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

[Astronomy Ireland] Cassini at Saturn, 'Hawking in Dublin' Lectures, Newslines
by Astronomy Ireland 30 Jun '04

30 Jun '04

ASTRONOMY IRELAND MAILING LIST - www.astronomy.ie (Ireland's national astronomy society and magazine) --------------------------------------------------- 1. CASSINI AT SATURN Tonight (Thursday morning our time actually) the joint NASA/ESA Cassini-Huygens spacecraft fires it rockets for 96 minutes (3:36-6:12am) to go in to orbit about Saturn. It's the cover story on our magazine (order "July issue" in the comments box at www.astronomy.ie/sub and support Astronomy Ireland). By 8am we should know if the biggest interplanetary exploration craft made the tricky manoeuvre or not and if we can expect 4 years of superb pictures in our magazine. First images are due back at 1:39pm Thursday. NASA TV will be on air covering the event http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html and see ESA's website http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Cassini-Huygens/index.html Remember, software for the mission was developed in Malahide, Co. Dublin by Captec (www.captec.ie) Let's hope all goes well and stay tuned to the news on Thursday morning. [Observing Saturn is not possible at present as it is on the far side of the Sun. You'll be able to see it in morning skies from August onwards]. 2. 'STEPHEN HAWKING IN DUBLIN' As announced in our magazine several weeks ago a major conference on General Relativity and Gravitation will see the world's leading experts converge on Dublin July 18-23. Stephen Hawking is to announce an important discovery about black holes. The organisers have taken the opportunity to stage TWO public lectures by two of the world's leading experts in the field - Prof Kip Thorne and Prof Sir Roger Penrose. I'm sure you've seen them interviewed on TV whenever cosmology, the Big Bang, or origins of the universe are discussed. Both talks are in the RDS Concert Hall, Dublin 4. All details of the talks are on the conference website www.gr17.com and you can book places online at that site. Tickets are 20euro each (10euro for students). Monday 19th July 8pm Prof. Kip Thorne "Probing the Universe and Black Holes with Gravitational Waves" Friday 23rd July 8pm Prof. Sir Roger Penrose "Fashion, Faith, and Fantasy in Modern Physical Theories" See you there. Oh, and don't forget Astronomy Ireland's July public lecture in D.C.U. "Internet Telescopes in Education" by BART BUSSCHOTS Tickets 5euro and all welcome on Monday July 12 at 8pm. Details of how schools (and hopefully amateurs like us helping out) can use large telescopes around the world: http://www.astronomy.ie/lecture0407.html Click here to email your name if you want a place(s) reserved for you: info(a)astronomy.ie then simply pay at the door on the night. 3. THIS WEEK'S NEWSLINE Our premium rate Newslines in Ireland and the U.K. are updated every Monday (usually by noon). They have been running for over 10 years now so I thought I'd start letting you know what the content is each week: This week's headlines are: Cassini arrives at Saturn; First private astronaut launched on SpaceShipOne; Trouble on the International Space Station; Hawking, Penrose & Thorne in Dublin; and, Jupiter, Moon and Comet on view. In Ireland call 1550-111-442 (calls cost 94c/min) In U.K. call 09001-88-1950 (calls cost 60p/min) Use your fax (or modem and fax software) to get a printed copy (Ireland only) on 1580-111-767 (calls cost 240c/min but are much shorter than voice service). Call costs from mobiles may vary. In answer to a few queries we have received over the years about our Newslines: We only receive a small fraction of your call cost as Eircom and the service providers supply all the equipment which allows up to hundreds of callers simultaneously and 24 hour a day access. This is essential when I.S.S. is flying over as it will next week - more then. We receive no grants to provide this service so the modest proceeds from these Newslines is one way that our staff make their living (yours truly included). It will cost you about the price of a pint a week if you want the latest astronomy news, which I don't think is unreasonable, so give it a try to see what you think. ===== David Moore, 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 Newslines (new message every Monday): 1550-111-442 Ireland 09001-88-1950 U.K.

