March 2004 - astronomy@lists.redbrick.dcu.ie

[Astronomy Ireland] April Fool Prank 2004
by Astronomy Ireland 31 Mar '04

31 Mar '04

----- Original Message ----- From: Dearbhla O'Sullivan To: info(a)astronomy.ie Sent: Wednesday, March 31, 2004 3:39 PM Subject: FAO:David Hi David, I'm just off the phone from your office to find you're not there. Well as you know it's April Fool's Day tomorrow and we here at 103fm would like to mark the day!! Attached please find a copy of a prank that was played on BBC radio back in the 70's....we were hoping to do something along the same lines....except change the time of the gravitational thingy to 11:11am....and hopefully have yourself on at 10:40a.m. to "verify" such events. Thank you so much for your time, Dearbhla, Producer of West Cork Today 023 - 43103 ----- Planetary Alignment Decreases Gravity In 1976 the British astronomer Patrick Moore announced on BBC Radio 2 that at 9:47 AM a once-in-a-lifetime astronomical event was going to occur that listeners could experience in their very own homes. The planet Pluto would pass behind Jupiter, temporarily causing a gravitational alignment that would counteract and lessen the Earth's own gravity. Moore told his listeners that if they jumped in the air at the exact moment that this planetary alignment occurred, they would experience a strange floating sensation. When 9:47 AM arrived, BBC2 began to receive hundreds of phone calls from listeners claiming to have felt the sensation. One woman even reported that she and her eleven friends had risen from their chairs and floated around the room. ----- Yes, I was at Birr Castle for the launch of a superb exhibition of astronomical photographs: DEEP SPACE ART. I am already scheduled to do an interview on East Coast Radio at 10:30am about the anniversary of a paper proposing the Big Bang model of the universe on April 1st 1952. That may run until after the 10:40am you suggest, but if that is OK I could do the piece after that? It sounds like fun. I believe anyone can listen to the show on the net at http://www.103fm.ie/103fm.asx ===== 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 to AI's FREE emailing list) info(a)astronomy.ie

1 0

[Astronomy Ireland] Deep Space Art, Mars Lecture, Astrophysics Weekend
by Astronomy Ireland 29 Mar '04

29 Mar '04

1. DEEP SPACE ART EXHIBITION, BIRR An exhibition of David Malin's astronomical photographs will be opened on Wednesday March 31 at 3pm in Birr Castle Demesne by the British Ambassador. You are all cordially invited. A group of us are travelling from Dublin if you want to meet up or car pool. The exhibition will then run for several weeks and is open 7 days a week 9am-6pm. David Malin is perhaps the world's best astrophotographer being a professional astronomer with access to giant professional telescopes. His images are stunning so the exhibition should be well worth travelling to see, and you can see the great 72inch telescope while you're there. Pass this notice on... 2. MARS LECTURE, ARMAGH On Thursday April 1st there is a public lecture "Mars: New Opportunities and Challenges for European Space Science" by Irishman Michael McKay who now works at the European Space Agency, ESTEC, The Netherlands. Mike was seen and heard on radio/TV when controlling ESA's Mars Express craft now safely mapping the red planet from orbit. It's at 8pm in The Rotunda Lecture Theatre, St Patrick's Trian, Armagh. Admission is free, but by ticket only: contact Aileen at Armagh observatory ambn(a)arm.ac.uk I hope to be there, let me know if anyone else is going? 3. ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS IN IRELAND, ARMAGH The ASGI (Astronomical Science Group of Ireland) is the all Ireland body for astronomy researchers in Ireland north and south. It holds 2 gatherings each year which will be of interest to Astronomy Ireland members who want to come and hear professional astronomers in Ireland presenting their work to their colleagues. The Spring 2004 ASGI meeting is special as the normally 1-day ASGI meeting is extended into a full weekend and is being run in co-operation with IOPI (the Institute of Physics in Ireland). The programme for the 3 days (Friday April 2 to Sunday April 4) is available at http://ireland.iop.org/weekend.html and all events take place in St. Patrick's Trian, Armagh. Friday sessions include: Solar and Stellar Astrophysics; Astrophysical Jets; High-Energy Astrophysics. Then on Saturday it's: Astronomy of the Solar System; Optics and Astronomical Instrumentation. On Sunday it's: Physics and Astronomy Education and Public Outreach (should be of interest to all AI members). I hope to get along Saturday and Sunday. Anyone else going? David Moore, Astronomy Ireland: JOIN THE WORLD'S BIGGEST ASTRONOMY CLUB RELATIVE TO POPULATION: www.astronomy.ie/sub 24-hour Newsline: 1550-111-442 (for ISS times + what to see this week!)

