December 2003 - astronomy@lists.redbrick.dcu.ie

[Astronomy Ireland] TV+Radio; Venus near Moon Dec. 25
by Astronomy Ireland 29 Dec '03

29 Dec '03

[Apologies if you get this twice: It was originally sent at 4pm on Dec. 23 but did not seem to go out - David Moore] 1. Beagle 2 and Mars Express are approaching Mars. Our colleagues from the Beagle 2 team who were guests at the Astro-Expo 2003 Dinner tell us that once Beagle 2 lands (3am approx) it takes a few hours to charge its batteries then it calls Earth. Collin Pillinger will give a press conference around 8am each morning starting Christmas morning. You can 'tune in' at www.beagle2.com Irish media have been taking note too and I'll be interviewed by David McWilliams tomorrow morning (Dec. 24) at 7:50am on Newstalk 106FM radio ( www.newstalk106.ie ), and also on television next Monday Dec. 29 at 7:45am on TV3. Doubtless there'll be a lot of other interviews done elsewhere also - looks like being a busy Christmas! At this stage we must be doing 500ish interviews each year much to the envy of other groups. It's been quite an active 2003 for Astronomy Ireland with our biggest ever Star-B-Q and a record breaking Astro-Expo 2003. There'll be two more Star-B-Qs in 2004 (May 4 and August 13). An even bigger Astro-Expo (Nov. 13+14) - if that's possible! We're also bringing in nearly half of our monthly speakers from abroad in 2004. We plan 'Watches' all around the country for 'evening' lunar eclipse of May 4 (but not the 'dawn' lunar eclipse of Oct. 23). Remember, there's a bright comet coming too - see magazine soon. There'll also be a big event for the Transit of Venus on June 8 (6:15am to 12:30pm approx). We'll keep you posted in the pages of Astronomy & Space magazine Please support Ireland's only monthly full colour astronomy magazine. www.astronomy.ie/sub 2. ASTRONOMY IRELAND Press Notice, December 22 FALSE STAR OF BETHLEHEM ABOVE MOON ON CHRISTMAS DAY On Christmas Day evening around 5pm a wondrous spectacle will be visible in the southwest sky just where the Sun went down. Looking like the Star of Bethlehem it will in fact be the brilliant planet Venus, which is by far the brightest star-like object in the winter sky this year, and is coming closer to Earth. Venus will be very prominent over the holiday season but it can only be seen for a short time each evening. I've seen it several times already. Any day over Christmas, look soon after sunset near the glow where the Sun just set. That will be between 4pm and 5pm each evening. On Christmas Day at around 5pm everyone should go outside and look just where the Sun went down because not only will Venus be blazing just above the horizon but the beautiful crescent Moon will be glowing just below it. "This is an extremely rare sight and it's completely visible to the naked eye, so we are hoping everyone will go outside on Christmas Day at 5pm and behold a wonder of nature" said David Moore, Chairman of Astronomy Ireland. "It is not the Star of Bethlehem returning, but in a way it is 'a Christmas star' as it will steal the show in terms of beautiful things to see in the sky this month" said Mr. Moore. Details of the society are available on Astronomy Ireland's website www.astronomy.ie Further details about this event are available from the Astronomy Ireland Telescope Shop on (01) 847 0777. For more information see the diagram and notes on page 26 of the December issue of "Astronomy & Space" magazine. 3. On behalf of the approximately 100 volunteers from all around the country who do valuable work for Astronomy Ireland every year let me take this opportunity to wish every one of the thousands of you on this mailing list a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year with many clear skies. Hope to see many of you at the New Year Lecture on Jan. 12 in Dublin City University when hopefully a triumphant Prof David Southwood (the Director of Science at the European Space Agency in Paris) will tell us how his Mars Express and Beagle 2 made it to the Red Planet! Fingers crossed. http://www.astronomy.ie/nextlecture.html ===== David Moore BSc FRAS, Chairman, Astronomy Ireland, P.O.Box 2888, Dublin 5. Editor, "Astronomy & Space" magazine. ASTRONOMY SHOP: open until 6pm Mon.-Sat. Tel (01) 847 0777. Fax (01) 847 0771. www.astronomy.ie Email: info at astronomy.ie

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[Astronomy Ireland] TV+Radio; Venus near Moon Dec. 25
by Astronomy Ireland 23 Dec '03

