NEWS ARCHIVE

National Astronomy Meeting

Last Updated on Sunday, 02 May 2010 15:34

Published on Friday, 25 February 2005 00:00

31 March - 3 April 1998

Host: University of St Andrews

Location: Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, Scotland, UK

The seventh annual National Astronomy Meeting (NAM) for the UK will take place in St Andrews, Scotland, from 31st March to 3rd April 1998, starting at 9.00 a.m. on Tuesday 31st March and finishing at 12.30 p.m. on Friday 3rd April.

The National Astronomy Meeting is the largest and most important gathering of astronomers in the UK each year and is sponsored by the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) and the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC). It is expected to attract about 300 professional astronomers. This year it includes the UK Solar Physics Meeting.

Media representatives are cordially invited and press room facilities will be available throughout the meeting, from 8.30 a.m on Tuesday 31st March. Press room phone and fax numbers will be advised later. RAS PRO Jacqueline Mitton and Space Science Advisor Peter Bond are press officers for the meeting and will provide a service to the media by phone and fax throughout.

If possible, please advise Jacqueline Mitton if you plan to attend in person, though advance registration is not essential. There is no registration fee for working media representatives. Report to the Registration Desk on arrival for directions to the press room.

 

Focus on Extrasolar Planets

The first day of the meeting features sessions on one of the most exciting areas in astronomy at the present time - the discovery of planets orbiting stars other than the Sun. The invited speaker is Dr William Cochran of the University of Texas, co-discoverer of the planet orbiting 16 Cygni B.

Other topical issues to be covered include: 

• The total solar eclipse visible from the UK on 11 August 1999

• Latest results from SOHO, the ESA/NASA spacecraft currently studying the Sun

• Black holes

• The large-scale structure, origin and evolution of the universe

Press notices on specific newsworthy presentations will be distributed by e-mail immediately prior to the meeting and posted on the Royal Astronomical Society's WWW pages at... 

• http://www.ras.org.uk/ras/press/press.htm 

Further details about the meeting and the scientific programme can be found via the World Wide Web at... 

• http://www-solar.dcs.st-andrews.ac.uk/~nam98/

The University of St Andrews Press Officer is: 

Lesley Lind Phone: (0)1334-462530 Fax: (0)1334-462590 e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Issued by:
Dr Jacqueline Mitton, RAS Public Relations Officer
Phone: Cambridge ((0)1223) 564914
FAX: Cambridge ((0)1223) 572892
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.