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[Astronomy Ireland] Newgrange Photo Exhibition, Jupiter+Moon, Solstice
by Astronomy Ireland 23 Jun '04

23 Jun '04

1. PHOTO EXHIBITION BY ANTHONY MURPHY Astronomy Ireland member Anthony Murphy from Drogheda has an exhibition of his photographic work running for 2 weeks starting tonight (see cover of December 2003 issue of our magazine). Here are some details from the press notice about the event: The first ever public exhibition of work by a local amateur photographer is to be launched next Wednesday at the Brú na Bóinne Visitors¹ Centre, next to Newgrange, Co. Meath. Journalist and astronomer Anthony Murphy has been taking photographs for years, but only became seriously interested in the hobby about six years ago. Now a major exhibition of his photographs, many of which feature landscapes and monuments from the Boyne Valley region, is to be held for the first time. Entitled the "Mythical Ireland" exhibition, there will be over 40 colour prints featured. Many of the photographs were taken during the course of research work carried out into the astronomical and mythological significance of the ancient monuments in the Boyne Valley. www.mythicalireland.com features some of the photographs which will be shown at the exhibition. But the new exhibition does not exclusively feature monuments. "I am a keen landscape photographer, but my subject matter is fairly varied," Anthony Murphy said. "I¹ve even tried macro photography looking at subjects very close up, almost as if they were under a microscope. The exhibition will feature close-ups of a bee¹s head, a cactus plant and frost and dewdrops on plants, so there really is a lot to see." Among the familiar sights featured will be Newgrange, Knowth, Dowth, Millmount, the Boyne Cable Bridge, the Maiden Tower in Mornington, Mellifont Abbey, Monasterboice cross and tower and much more. The astronomical theme creeps in too, and there are photographs of moonrises, the solar eclipse of 1999 and the recent transit of Venus across the face of the Sun. The exhibition will open at 8pm on Wednesday, June 23rd and runs for 2 weeks. There is a reception on the opening night. 2. JUPITER NEXT TO MOON Just a reminder to watch the Moon closely tonight for probably your last chance to see Jupiter near the Moon in evening skies this year. Details are in the magazine's Sky Diary pages. (Other things to see this week include Comet NEAT now near The Plough and the crescent Moon which is always a fantastic sight in a telescope). 3. SOLSTICE Monday June 21 was the Summer Solstice. From now on the nights get longer, great news for astronomers! The Sun celebrated in style with those huge sunspots I warned you about last week. We've had incredible views of the sunspots especially now that everyone is equipped with AstroSolar filters since the Venus Transit. The sunspots should last another few days, and new spots can rotate in to view or just appear on the Sun's face at anytime. It's a great time to be doing solar observing! Get your AstroSolar filter from us now and don't be left out. Regards and clear skies, David Moore, Chairman, Astronomy Ireland. www.astronomy.ie Visit our Shop, Monday to Saturday inclusive. Tel (01) 847 0777

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[Astronomy Ireland] Sunspots! Venus Transit Report from Lecture
by Astronomy Ireland 19 Jun '04

19 Jun '04

1. SUPERB SUNSPOT SHOW RIGHT NOW Several groups of very impressive giant sunspots are now visible on the face of the Sun, as we alerted you to on our premium rate Newslines on Monday (1550-111-442 calls cost 95c/min; in UK dial 09001-88-1950 at 60p/min) As so many of you bought AstroSolar filters from us for the Venus Transit make sure you get even greater value out of them by viewing these superb sunspots over the next few days. There is an increased chance of an aurora too at this time. If an explosion happens on the Sun in the next few days and an aurora is forecast we'll post a message to this list immediately so check your email regularly. If you didn't get AstroSolar filters for your binoculars or telescope in time for the Venus Transit then we still have a few left (more will be coming on our next shipment next week too). Call (01) 847 0777 to order yours and get instructions for safe solar viewing. NEVER LOOK AT THE SUN WITHOUT PROPER FILTERS LIKE "ASTROSOLAR". The SOHO sun-watching spacecraft is experiencing one of its phases of difficult communication but you should be able to see the latest image of the sunspots on the net at: http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/realtime/mdi_igr/512/ but it's just not the same as seeing the sunspots live! Pictures of these spots will definitely appear in our magazine! www.astronomy.ie/sub to get your copy every month. 2. YOUR TRANSIT PHOTOS As promised, at our June lecture last week (Dr Neil Trappe "Submillimetre Astronomy and the Herschel Space Observatory") we showed a lot of the Venus Transit photos that you have sent us so far, with submissions from: Joe Divito, Arklow Keith Geary, Cavan Shirley Jones, Coventry UK Francis Long, Lucan Peter McNally, Castlebar David Moore, Phoenix Park(webcam video) Anthony Murphy, Drogheda Garry Murphy, Dublin Mark O'Neill, Wexford Michael Rosenstock, Bray Derek Scully, Dublin Kevin Sheahan, Dublin Richard Slobins, USA and a few professional videos. It was a stunning array of images for which we thank you. Most if not all will appear in the magazine: www.astronomy.ie/sub to get your copy every month. Dr Neil Trappe himself gave an excellent overview of submillimetre astronomy and the camera they are designing at Maynooth University for the Herschel Space Observatory which has a mirror bigger than that of the Hubble Space Telescope! If you missed this talk don't miss our next one on July 12 when Bart Busschots will talk about telescopes that can be used worldwide on the internet (so potentially one can observe during the day, while it is night time on the far side of the world)! Further details at: http://www.astronomy.ie/lecture0407.html Make a note 'Internet Telescopes DCU 8pm' in your diary and calendar now, or send an SAE and 5euro per ticket (3euro to members). All welcome: 8pm July 12 Henry Grattan Building (beside The Helix), Dublin City University, Glasnevin, D9 There's lots to see this month: those sunspots, Jupiter, Mars near the Moon - see the Sky Diary pages of our magazine and drop in to our Shop. Regards and clear skies, David Moore, Chairman, Astronomy Ireland. www.astronomy.ie Visit our Shop, Monday to Saturday inclusive. Tel (01) 847 0777

