The following articles featured in previous issues of Réalta, written by TAS members. Feel free to use them yourself, but please acknowledge the copyright of the article to the author in question.

• Too close for comfort? by Seanie Morris, TAS
• Gemini, The Twins by Micahel O'Connell, TAS
• Stuff of the Universe by Maire McKay, TAS
• Auriga, The Charioteer by Michael O'Connell, TAS
• Preserving Ireland's Dark Skies by Albert White, ILPAC
• Survival In Space by Girvan McKay, TAS
• Magic Numbers by Máire McKay, TAS
• Dunsink Observatory by Brian O'Halloran, Dunsink
• Dark Matter by Maire McKay, TAS
• The Make Up Of The Moon by Tom Walsh, TAS
• In Search Of Planets Outside The Solar System by Girvan McKay, TAS
• Is The Shuttle Worth It? by Seanie Morris, TAS
• Mythology, Astronomy, & Ancient Folklore PART 1 by Grainne Kirwan, TAS
• Mythology, Astronomy, & Ancient Folklore PART 2 by Grainne Kirwan, TAS
• Man And The Universe by Girvan McKay, TAS
• The Vostok Mystery by Girvan McKay, TAS
• Beginners Astronomy by Seanie Morris, TAS

You may also submit an article for print in Réalta if you wish. Send it by post (preferrable on disk), or email it to the editor.

 

This has gone through a couple of different forms from when Sean McKenna started the first TAS Newsletter in 1988. Back then, Wordperfect was in fashion, Pentium was an unknown word, and only a handful of astronomy magazines worldwide existed.

As technology grew, so did the TAS Newsletter. From club news and events, to articles written by members, and astronomy news stories, it kept people almost as up to date as the top astronomy magazines at the time. With the creation of the TAS Junior Section in around 1990, a new newsletter, Cosmos, was introduced for and maintaind by the Junior Section. It went through a few editions before it fizzled out, mainly due to the responsibilities involved clashing with student reponsibilities, and printing costs. Still, it was another first of its kind in Ireland, that an astronomy club had 2 simultaneous newsletters for its members.

Later, in the 90's, the advent of Information Technology allowed for the Newsletter to become more popular. It grew from just being a 2 or 3 times a year newsletter to a bi-monthly club magazine. Sean McKenna still produced it, and was able to keep up with the times with excerpts from newspapers and magazines.

In 1997, The name was changed to Réalta with the renaming of Irish Astrofest to Cosmos, and the official opening of the Observatory, all in 1998. Girvan McKay coined the term, using an accronym of Reviews, Events And Lectures - Tullamore Astronomy. By taking the first letter of each word, you also have the Irish for Star!

In 2000, Seanie Morris took over as Editor due to Sean McKenna's work committments. By this stage, the internet was everywhere, and from then on, Réalta was able to produce news stories a month ahead of the major astronomical magazines like Astronomy Now, Astronomy & Space and Sky & Telescope. It was still only a club magazine though, with a limited audience.

Today, Réalta has grown so much that it is even stocked by local newsagents around Tullamore. Members take an active part, with many original articles printed due to submissions by members and astronomers as far away as North America! With the help of these people, and the use of the internet, Réalta is now in colour and on glossy paper, and has news articles printed sometimes months ahead of the competition! It also keeps astronomers up to date for 2 months with each edition that comes out, with charts and listings for astronomical events in the 2 months ahead.

Any issue can be requested by post by sending a stamped address A4 envelope with €5 to the Secretary's address, or purchase it directly from Cards'n'Things and other participating outlets around Tullamore*.

*Currently, due to overwhelming committments, our Editor Seanie Morris has been unable to produce Réalta during 2007.