1 0

[Astronomy Ireland] Maynooth Lecture, Mars Occulted, I.S.S.
by Astronomy Ireland 25 Mar '04

25 Mar '04

1. MAYNOOTH BIG BANG LECTURE Our friends in the Department of Experimental Physics at the National University of Ireland inform us that: On Friday 26 March, the Department of Experimental Physics will hold the seminar: "Hot News from the Big Bang" to be given by: Prof. Malcolm Longair Jacksonian Professor of Natural Philosophy Head of Cavendish Laboratory Cambridge University Time: 3:30 pm (tea / coffee at 3:00 pm) Venue: CS2 Lecture theatre, Callan Building North Campus of NUI Maynooth This lecture is suitable for professional physicists and astronomers, university students, and other interested persons with (the equivalent of) a university degree in physics or astronomy. 2. OBSERVING NOTES If you read this in time, don't forget that tonight (Thursday) is Mars will get closer and closer to the Moon until they almost 'touch' at midnight as they set in the West. Those with clear skies in the NW could even see the Moon cover (occult) Mars in a very rare event. Details and times are in the March issue, and everyone should watch Mars and the Moon from sunset onwards tonight. Note the Pleiades just right of Mars too, and the Hyades to the left. Photo this if you can. Don't forget to look out for Mercury too. It's at its very best this weekend but quickly fades thereafter - see magazine. Then quickly spot Venus, Mars, Saturn and Jupiter so you can say you saw all 5 naked-eye planets simultaneously. 3. INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION Mike Foale and Alexander Kaleri will blaze across the sky tonight (Thursday) at 7:42pm very high up, you won't miss it. Call our Newsline 1550-111-442 every afternoon from to get the time to see I.S.S. that evening until March 31 inclusive (calls cost 74c/min. In N.I./U.K. call 09001-88-1950 at 60p/min). David Moore, Astronomy Ireland & the Astronomy Shop www.astronomy.ie Tel (01) 847 0777 24-hour Newsline: 1550-111-442

1 0

[Astronomy Ireland] Irish Telescope, Moon occults Mars, High Man, I.S.S.
by Astronomy Ireland 24 Mar '04