23 Dec '03

1. Beagle 2 and Mars Express are approaching Mars. Our colleagues from the Beagle 2 team who were guests at the Astro-Expo 2003 Dinner tell us that once Beagle 2 lands (3am approx) it takes a few hours to charge its batteries then it calls Earth. Collin Pillinger will give a press conference around 8am each morning starting Christmas morning. You can 'tune in' at www.beagle2.com Irish media have been taking note too and I'll be interviewed by David McWilliams tomorrow morning (Dec. 24) at 7:50am on Newstalk 106FM radio ( www.newstalk106.ie ), and also on television next Monday Dec. 29 at 7:45am on TV3. Doubtless there'll be a lot of other interviews done elsewhere also - looks like being a busy Christmas! At this stage we must be doing 500ish interviews each year much to the envy of other groups. It's been quite an active 2003 for Astronomy Ireland with our biggest ever Star-B-Q and a record breaking Astro-Expo 2003. There'll be two more Star-B-Qs in 2004 (May 4 and August 13). An even bigger Astro-Expo (Nov. 13+14) - if that's possible! We're also bringing in nearly half of our monthly speakers from abroad in 2004. We plan 'Watches' all around the country for 'evening' lunar eclipse of May 4 (but not the 'dawn' lunar eclipse of Oct. 23). Remember, there's a bright comet coming too - see magazine soon. There'll also be a big event for the Transit of Venus on June 8 (6:15am to 12:30pm approx). We'll keep you posted in the pages of Astronomy & Space magazine Please support Ireland's only monthly full colour astronomy magazine. www.astronomy.ie/sub 2. ASTRONOMY IRELAND Press Notice, December 22 FALSE STAR OF BETHLEHEM ABOVE MOON ON CHRISTMAS DAY On Christmas Day evening around 5pm a wondrous spectacle will be visible in the southwest sky just where the Sun went down. Looking like the Star of Bethlehem it will in fact be the brilliant planet Venus, which is by far the brightest star-like object in the winter sky this year, and is coming closer to Earth. Venus will be very prominent over the holiday season but it can only be seen for a short time each evening. I've seen it several times already. Any day over Christmas, look soon after sunset near the glow where the Sun just set. That will be between 4pm and 5pm each evening. On Christmas Day at around 5pm everyone should go outside and look just where the Sun went down because not only will Venus be blazing just above the horizon but the beautiful crescent Moon will be glowing just below it. "This is an extremely rare sight and it's completely visible to the naked eye, so we are hoping everyone will go outside on Christmas Day at 5pm and behold a wonder of nature" said David Moore, Chairman of Astronomy Ireland. "It is not the Star of Bethlehem returning, but in a way it is 'a Christmas star' as it will steal the show in terms of beautiful things to see in the sky this month" said Mr. Moore. Details of the society are available on Astronomy Ireland's website www.astronomy.ie Further details about this event are available from the Astronomy Ireland Telescope Shop on (01) 847 0777. For more information see the diagram and notes on page 26 of the December issue of "Astronomy & Space" magazine. 3. On behalf of the approximately 100 volunteers from all around the country who do valuable work for Astronomy Ireland every year let me take this opportunity to wish every one of the thousands of you on this mailing list a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year with many clear skies. Hope to see many of you at the New Year Lecture on Jan. 12 in Dublin City University when hopefully a triumphant Prof David Southwood (the Director of Science at the European Space Agency in Paris) will tell us how his Mars Express and Beagle 2 made it to the Red Planet! Fingers crossed. http://www.astronomy.ie/nextlecture.html ===== David Moore BSc FRAS, Chairman, Astronomy Ireland, P.O.Box 2888, Dublin 5. Editor, "Astronomy & Space" magazine. ASTRONOMY SHOP: open until 6pm Mon.-Sat. Tel (01) 847 0777. Fax (01) 847 0771. www.astronomy.ie Email: info(a)astronomy.ie

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[Astronomy Ireland] Geminids; Time Travel; Neil Armstrong
by Astronomy Ireland 16 Dec '03

