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

[Astronomy Ireland] Classes, Webcast, I.S.S., Observing
by Astronomy Ireland 30 Sep '03

30 Sep '03

1. ASTRONOMY EVENING CLASSES There are still some places left on our Evening Classes that start on Thursday this week (Oct. 2nd). To book places call (01) 847 0777 up to 6pm. They are held in the Oldbawn Community School in Tallaght, just across the road from The Square Shopping Centre and so easy access from the M50 and therefore from most parts of the city and surrounding counties. Details on: http://www.astronomy.ie/eveningclass.html Course outline on: http://www.astronomy.ie/eccontents.rtf 2. SEPTEMBER LECTURE ONLINE Thanks to our colleagues in DCU computer services the September lecture is online at http://www.astronomy.ie/webcast.html (click on September) for your viewing pleasure. Martin Houston gave a superb talk on "Recent Advances in Spacecraft Propulsion" dealing with everything from ion engines (like SMART-1), solar sails, to even the extreme future of anti-matter engines. A fascinating overview of the future of spaceflight to mark this year being the 100th anniversary of the first flight by the Wright brothers in 1903. SURVEY: We want to gauge the level of interest in having these monthly lectures digitised and put online for those who cannot make it to Dublin. Please email mailto:info@astronomy.ie and let us know how often you use this service each year as we will be deciding if it is worth continuing this service or should we put our efforts elsewhere? 3. INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION ON VIEW The International Space Station will blaze across the sky tonight at 7:57pm. You can see it every night until October 8th, but at a different time each night so call our Newsline on 1550-111-442 every day after 12 noon for the time to watch that evening (calls cost 74c/min). Those in the U.K. can call 09001-88-1950 (calls cost 60p/min). On board at present are Ed Lu and Yuri Malenchenko. A new crew will not join them until October 18, so no "space chase" for us this time. Please forward this message on to everyone in your address book and let's get the whole country out watching space this week! 4. OBSERVING TIPS Mars is still a great sight in a telescope. It's at its highest in the South around 11pm this week. Syrtis Major is visible this week and next week. Mars will be very close to Moon on Monday (Oct. 6). Mercury is making its best appearance of the year in morning skies and Jupiter is near it making for a very rare chance to spot it easily! There are some nice sunspots too - but be careful, use your AstroSolar filter to view in safety. More details of planet viewing in the magazine of course, or call the Shop for details and equipment. Don't forget I.S.S. every night too. Not a member of the world's most popular astronomy club yet!? Please join Astronomy Ireland online and support Irish astronomy: www.astronomy.ie/sub ===== 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

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[Astronomy Ireland]Neil Armstrong
by Astronomy Ireland 15 Sep '03

15 Sep '03

[Astronomy Ireland is supporting the following event with this notice and will get a chance to interview Neil Armstrong in private for our magazine - a very rare privilege. Needless to say, this is a unique chance to get to see the first man on the Moon and to pose questions, so it is sure to be a very popular event. We highly recommend it to you - David Moore] Gay Byrne is hosting a series of live public celebrity interviews entitled "Face to Face", which will take place in the National Concert Hall this Autumn. Face to Face is a series of one-to-one live public interviews with world famous icons from the world of sport, politics and space travel. Face to Face opens on Monday 13th October with golfing legend Seve Ballesteros followed by former British Prime Minister John Major on Saturday 8th November. What will appeal most is Neil Armstrong, veteran American astronaut, the first human to set foot on the moon. He's being interviewed on Monday 17th November by Gay Byrne. Each interview will be followed by a questions and answers session, a unique opportunity for members of the audience. TICKETS: o Tickets are available at the National Concert Hall ticket desk (01-417 0000) priced 40euro, 60euro and 80euro o Corporate packages can be bought through CSL Associates (01-6766650) NEIL ARMSTRONG Neil A. Armstrong is the retired Chairman of the EDO Corporation, an electronics and aerospace manufacturer. As a Naval Aviator, he flew 78 combat mission over North Korea. Mr. Armstrong subsequently served 17 years with the NACA and NASA as an engineer, test pilot, astronaut and administrator. As a research pilot at NASA's Flight Research Center at Edwards, California, Armstrong was a project pilot on many pioneering high speed aircraft, including most of the early supersonic jets, the rocket powered X-1, the variable sweep wing X-5, the vertical take off and landing X-14, and the well known X-15, which he flew to over 40 miles altitude and 4000 miles per hour. Mr. Armstrong transferred to astronaut status in 1962. He was the commander of the Gemini 8 flight in 1966 when he performed the first successful docking of two vehicles in space. As spacecraft commander for Apollo 11, he, with colleagues Mike Collins and Buzz Aldrin, completed the first landing mission to the moon. Armstrong has held 13 world records in aviation and space. He received his engineering degree from Purdue University and the University of Southern California. During the years 1971-1979, he was Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Cincinnati. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering. ===== 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: http://www.astronomy.ie Email: info(a)astronomy.ie