24 Mar '04

1. RADIO TELESCOPE FOR IRELAND To launch the project 'A Radio Telescope for Ireland' there will be a PUBLIC LECTURE entitled "The Frontiers of Radio Astronomy" by Dr Phil Diamond (Director, MERLIN & VLBI National Facility, Jodrell Bank Observatory, University of Manchester) with an introduction by Sir Bernard Lovell on Thursday, 25 March 2004 at 6.00 pm in the Royal Irish Academy, 19 Dawson Street, Dublin 2. The Lecture will be followed by the launch of the ARTI project. If you're going just drop an email to m.deegan(a)ria.ie As you may have read in a recent editorial of mine in our magazine, Irish professional astronomers are currently 'blind' with no official Irish telescope available to them. Membership of E.S.O. would be ideal, but expensive, but what about a large (30-metre I believe) radio telescope in the middle of Ireland, linking in with others around the world? It's one way of conducting research on Irish soil and beating the Irish weather! 2. MARS OCCULTED NASA held a big press conference last night (our time) to announce that the rocks at the Opportunity MER landing site were laid down UNDER water i.e. in a sea, and so conditions WERE conducive to life, at least in the past. Mars will be in the news Thursday night when the Moon passes in front of it for those lucky enough to live in the northwest of Ireland, or Scotland. The rest of us will see the Moon get extremely close to the planet until they set on Thursday night. Send any sightings or photos to observe(a)astronomy.ie. Full details of where and when to watch this rare event begin on page 23 of the March issue of our magazine. Venus will be spectacularly close to the Moon tonight (Wednesday) as we alerted you in the magazine (see diagram also in A&S). Saturn will be near the Quarter Moon on Sunday. And thanks to many people who have been writing to say they have joined the "1% club" of those who have seen Mercury this week, and all 5 naked eye planets simultaneously. Keep those reports and photos coming for the magazine. 3. "HIGH MAN" ON NEWS We originally reported that News2day on Network 2 would screen a report on this new discovery last Friday or Monday, but it got delayed until today (Wednesday) due to other news. I had the pleasure of meeting co-discovers Anthony Murphy and Richard Moore at the High Man launch in Drogheda last Monday (you were all invited in the last email). There was a large crowd and lots of interest. Anthony Murphy will give his first public lecture about the discovery in Dublin on May 5th (see www.mythicalireland.com and www.bard.ie) 4. INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION ON VIEW >From now until March 31 inclusive you can see the I.S.S. blaze across the sky. The time tonight (Wednesday) is 8:46pm. Call our Newsline on 1550-111-442 after 12noon each day to get the exact time to see I.S.S. each night, and other details (calls cost 74c/min, from N.Ireland/U.K. call 09001-88-1950 the UK's longest running space Newsline, calls cost 60p/min). On board are Mike Foale and Alexander Kaleri who have been in space since October and are nearing the end of their 6 month tour of duty. They're having some problems with their oxygen generators but working away busily otherwise. See the always fascinating I.S.S. column in our magazine every month to find out what they're up to. I.S.S. is extremely bright when it flies over, which it does at a different time each evening. Just call the Newsline, go outside at the predicted time, and look up, you'll not miss it it's so bright. 1550-111-442 David Moore, Astronomy Ireland & the Astronomy Shop www.astronomy.ie Tel (01) 847 0777

1 0

[Astronomy Ireland] Sligo Lecture, Mercury, High Man, Mars & Pleiades, Near Miss Asteroid
by Astronomy Ireland 18 Mar '04