16 Dec '03

GEMINIDS REPORT Sunday morning was 100% cloud free and I got some great view of the Geminids. In one half hour interval I saw 5 fireballs. The Zenithal Hour Rate I estimated to be 120 around 5am Sunday so the shower lived up to its expectations of being one of the best of the year. Did anyone else see the Geminids? We have received zero reports to observe(a)astronomy.ie so far - quite unusual for one of the best events of the year! The next meteor shower is a short but intense affair on Jan. 4 - the Quadrantids - see page 29 of the January issue of our magazine (www.astronomy.ie/sub to order a copy). T.V. BBC2's Horizon this Thursday at 9pm is about Time Travel. If you missed the repeat last Saturday of Patrick Moore's SKY AT NIGHT on BBC2 (all about comets) then you can watch it online at http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/spaceguide/skyatnight/proginfo.shtml NEIL ARMSTRONG If you missed his interview with Gay Byrne in Dublin on the day after Astro-Expo 2003 you can hear it on RTE Radio 1 on New Year's Eve (Dec. 31) at 9am in the morning. You can listen to Radio 1 online as well at http://www.rte.ie/radio1/ CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEAS FROM ASTRONOMY IRELAND? http://www.astronomy.ie/Christmas%20Gift%20ideas.html Including tickets to our New Year Lecture Jan 12 with Prof David Southwood from E.S.A. Paris, and our Evening Classes starting Jan. 20. CHRISTMAS TELESCOPES AND NEW GIFTS FROM OUR SHOP? http://www.astronomy.ie/Telescopes_&Gift%20ideas_.html >From Astronomy MONOPOLY to discounts on telescopes for members! Merry Christmas! ===== David Moore BSc FRAS, Chairman, Astronomy Ireland, P.O.Box 2888, Dublin 5. Editor, "Astronomy & Space" magazine. ASTRONOMY SHOP: open until 6pm Mon.-Sat. Tel (01) 847 0777 www.astronomy.ie Email: info(a)astronomy.ie

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[Astronomy Ireland] Christmas Telescopes; Geminids tonight; New Year Lecture
by Astronomy Ireland 13 Dec '03

13 Dec '03

Sorry for late notice of the Geminids below but we've been snowed under with Christmas Telescopes orders, the Christmas Lecture etc. We have a new webpage about gift ideas from our very well-stocked Shop in Artane (delivery to anywhere in Ireland). IT'S IRELAND'S BIGGEST TELESCOPE SHOP and almost everyone gets their telescopes here. See http://www.astronomy.ie/Telescopes_&Gift%20ideas_.html and also http://www.astronomy.ie/Christmas%20Gift%20ideas.html for other ideas for gifts and special offers this Christmas. Get your Astronomy Ireland Polo/Sweat/T-shirt or a game of Astronomy Monopoly, Patrick Moore's Yearbook 2004, or Carl Sagan's 7-DVD boxed set, as well as discounts (to members) on many telescopes. We have thousands of products IN STOCK for you all year round. It's all on the above webpages or call the Shop staff at (01) 847 0777 Monday to Saturday up to 6pm. Remember that buying from our Shop helps us to help you by giving us the resources to promote astronomy in Ireland to the heady heights we have already achieved. So please support our Shop. GEMINIDS: Tonight (Saturday Dec. 13) is the peak of the Geminid meteor shower. Even though the Moon is in the sky I urge you to watch for an hour at least as the Geminid shower is good at producing bright meteors and fireballs. I've had spectacular views on nights of a Full Moon from city suburbs. The radiant is in Gemini of course, near Castor, so all Geminids should appear to point back to that location, but you can of course see Geminids in any part of the sky. Keep a count of how many you see and record how long you view the shower then email these details and any comments to observe(a)astronomy.ie with your name and address so we can include you in any report we produce for the magazine. NEW YEAR LECTURE TICKETS Tickets are now available for our very special New Year Public Lecture in D.C.U. on January 12. Please book now as this is an extra special speaker coming in from abroad - the Director of Science from Paris office of the European Space Agency, Prof David Southwood. He is probably one of the most important people in the world of space exploration and we hope you will want to hear what he has to say. E.S.A. is fast catching up with NASA when it comes to space exploration. There are probes on their way to Mars, Saturn, the Moon, and soon Venus and a comet. ESA shares the Hubble Space Telescope with NASA, and has many other missions like this. Prof Southwood will describe all of these. He gave a similar fascinating lecture about what the future holds in Armagh in August about which we published an article in Ireland's astronomy magazine "Astronomy & Space". You can see a copy of this article online at http://www.astronomy.ie/nextlecture.html along with lots of details of the talk including how to book tickets (which you should do before Christmas). Please support Astronomy Ireland this Christmas and sign up new member (www.astronomy.ie/sub) or get a quality telescope or gift from our Shop. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. ===== David Moore BSc FRAS, Chairman, Astronomy Ireland, P.O.Box 2888, Dublin 5. Editor, "Astronomy & Space" magazine. ASTRONOMY SHOP: open until 6pm Mon.-Sat. Tel (01) 847 0777. Fax (01) 847 0771. www.astronomy.ie (Subscribe FREE to AI's Events emailing list) Email: info(a)astronomy.ie P.S. We have a limited number of places for our beginners evening classes starting Jan. 20 in D.C.U. See http://www.astronomy.ie/eveningclass.html and book as soon as you can please to avoid disappointment as happened with our October classes that sold out.