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[Astronomy Ireland]new astrology page at www.astronomy.ie
by Astronomy Ireland 12 Sep '03

12 Sep '03

Some of the notes from my lecture about astrology last week have been made in to a new page on our website www.astronomy.ie O just click http://www.astronomy.ie/astrology.html Not sure how long we're going to leave it up, but it will be at least a few days while there is interest from the Marian Finucane Show on RTE Radio 1 Friday Sept. 12 from 9am-10am. Listen to the M.F. Show online 'live' at http://www.rte.ie/smiltest/radio_new.smil Or if you're reading this after 10am Sept.12 listen to a recording (for up to 1 week) at: http://www.rte.ie/rams/ecs/radio_weekly/Fri/marianf.ram Invite you to forward this email on to everyone you know who is interested in astronomy or astrology so they can read the new webpage above. ===== 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: http://www.astronomy.ie (Subscribe FREE to AI's Events emailing list) Email: info(a)astronomy.ie

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[Astronomy Ireland]Astrology - The Truth
by Astronomy Ireland 11 Sep '03

11 Sep '03

Tomorrow morning's panel discussion on RTE RADIO 1 on the new research that proves astrology does not work is turning out to be a much bigger line up than I expected. As well as three astrologers (including Fergus Gibson) there will be yours truly, Dr. Tony Scott (UCD), Brendan Purcell (Philosophy Dept TCD) and Paul O'Donoghue (Psychologist & Irish Skeptics Society) Make sure you tune in to the Marian Finucane Show on RTE RADIO 1 from 9am to 10am Friday September 12th - a date that will go down in history as the day that Irish people will be told the truth - that astrology does not work! (Though I did try telling this to 921,000 people on the Late Late Show once, for all the good it did!) Listen online at http://www.rte.ie/smiltest/radio_new.smil ===== 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: http://www.astronomy.ie (Subscribe FREE to AI's Events emailing list) Email: info(a)astronomy.ie

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[Astronomy Ireland]2 Lectures and Marian Finucane Astrology Show
by Astronomy Ireland 10 Sep '03