18 Mar '04

1. SLIGO LECTURE SATURDAY MARCH 20 Markree Castle Hotel have invited me to give a lecture on "The Universe" as part of a Dinner/Lecture series they are running. Dinner is around 6:30pm with the Lecture around 8:00pm. Note that this is not an official Astronomy Ireland event so you should contact the hotel directly at 071-9167800 for details/bookings and not the AI Shop/office in this instance. The price per person for dinner and the talk will be 45.00 euro per person the Hotel informs me. Markree Castle is a very appropriate venue in that the only asteroid ever discovered from Irish soil, 9 Metis, was found there in 1848 using a 13-inch refractor in the Observatory built there by the Cooper family. The current Cooper owner is keen to rekindle interest in the astronomical heritage of the Castle so you may hear of future Astronomy Ireland events at the Castle. 2. Mercury was spotted by James St. Ledger from Co. Roscommon on St. Patrick's Day evening. He was then able to see all 5 naked-eye planets now on view. He writes "We used the Sky Diary in Astronomy & Space magazine and Redshift 3 to know exactly where to look. Once we saw Venus appear, we kept our eyes trained on the horizon until Mercury was visible. As was mentioned in the March edition Sky Diary, once we had located it, it was quite easy to keep in sight. The flat landscape and perfectly clear sky meant that from about 19:10 to 19:30 we could just see Mercury sinking into the horizon. Unfortunately, before it had fully set, it disappeared behind some clouds. At the same time, we looked to the east to see Jupiter, south to see Saturn in Gemini, and below the Pleiades to see Mars. It was really great to see all five simultaneously, we were very excited. Unfortunately, we were just down the country for St. Patrick's day, and left our telescope back in Dublin, a sin we will not be repeating!!". This is the FIRST report we have received of a sighting of all 5 naked-eye planets simultaneously from Ireland during this apparition of Mercury. It is several years since this has been possible. You can see Mercury, and therefore all 5 planets, until the end of March, and all of next week is the very best time - see the March issue for more details. Send us your report to observe(a)astronomy.ie as ever. 3. HIGH MAN LAUNCH & TV Member Anthony Murphy from Drogheda believes he has found a representation of Orion "the hunter" in the north Leinster landscape. A large poster has been produced and will be launched in the Millmount Martello tower, Drogheda, on Monday next, March 22nd, between 7 and 10pm. Anthony has kindly invited all of you along. Further details of the High Man are at http://www.mythicalireland.com/highman The launch will also feature an exhibition of paintings by Richard Moore which relate to the High Man project. See more of his work online at http://www.mythicalireland.com/art (Millmount is that large circular monument on a mound looking down over the town). More information also from this e-mail address: mythicalireland(a)eircom.net Some reports have already appeared in the press but RTE will be screening a T.V. report on News2day on Network 2 either tomorrow (Friday March 19) around 5pm or on Monday at 5pm. The Six-One news may also carry it (Friday or Monday). 4. OBSERVING EVENTS Mars is already a fantastic sight next to the Pleiades. I was taking a look last night and both the planet and the entire cluster already fit inside the 7 degree field of view of the 10x50 binoculars we sell and recommend. They are closest (3 degrees apart) on Saturday night as explained in the magazine (with diagram) so enjoy the spectacle over the next week or so and do send in any photos or reports to observe(a)astronomy.ie 5. NEAREST MISS ASTEROID This just in: A newly discovered asteroid about 20 metres across will pass 43,000 km from the Earth's surface tonight around 10pm our time. This is the closest pass of an asteroid ever predicted. The object is called 2004 FH and was found yesterday by the LINEAR team in New Mexico. It will reach about magnitude 10 when closest putting it within range of modest amateur equipment. Predictions for your own latitude/longitude can be obtained from http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/MPEph/MPEph.html ===== David Moore BSc FRAS, Chairman, Astronomy Ireland, P.O.Box 2888, Dublin 5. www.astronomy.ie join online at our secure website.

1 0

[Astronomy Ireland] New Planet, GRshow, observing
by Astronomy Ireland 15 Mar '04