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[Astronomy Ireland] Lecture: new IRISH camera for Space Observatory
by Astronomy Ireland 13 Jun '04

13 Jun '04

In 2007 the European Space Agency will launch the Herschel Space Observatory into a deep space orbit 1.5 million kilometres from Earth with a camera designed and built in Ireland - at Maynooth College, Co. Kildare. Dr. Neil Trappe from Maynooth is working on this prestigious project and will describe a completely new area of astronomy that the camera will be designed to probe - "Submillimetre Astronomy" - the title of his talk, which is aimed at the general public. SEEING THROUGH CLOUDS Herschel is a 3.5m diameter reflector with three sophisticated instruments at the focal plane, housed inside an evacuated vessel cooled with liquid helium to allow them to make extremely sensitive and precise measurements of the intensities and spectra in the wavelength range of 0.08 to 0.70 millimetres. Herschel will be particularly suited to observing the tenuous material between stars and will be able to observe stars like our own sun forming deep within clouds of this material. THE DARK AGE OF THE BIG BANG By looking at faint distant galaxies in the far infrared we are also looking back in time. It will thus be possible to use Herschel to observe the formation of galaxies in the Early Universe soon after the Big Bang in a period known as the 'Dark Age'. OUR SOLAR SYSTEM Much closer to home in our own solar system, Herschel will also be used study comets and planetary atmospheres. IRISH CAMERA Known as HIFI, the Heterodyne Instrument for the Far Infrared, has a lot of Irish involvement in its design and construction. It will allow interstellar gas and planetary atmospheres to be measured with exquisite precision. A large number of familiar molecules are to be found making up the interstellar gas, not only simple molecules like carbon monoxide but also a large range of organic molecules. ALL WELCOME Everyone is welcome to come along and hear Neil explain what they hope to discover, why this new 'window' on the universe is so important, and how Irish astronomers at Maynooth are opening this window for the first time with a powerful new space telescope. It is a very important Irish project that we hope you will all along come along to hear about: Astronomy Ireland presents this PUBLIC LECTURE "Submillimetre Astronomy" By Dr Neil Trappe Monday June 14 at 8pm in Dublin City University (Henry Grattan Building, beside The Helix) All welcome. Admission 5euro (3euro to AI members, students, unwaged, OAPs) Hoping to see you all there, David Moore, Astronomy Ireland, P.O.Box 2888, Dublin 5. Tel (01) 847 0777 www.astronomy.ie info(a)astronomy.ie

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[Astronomy Ireland] The Ultimate Venus Transit Report for Ireland, Public Lecture Monday
by Astronomy Ireland 10 Jun '04