10 Sep '03

Martin Houston gave a superb presentation at Monday night's Lecture in Dublin about the future of spacecraft propulsion systems. We hope to have it online in a few days under the "Lecture Webcasts" on our website www.astronomy.ie. I'll issue an announcement when it is ready. TV3 interviewed Martin on Monday morning as did Pat Kenny on Radio 1 which you can still hear online at http://www.radio1.ie/morning/patkenny/ (in RealPlayer click "play" then "seek to" and then key in 1hour 23min 10sec to go straight to the start of the interview). There are 2 Astronomy Ireland Public Lectures tonight (Wed. Sept. 10) in Cork and Dublin: 7pm DUBLIN: "DEATH FROM SPACE" by Tony Ryan B.Sc., Honorary Secretary of Astronomy Ireland and one of Ireland's foremost experts on meteorites who will discuss the threat from asteroids. Venue: Ballymun Public Library. All welcome. Admission FREE. 8pm CORK: "CREATIONIST COSMOLOGY" by Mark Sweetnam B.Sc., director of Schull Planetarium, graduated from Trinity College Dublin (mathematics). An evaluation of the creation of the universe. Venue: Jury's Hotel, Western Road, Cork. ALL WELCOME. Admission 5euro ASTROLOGY ON MARIAN FINUCANE RTE Radio 1 Friday 9am-10am After my lecture last Wednesday to the Irish Skeptics Society I have been invited to a panel discussion on the Marian Finucane show on Friday morning to discuss astrology. All I know at present is that there should be about 8 people involved several of whom are astrologers. It should be a lively debate. If you don't have a radio you can listen online at http://www.rte.ie/smiltest/radio_new.smil If you miss the show go to http://www.radio1.ie/morning/marianfinucane/ and click on "Friday" Astronomy Evening Classes for Beginners: A steady stream of bookings have been coming in for our popular evening classes given by Dave McCann (assistant editor of our magazine). The new booking form is now available on our website www.astronomy.ie Click on Evening Classes and you'll see it, along with a course outline too. ===== 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: http://www.astronomy.ie (Subscribe FREE to AI's Events emailing list) Email: info(a)astronomy.ie

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[Astronomy Ireland]Computer projector needed
by Astronomy Ireland 08 Sep '03

08 Sep '03

Sorry to have to hit the entire list with this request but we are seeking your help. We need a computer projector (to hook up to a laptop) for our speaker this evening (Monday Sept. 8 in Dublin City University). The usual one we use is not available and we only found this out today. We are hoping that one of you who is coming to Martin Houston's talk tonight might have access to a computer projector in work that we could borrow? We would be grateful if you could ask if you can borrow it for the night. (We will try hiring one, and the lecture WILL go ahead don't worry). If this is the case please call AI's Administrator Tom Finnegan on (01) 860 3828 or 086-810 5155. Please also email me at info(a)astronomy.ie or try calling me at the number below if you have any difficulty talking to Tom. P.S. Our Cork Branch is also looking for the same item for Wednesday night's lecture in Jury's Hotel, Western Road (8pm "Creationist Cosmology"). They may have solved their problem but if you're in Cork and going along on Wednesday and could offer assistance just email me and I'll check if they got fixed up. Thanks for any help you can give. P.S. So as not to waste everyone else's time with this email here's a reminder that the RIA have Wendy Freedman speaking in Dublin next Monday (mostly sold out I believe) and Belfast the day after (see www.ria.ie) Our beginners evening classes starting Oct. 2nd are now taking bookings (http://www.astronomy.ie/eveningclass.html) Mars is close to the Moon tonight (Monday) and tomorrow night - see Sky Diary of September's issue of Astronomy & Space magazine for details. ===== 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: http://www.astronomy.ie (Subscribe FREE to AI's Events emailing list) Email: info(a)astronomy.ie

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[Astronomy Ireland]BBC: The Sky at Night, Dublin & Cork Lectures
by Astronomy Ireland 07 Sep '03

07 Sep '03

Astronomy Ireland Honorary Life Member SIR PATRICK MOORE presents his monthly television programme: "The Sky at Night" tonight at 1:30am (technically Monday Sept. 8 at 1:30am) on BBC 1 TV. It will be repeated at 12:00pm (noon) on Saturday Sept. 13 on BBC 2 TV In this month's episode Patrick Moore talks to Professor Carlos Frank about galaxy formation and the universe's birth. Plus the latest Mars pictures. For more details and to watch the show online: http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/spaceguide/skyatnight/proginfo.shtml P.S. Don't forget our Public Lectures in Dublin and Cork this week: A.I. DUBLIN BRANCH: Mon. 8 Sept: Dublin City University First Flight 100th Anniversary Lecture: "Future Trends in Rocket Engines" by Martin Houston who launched Ireland's first rocket. 8pm in Henry Grattan Building, Dublin City University http://www.astronomy.ie/nextlecture.html (Most AI members live outside Dublin so this talk will be available online a few days later on the "Lecture Webcasts" page at www.astronomy.ie ) AI CORK BRANCH: Wed. 10 Sept. Jury's Hotel (Western Road) "Creationist Cosmology" by Mark Sweetnam, Director of Schull Planetarium 8pm in Fastnet Room, Jury's Hotel on the Western Rd. ===== 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: http://www.astronomy.ie Email: info(a)astronomy.ie P.S. EVENING CLASSES Our astronomy evening classes aimed at beginners start on Thurs. Oct. 2, but you must book in advance see our website or click here: http://www.astronomy.ie/eveningclass.html