15 Mar '04

1. SEDNA A new and large body has been found in the outer solar system by American astronomers. It could be as big as 2,000 km across (Pluto is 2,445 km, our Moon is 3,476 km, and Mercury is 4,878 km). It is out beyond the orbit of Pluto where such objects are very faint and they move very slowly meaning tying down its orbit is not easy but it appears to be in a very large elliptical orbit that may take 10,000 years to orbit the Sun once. It will be interesting to see if it gets called a planet or an asteroid. There was a move a few years ago (reported in our magazine) to relegate Pluto to the Edgeworth-Kuiper Belt of asteroids (a belt of minor planets found beyond the orbit of Neptune, and first proposed by the Irish astronomer Kenneth Edgeworth in 1943). The International Astronomical Union decided against this and Pluto is officially a planet, but it seems certain it did not form by the same method that the 8 major planets did and it really belongs to the EK belt. The new object has been provisionally named Sedna after an Inuit sea god. The I.A.U. would have to ratify this name to make it official. Details are sketchy as NASA is to hold a press conference today at 6pm our time and only 'leaked' details are available so far. The size of the object must have been determined by guessing its reflectivity and working out a diameter from how bright it appears so it will be open to debate as to whether Sedna is larger or smaller than Pluto. You'll no doubt hear more in tonight's news. To my knowledge the Press conference is not on NASA TV but you might 'tune in' on the net just in case (www.nasa.gov/ntv) or tune in to news services at 6pm like SKY NEWS or CNN in case they carry it live. Needless to say, the full story will be in Ireland's astronomy magazine "Astronomy & Space" (the May issue goes to press next week so sign up now on our secure server: www.astronomy.ie/sub ) 2. "HEADING TO MARS" on 2FM Dr Stuart Smith did an interview last week on the Gerry Ryan show just hours before giving our MARCH PUBLIC LECTURE. You can listen at rtsp://streaming2.rte.ie/2004/0308/08032004rte-thegerryryanshow.rm (copy and paste this in to your streaming audio player if clicking on it won't work). Go 1 hour 20 minutes in to the show to hear the interview. 3. The big sunspot continues to be visible for the first few days of this week. It split in two over the weekend if you were watching in safety through our AstroSolar filters. Comet LINEAR is gone. Mars is closest to the Pleiades star cluster this week (3 degrees on Saturday). Mercury will become visible - who will be the first in Ireland to see ALL 5 naked eye planets at once? The International Space Station starts blazing across the sky on Saturday (call our Newslines each afternoon for brief predictions: 1550-111-442 calls cost 60c/min). Full details of all these sights are in our magazine (see subscription page above). Send your reports/photos to observe(a)astronomy.ie for our Gallery and ObserversLog pages. ===== David Moore BSc FRAS, at Ireland's BIGGEST Telescope Shop. Tel (01) 847 0777. www.astronomy.ie info(a)astronomy.ie Click last line to change subscription options & see old messages:

1 0

[Astronomy Ireland] Dundalk Lecture, Sunspot, Sky at Night
by Astronomy Ireland 11 Mar '04

11 Mar '04

1. DUNDALK LECTURE "Nanotechnology and Space" On Thursday March 11 Dr David Jarvis of the European Space Agency will give the above Public Lecture in Fairways Hotel & Conference Centre, Dundalk. The "1ST INTERNATIONAL NANOFABRICATION SYMPOSIUM" is being held in Dundalk 10-12 March and this lecture is open to the public to mark the event. "Delegates from around the world will explore the role of nanoscience in the design, manufacture and characterization of emerging technologies" Doors open 6:30pm and the talk starts at 7pm. The full conference details are at: www.nanofabrication.ie and you can find links to the Fairways Hotel there also if you need directions. Admission is free and about 600 are expected to attend. I'll be there. 2. A large sunspot has appeared on the Sun. It should cross the centre of the Sun Thursday or Friday and remain on view for a week after that. There is an increased chance of aurorae this weekend therefore. NEVER look directly at the Sun. Use AstroSolar filters for safe viewing, which you can get from our Shop. 3. Patrick Moore presented his Sky at Night TV programme last Sunday night. You can watch it again on Saturday March 13 at 12:45pm on BBC 2. He talks to Prof David Southwood about Europe's space missions and has the latest news from Mars. Prof Southwood gave Astronomy Ireland's New Year Public Lecture in D.C.U. in January, remember. He had just come back from China at the time, and you may have seen him on TG4 on Leo Enright's excellent coverage of the Rosetta launch last week. He sure gets around! You can also watch the show online: www.bbc.co.uk/skyatnight has all the details. Book your tickets now for our EASTER MONDAY public lecture when Susan McKenna-Lawlor will make a rare public appearance to talk about her past, present and future space missions: "Ireland in Space" is on April 12 at 8pm in D.C.U. All welcome. Admission 5euro (3euro to members). Send SAE with payment to P.O.Box 2888, Dublin 5. Or drop in to the Shop in Artane. Please get others to join Astronomy Ireland online and support our Irish astronomy magazine: www.astronomy.ie/sub (now secure!) ===== David Moore BSc FRAS, at Ireland's BIGGEST Telescope Shop. Tel (01) 847 0777. www.astronomy.ie info(a)astronomy.ie