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[Astronomy Ireland] Christmas Lecture; I.S.S.
by Astronomy Ireland 08 Dec '03

08 Dec '03

If you are in the Leinster area try to get to Astronomy Ireland's 2003 Christmas Lecture on Monday December 8 This year no expense is being spare to bring in Prof David Hughes from the U.K. to explain: "The Star of Bethlehem Mystery" If 'the Christmas Star' was an astronomical phenomenon what might it have been? And can this tie down Christ's birth date once and for all? The Christian Church teaches its priests that Christ was born in the years around 6 B.C. (for good historical reasons). It also teaches that December 25 is NOT the birth date of Christ, it's only an arbitrary date on which to celebrate Christ's birth. Again, there were reasons for picking that date but it's important to note that the theory Prof Hughes proposes is not at odds with the Church in fact the Church is as interested as he is. So people like Prof Hughes have looked to clues in the Bible and other contemporary records to try to find out if anything interesting was going on in the skies in the years around 6 B.C.? Comets? New stars? Fireballs? Planets? etc. It's always possible that 'The Star' was just a miraculous object, or a story made up to illustrate a point, but it turns out that there was an extremely significant astrological event in 7 B.C. that stands out like a sore thumb and would have had astrologers ("Wise Men" of the time) looking for a Messiah! Just as the Bible records. The event was a conjunction of the planets Jupiter and Saturn which came together 3 times in the constellation of Pisces (a once in over 800 year event). The final 'conjunction' was on September 15 in 7 B.C. and this is the most likely birth date of Christ, at least if 'The Star' in the Bible was an astronomical event. It's a remarkable story which Prof Hughes thoroughly researched and published in his book "The Star of Bethlehem Mystery" - a brilliant read, if you can get your hands on a copy as it is, sadly, out of print. It's a brilliant piece of astronomical and historical detective work. However, Prof Hughes video documentary is still available and it explains the basic facts. In it, Prof Hughes is in Bethlehem on the exact 2,000th anniversary of Christ's birth (15 Sept 1994) but there are no celebrations, only a brief mention of Hughes' theory that that was the correct date for the millennium celebrations. Fascinating. You can still get a copy of this video "The Christmas Star" from our Shop and copies will be on sale at the Christmas Lecture for 20euro. The Astronomy Ireland 2003 Christmas Lecture is in Dublin City University in the Henry Grattan Building at 8pm (next to The Helix). Everyone is welcome so please bring friends. Admission 5euro. TV3 - if you are/were up at 7:45am Monday you may have seen me on TV3 talking about the lecture and the Christmas Star. They may re-show it on their "Best of Ireland AM" on Saturday or Sunday morning. IRELAND ON SUNDAY (Dec. 7) did nearly full page a piece on page 35. Quite a few misquotes but the basic facts are there. P.S. Don't forget the International Space Station is visible every evening until Friday Dec. 12. Call 1550-111-442 each afternoon to get the time to see it when it flies over after sunset. Calls cost 74c/min (in N.Ireland and Britain call 09001-88-1950). Please forward this message to everyone you think may be interested! ===== David Moore BSc FRAS, Chairman, Astronomy Ireland, P.O.Box 2888, Dublin 5. Editor, "Astronomy & Space" magazine. ASTRONOMY SHOP: open until 6pm Mon.-Sat. (Ireland's BIGGEST telescope showrooms) Tel (01) 847 0777. Fax (01) 847 0771. www.astronomy.ie (Subscribe FREE to AI's emailing list) Email: info(a)astronomy.ie

