PM

• by ElisabethB moderator

  I suppose it'll be a limited group of people.
  
  I'll look around what's available in the neighborhood !

  Posted January 18, 2016 8:15 PM

• by GeoffRoynon

  The Scarsdale Tavern is worth a look, we used to meet there before we found the Devonshire Arms. See Scarsdale Tavern

  Posted January 18, 2016 11:54 PM

• by johnfairweather

  There is now a Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/AstroFest/

  Posted January 20, 2016 2:48 PM

• by Blackprojects

  I will be Present in the Pub ot sure about the exhibition as as Geoff has said it is all to crowded for me

  Posted January 23, 2016 1:20 AM

• by GeoffRoynon

  We should probably decide on which pub we're going to.

  The Scarsdale is about the same distance as the Devonshire Arms - the postcode is "W8 6HE". If you put this into Google Maps or other maps app it will show you how to get there.
  It opens at noon and I will be there soon after (if not before!)

  Posted January 23, 2016 8:35 AM

• by ElisabethB moderator in response to GeoffRoynon's comment.

  So should we keep the Devonshire Arms for Friday and go to the Scarsdale on Saturday ?

  Posted January 28, 2016 5:59 PM

• by GeoffRoynon in response to ElisabethB's comment.

  Yes - good point.

  Devonshire Arms for Friday lunchtime and early evening.
  Scarsdale on Saturday lunch and early evening.

  I probably won't make lunch on Friday as travelling from Oxford.

  Posted January 29, 2016 12:52 PM

• by Blackprojects

  The Scarsdale is a TINY Pub compared to the devonshire

  Posted January 31, 2016 3:16 PM

• by GeoffRoynon

  When the Devonshire is full of rugby supporters it also becomes a "tiny" pub 😃

  Posted January 31, 2016 3:34 PM

• by Blackprojects

  oh well cant stand rugby

  Posted January 31, 2016 5:36 PM

• by Blackprojects

  Hmm so the countdown has Started and one of the Younger Zooites just hit 21 Stellar190 Happy birthday.

  Posted February 2, 2016 5:44 AM

• by johnfairweather

  Just arrived in London for Astrofest 2016 (same hotel, as before), now off to the Devonshire Arms.

  Posted February 4, 2016 5:18 PM

• by Blackprojects

  I am doubtful i will be about this year, I have to be i two Places at the same time and Have to decide where i will be on friday night most Likely the Museum the 3rd option is just to stay in Bed

  Posted February 4, 2016 5:57 PM

• by ElisabethB moderator in response to Blackprojects's comment.

  Oh nooo !

  Posted February 4, 2016 7:18 PM

• by Peter_Dzwig

  I take it the consensus is the Devonshire Arms. See you there or in the conference or the exhibition.

  Peter

  Posted February 4, 2016 9:01 PM

• by johnfairweather

  Just back from the Devonshire Arms and Yes, they do have Rugby on this weekend. Afterwards went to the "Chez Patrick" restaurant, where we have been before.

  The hotel I'm staying in, I stayed in twice before, but this time at the back. As the hotel is on the A4, aircraft are using the A4 as a guide path into Heathrow.

  Posted February 4, 2016 9:14 PM

• by ElisabethB moderator

  See you tomorrow ! 😄

  Posted February 4, 2016 9:14 PM

• by Blackprojects

  Saturday i can come to the Pub but that is it so will see you saturday

  Posted February 4, 2016 10:46 PM

• by GeoffRoynon

  I'll also see you in the pub on Saturday.

  Posted February 5, 2016 7:34 AM

• by Blackprojects

  I will not be seeing any one in the Pub as my asthma has reared it"s Ugly head and i am grounded.

  Posted February 5, 2016 11:40 AM

• by Peter_Dzwig

  Where was everybody? I kept an eye out for you but couldn't see anyone...but it was very busy!

  Peter

  Posted February 5, 2016 11:14 PM

• by johnfairweather

  We were around Peter - Graham, Annie, Alice, Rona, Else and me were at Astrofest and Geoff, Julianne we met up at the pub lunchtime.

  Posted February 6, 2016 8:30 PM

• by Peter_Dzwig

  Well, after all I did run into a few of you anyway. Thought the talks really intertsting.

  Posted February 13, 2016 4:00 PM

• by johnfairweather

  For those who were wondering, the right-hip operation went off ok, signed off work until the 31/3, but picked up an infection along the way.

  Posted February 19, 2016 5:13 PM

• by Budgieye moderator

  I hope you are feeling better. Maybe you can find time to look for gravitational waves on the newest Zooniverse project.

  Posted February 20, 2016 8:44 AM

• by johnfairweather

  Thanks, which project is this? I have lost touch with al the new projects that are coming on-line, no indexing.

  Might do, though I have some variable star data to enter for the BAAVSS, then I am in the middle of learning Python, for some data analysis (astronomy) I want to get involved in. (I have also been asked to get involved in the Twinkle project, by the person, who I managed to get a talking slot at Astrofest.)

  (I think I bumped into our airline pilot from Albuquerque, at Astrofest, as someone from there was talking to John Spencer (New Horizons), just before I did.)

  Posted February 20, 2016 6:00 PM

• by KWillett scientist, admin, translator

  The new project will be called Gravity Spy - it's not live yet, but will be on Zooniverse sometime this year.

  Posted February 20, 2016 8:06 PM

• by johnfairweather

  Oh that one, Yes I have seen your post announcing it.

  Posted February 20, 2016 11:43 PM

• by johnfairweather in response to Budgieye's comment.

  This link might be of interest - http://www.nature.com/news/citizen-scientists-take-on-latest-gravitational-wave-data-1.19505?WT.mc_id=TWT_NatureNews

  I have been running this project for many years on my two home PCs 24/7.

  Posted March 9, 2016 8:48 PM

• by Budgieye moderator

  I hope we will get to help with the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope LSST

  To the Zooniverse and Beyond: How Crowdsourcing Science is Solving Big Data Problems in Astronomy

  http://www.astro.umn.edu/seminars/public/spring2015/

  Posted March 9, 2016 10:18 PM

• by johnfairweather in response to Budgieye's comment.

  Thanks for that information.

  As a side issue, I know of 11,000+ photographic plates stored, which nobody has yet digitized - I wonder how much useful information is on them.

  Posted March 11, 2016 3:35 PM