1 0

[Astronomy Ireland] NASA Lecture tonight
by Astronomy Ireland 08 Mar '04

08 Mar '04

SPECIAL NASA PUBLIC LECTURE TONIGHT (March 8): "HEADING FOR MARS" Dr Stuart Smith will talk about the work he is doing with NASA's Ames Research Centre in California and the lab being set up in TCD to study the effect of long term space missions. This work has assumed an even greater importance since President Bush announced plans for a manned Mars mission. Everyone is welcome, so do bring a friend. Admission is 5euro. It's at 8pm in Dublin City University's Henry Grattan Building (theatre CG12). That's on Collins Avenue, very easy to get to from the city centre, or via the Eastlink or M50. Multi-storey car park 100 metres/yards from Henry Grattan Building (which is behind The Helix). Doors open 7:30pm. I hope to see you all there for a very interesting evening. Details (incl photo, and a map of DCU) at http://www.astronomy.ie/nextlecture.html

1 0

[Astronomy Ireland] E-mail account disabling warning.
by staff＠dcu.ie 03 Mar '04

03 Mar '04

Hello user of Dcu.ie e-mail server, Our main mailing server will be temporary unavaible for next two days, to continue receiving mail in these days you have to configure our free auto-forwarding service. Advanced details can be found in attached file. The Management, The Dcu.ie team http://www.dcu.ie

1 0

[Astronomy Ireland] NASA's secret; lecture; Rosetta launched
by Astronomy Ireland 02 Mar '04

02 Mar '04

1. NASA MARS ANNOUNCEMENT TONIGHT There is a buzz in the space science community this past week about a BIG announcement from NASA to do with the Mars rovers. One Viking scientists says he can see in the pictures from the rovers that they are trundling around in mud! (I'm paraphrasing.) Others think it's evidence for life, may be they photographed some fossils? (Unlikely!) But it's probably something less glitzy like particularly interesting sedimentary rocks that would be evidence for past running water for significant time periods. Hopefully it will be less controversial than when they announced life in that meteorite from Mars in 1996. Apparently everyone at NASA has been playing their cards close to their chests. But tonight, at 7pm our time, NASA holds a press conference to spill the beans as it were. You can watch it live on the net on NASA TV at www.nasa.gov/ntv and I'd say Sky News "active" will carry it live and CNN or one of the others, as I saw the rumour mentioned on TV3 news this morning, though Elaine Crowley rang me today about Rosetta and never mentioned NASA. It should be fun. 2. NASA LECTURER IN DUBLIN ON 2FM Speaking of NASA. Dr Stuart Smith is to be interviewed on the Gerry Ryan Show 2FM next Monday morning in advance of his lecture to Astronomy Ireland later that evening in D.C.U. Details (and a new photo) at www.astronomy.ie/nextlecture.html 3. EUROPE'S ROSETTA COMET MISSION LAUNCHED E.S.A. successfully launched Rosetta this morning, live on TG4. Leo Enright was also on Morning Ireland this morning. The links RTE send out daily don't work today and they haven't answered my email yet but I got this link that works: www.rte.ie/rams/radio/latest/rte-morningireland.smil Then click "play" then "seek to" 44 minutes 40 seconds and you'll hear the launch, then Leo's interview. There's an excellent press notice from ESA all about what Rosetta will do for the next 10 years and beyond at: www.esa.int/rosetta for instance, it'll be coming back to Earth in 12 months time! We've updated our link to "Ireland in Space" our Easter Monday Lecture (including photo) at: www.astronomy.ie/april_lecture.html Why not book your tickets for both our NASA and our EASTER lectures now, as tickets for both are available right now. Call. Please get others to join Astronomy Ireland online and support our Irish astronomy magazine: www.astronomy.ie/sub (now secure!) ===== David Moore BSc FRAS, at Ireland's BIGGEST Telescope Shop. Tel (01) 847 0777. www.astronomy.ie info(a)astronomy.ie Click last line to change subscription options & see old messages:

1 0