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[Astronomy Ireland] VERY special Christmas Lecture this year; I.S.S. visible
by Astronomy Ireland 03 Dec '03

03 Dec '03

03-Dec-03 Astronomy Ireland Press Notices Tel (01) 847 0777 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CHRISTMAS STAR IN THE SKY TONIGHT to be subject of the 2003 CHRISTMAS LECTURE ====================== "The Star of Bethlehem Mystery" by Prof David Hughes from Sheffield University (on Monday December 8 in D.C.U. at 8pm) Astronomy Ireland is getting an increasing number of calls asking what is the extremely bright NEW star low in the southwest just after sunset? Is it the Christmas Star? Does it always appear at Christmas? And if not, what was the Star of Bethlehem. The answer is that the 'star' is in fact the brilliant planet Venus, which is moving toward the Earth. As Christmas nears the 'star' will get higher and brighter and hover in the sky each evening confusing millions. But there was a real 'Christmas Star', over 2,000 years ago. It was not Venus however. Only in relatively recent times has it become possible to pin down the date of Christ's birth. Using astronomy, a special coming together of two brilliant planets in a way that only happens every 800 years, and was particularly unique 2,000 years ago, has made it possible to determine the mostly likely date of the birth of Jesus Christ. This remarkable discovery was published in a book by Prof David Hughes from Sheffield University. "It is one of, if not the most fascinating books I have ever read" said David Moore Chairman of Astronomy Ireland. "We are honoured that the author of 'The Star of Bethlehem Mystery' is coming to Ireland to give our CHRISTMAS LECTURE for 2003, especially with this other very bright object in this year's Christmas sky" he said. "Prof Hughes will take the audience on a tour of the Bible, the Middle East, History sources, and astronomical events, arriving at one overwhelming conclusion as to what 'His Star' referred to in the Bible must have been. From there we can pinpoint the date of Christ's Birth" "When I read the book I was overwhelmed by the research and significance of the work. It deserves a wider audience." "Sadly, Prof Hughes and a TV crew were the only ones who celebrated Christ's birth in Bethlehem on the exact 2,000th anniversary. The rest of us all got it wrong. As he will explain at the Lecture". "This is sure to be one of the most memorable Christmas Lectures ever organised by the Society and we are urging everyone to come and hear for themselves the research that has led to this conclusion." Everyone is welcome to come along to the Henry Grattan Building (next to The Helix) in Dublin City University on MONDAY DECEMBER 8 at 8pm. Seats SHOULD BE booked on (01) 847 0777 and all are welcome. Admission 5euro. For further details and a map of DCU click here before the lecture: http://www.astronomy.ie/nextlecture.html This is a VERY special lecture by an International Speaker and World Authority on this subject so do book your seats early. There will be our traditional Christmas drinks in a nearby hostelry if you want to plan to stay on afterwards. Copies of David Hughes excellent video "The Christmas Star" will be on sale at the event. Or call to get one posted to you now. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The International Space Station is blazing across the sky every night this week and next week. It looks like a very bright 'star' for a couple minutes as it passes over and can be up to 100 times brighter than the brightest stars in the sky. So you won't have any trouble spotting it as long as you go out and look up at the correct time, which is different each evening. The best way to get the most accurate prediction is by calling our premium rate Newslines on: 1550-111-442 in the Republic of Ireland (74c/min) 09001-88-19 50 in Northern Ireland & Britain (60p/min) We update these Newslines by 12noon each day giving the time to see ISS that night. Please forward this on to anyone you think might be interest in seeing a genuine space ship! On board at present are space veterans Mike Foale and Alexander Kaleri who arrived in mid October and will spend six months on board i.e.over Christmas and New Year. Give them a wave! Read the I.S.S. column in our magazine every month. More I.S.S. background is on our website http://www.astronomy.ie/iss.html Merry Christmas, and I hope to see all of you that live in the Leinster area at least at the Christmas Lecture, and maybe for drinks afterwards! ===== David Moore BSc FRAS, Chairman, Astronomy Ireland, P.O.Box 2888, Dublin 5. ASTRONOMY SHOP: open until 6pm Mon.-Sat. IRELAND'S BIGGEST *AND BEST* TELESCOPE SHOP Tel (01) 847 0777. www.astronomy.ie (Subscribe to our FREE emailing list)

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