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[Astronomy Ireland] Public Lecture for 100th anniversary of Wright Bros First Flight
by Astronomy Ireland 05 Sep '03

05 Sep '03

First Flight 100th Anniversary Lecture by Ireland's First Rocket Builder:Martin Houston on Monday September 8th at 8:00pm in Dublin City University (main lecture hall CG86 in Henry Grattan Building) ALL WELCOME [Watch Martin on TV3 and hear him on The Pat Kenny Show (RTE Radio 1) both on Monday morning.] 100TH ANNIVERSARY: 100 years ago the first flight happened at Kittyhawk in 1903 when the Wright brothers flew for the first time. To celebrate the 100th anniversary of this history event, Astronomy Ireland is delighted to announce that the builder of Ireland's first rocket, Martin Houston (details below), will deliver a special Public Lecture to mark the anniversary at the above venue and date. That first flight was only for a few seconds and a few feet above the ground but 100 years later just look at us! Jetting around the world on our holidays in our millions, at 500mph (over 1000mph in Concorde!) 30,000 feet above the ground, almost on the edge of space! If we had told the Wright bros this in 1903 I'm sure they would not have believed us, any more than if I were to tell you that in 2061 (100 years after Yuri Gagarin's first spaceflight) that we will be zooming around the planets in a few hours at close to the speed of light! Yet surely it must happen. The rate of progress is accelerating. And, as Martin Houston will explain, current rockets are not the future, new technologies are already on the drawing board and WILL dramatically and radically change the way we get access to space. Reducing the cost incredibly. Even the new ideas Martin will explain must surely be supplanted one day in the future (the invention of the Jet engine many decades after the Wright bros was the 'breakthrough' in air travel) and we simply have no idea what the future holds, but I think it would be unwise to say space travel will not one day be as common as air travel is today. I can hardly wait to get old! Martin Houston has excellent and unique credentials to give this lecture as the launcher of Ireland's first rocket. He has been working in this cutting-edge field so we will be very interested to hear what he has to say next Monday Sept. 8. MONEY WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN: The space tourism business is valued billions, perhaps trillions, per year (one study is over 1 billion as early as 2021). Not yet of course, but ultimately. Big hotel groups have paid professional consultants to plan space hotels and survey interest with a view to their long term strategic business plans. It's big business and if one thing will drive the future of space exploration it is money! Of course, there have only been 2 space tourists so far, Dennis Tito and Mark Shuttleworth and both paid about 20 million for a 10 day trip! This promises to be a fascinating lecture looking at the sort of technologies that are coming online. SPEAKER BACKGROUND: Martin Houston's aerospace career started while studying at the University of Limerick. There, he led a group of students to build and launch Ireland's first liquid fuelled rocket, which took place in August 2000. He graduated from UL with a BEng in Aeronautical Engineering in 2000, then worked for ESA at ESTEC in Holland for a year, before going to the University of Washington in Seattle, USA. He recently graduated from there with a Masters in Aerospace Engineering, specialising in Propulsion. Martin writes that his lecture will look at "Recent advances in spacecraft propulsion": A talk summarising the current state of the art in spacecraft propulsion and a glimpse into the future of advanced spacecraft propulsion, from nuclear fusion to solar sails. We hope to have pictures of Martin and his 'Irish' rocket and group on our website so click on http://astronomy.ie/nextlecture.html MEDIA EVENTS TO WATCH: You are sure to hear more of this talk in the press, TV and radio. Already confirmed are: Martin will appear on "Ireland AM" on TV3 (7:45am is the scheduled time but just in case there are any changes tune in from 7am-9:30am or set your video for that range), and on Today with Pat Kenny show on RTE Radio 1 (10am-12pm) both on Monday morning Sept . 8 (no radio in the office? listen on the net: BOOKING: You can book places in advance at the Public Lecture on (01) 847 0777. Please bring friends. There should be loads of space on the night. Admission is only 5euro and 3euro under 18s,students,unwaged,65and over, and members of Astronomy Ireland (show the latest issue of A&S at the door!) Please bring exact change to speed up entry procedure, and a few euro for the book raffle at the door (tickets 1euro each). ===== 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: http://www.astronomy.ie Email: info(a)astronomy.ie

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[Astronomy Ireland]Fireball, RIA, Astrology, 100th anniversary
by Astronomy Ireland 01 Sep '03

01 Sep '03

1. Fireball - possible meteorite? At about 11:30pm on the night of our 13 Mars Watches countrywide I was standing in Dublin's Phoenix Park when I saw the fireball that many people have reported. It was low in the West to Southwest from Dublin but in the West Munster and Connaught area it was higher and most people said it was brighter than the Full Moon. That would mean that there is a possibility that a meteorite might have survived the fireball and landed on Ireland. Several reports say they heard sounds a while after the flash, another indication that this was a major event. If you saw the fireball, or know anyone who saw it, please have them go to Astronomy Ireland's website www.astronomy.ie and click on the "report a fireball" option on the left-hand sidebar menu. They should do this immediately while the details are fresh in their mind. Also, we will publish a report on the "report a fireball" page about where we think any meteorite fell, in a few days, so we need reports as soon as possible. Please forward this message to everyone you know. The "report a fireball" page has details of what a fireball is, if you are new to astronomy. Check it out http://www.astronomy.ie/fireball.html 2. McCrea Lecture "THE RUNAWAY UNIVERSE" The Royal Irish Academy invites you to go and hear Dr Wendy Freedman of the Carnegie Observatories (USA) give a public lecture about measuring the expansion of the universe in Belfast on Tuesday September 16th (Queens University Belfast 6:30pm in the Great Hall, Layon Building) and Dublin (Academy House, 19 Dawson St, D2 at 6:30pm) the day before. Details at www.ria.ie and you can book places by emailing r.hegarty(a)ria.ie or call (01) 6762570 or 676 4222 3. Astrology & Astronomy I have been invited to give a public lecture for the Irish Sceptics Society on Wednesday September 3rd. You can come and hear what I think of astrology at 8pm in the Mont Clare Hotel, Merrion Square. 4. Ireland's First Rocket Builder Martin Houston will give Astronomy Ireland's September public lecture "Future Rocket Engines" in Dublin City University (Henry Grattan Building in the main lecture hall CG86) on Monday September 8th at 8pm. Martin Houston led a group of students at the University of Limerick that launched Ireland's first liquid fuelled rocket in August 2000 which generated huge publicity at the time you may remember. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers' first flight. From that brief precarious flight we now have a multi-billion euro a year air travel industry. Most of us have flown, and at speeds and altitudes that Orville and Wilbur Wright could never have imagined possible. So what will the next 100 years hold in terms of the development of space travel? Air travel was difficult for the first few decades after the Wright bros first flight, just as space travel is still rather difficult and expensive now. But the seeds of reducing the cost and opening up a new space travel industry, already valued at up to one trillion euro annually, are now being sown. This should be a fascinating lecture which is Astronomy Ireland's way of marking the 100th anniversary of the first flight, which was, after all, the start of mankind's path to the skies. Seats can be booked by calling (01) 847 0777 Monday to Saturday until 6pm. Please join Astronomy Ireland online and support Irish astronomy: www.astronomy.ie/sub ===== 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: http://www.astronomy.ie (Subscribe FREE to AI's Events emailing list) Email: info(a)astronomy.ie

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