10 Jun '04

1. MILLIONS HEAR OF AI'S VENUS TRANSIT WATCHES! Go to Astronomy Ireland's website www.astronomy.ie and click on the Venus Transit Watch report on the top line for pictures and preliminary details of how the events around the country went. Over 1,000 people visited the Dublin event in the Phoenix Park from 6am until 12:30pm on the day and we reached a combined audience of over 1 million people with our on the spot interviews for TV, radio & newspapers (more if you include the Sky News report that went out in to the UK and further afield!). A very successful day. More details on the website. A fuller report with all your photos will appear in the August issue of our magazine out mid next month so send in your photos and comments now to observe(a)astronomy.ie If you live on this island and you have a photo of the Transit make sure you submit it for the ultimate Irish record of the Venus Transit of 2004 (all the major libraries in Ireland and the U.K. get a copy for archiving) If you want to order the August issue (only 5euro) containing this report you can do so now by going to our subscription page, choose "one issue only" under "subscription type" and type in "August issue" in the comments box. www.astronomy.ie/sub 2. AI PUBLIC LECTURE "SUBMILLIMETRE ASTRONOMY" Submillimetre Astronomy is an exciting new area of astronomy, allowing astronomers to see through clouds and producing stunning images of star forming regions. Observing the Universe using submillimetre wavelength radiation (part of the spectrum between the Infrared and Microwave part of the spectrum) offers astronomers a new window to observe many important phenomena that were previously undiscovered. This is one of the last areas of astronomy to be fully developed because of the technical challenges involved in the detection instrumentation needed to detect this radiation and the opacity of the Earth's atmosphere to this radiation. Dr. Neil Trappe from the Physics Dept at the National University of Ireland at Maynooth, Co. Kildare is deeply involved in this new area of astronomy and works on far-infrared space optics. Specifically he is working on the HIFI instrument for the Herschel Space Observatory (ESA cornerstone project, due for launch 2007). Everyone is welcome to come along to his talk in DUBLIN CITY UNIVERSITY (Glasnevin, Dublin 9) in the Henry Grattan Building at 8pm on Monday June 14. Admission is 5euro (3euro if you bring the latest issue of our magazine) So that we can gauge numbers please 'reply' to this message saying how many seats you want us to reserve in your name? We'll also present a brief round up of the Venus Transit and some of the stunning images we have received from around Ireland (and the world!) starting at 8pm sharp so be early! I hope to see you all there. Details, picture and map are all at http://www.astronomy.ie/lecture0406.html 3. STAR-B-Q Book now for our next major event, Ireland's biggest annual gathering of astronomy fans. All the food you can eat and all the telescopes you can look through! The August 13 Star-B-Q is specially timed to see the best shooting star shower of the year - The Perseids - from a very dark sky site in the Wicklow mountains. Book NOW online at http://www.astronomy.ie/sbq.html Regards and clear skies, David Moore, Astronomy Ireland, P.O.Box 2888, Dublin 5. Astronomy Shop, Unit 75 Butterly Business Park, Artane. Tel (01) 847 0777 www.astronomy.ie info(a)astronomy.ie

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[Astronomy Ireland] Venus visible on SOHO and final news...
by Astronomy Ireland 07 Jun '04

07 Jun '04

Our Shop and Office will be closed until 2pm Tuesday (we'll be at the Phoenix Park Transit Watch selling filters, magazines, etc so just think of it as a temporary re-location of the Shop!) You can now see Venus in the cameras of the SOHO spacecraft! http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/realtime/realtime-update.html Click on the LASCO C2 image for a bigger image. Venus is the bright object to the left of the Sun (before the Transit). The MDI image shows there are just a few small sunspots at present also. Venus should pass near them. Tomorrow, Transit Day, Venus will NOT pass in front of the Sun as seen from the SOHO spacecraft's viewing point 1.5 million km from Earth! See http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/hotshots/ for an explanation and how it will still be visible against the corona. In case you cannot access our website www.astronomy.ie for the Astronomy Ireland Venus Transit Watch nearest you, here is a list of all TEN: Venues: Boyle: The Horseman Boyle to Sligo Road - Betty Meyler (086)8341218 Carlow: IT Carlow - Gerry Moloney (087) 9184000 Castlebar: Ashwood Estate - Paul Gannon (087) 2595400 Clare: Kilmihil, Ennis - Angus J. Sealy (065) 9050883 Cork: UCC Cork -JJ Keating (086) 8131286 (021) 4902912 Dublin: Papal Cross Phoenix Park - Tom Finnegan (086) 8105155 Dundalk: Millenium Statue Blackrock, Derek Watters (086)0806908 Downpatrick: Greenfields Michael McAleenan (028) 44614455 Letterkenny: Kilpeak, Glenswilly, Seamus Byron (087) 2203312 Waterford: Venue TBA - Liam Walsh (087) 2329130 Date: From 6:19 am till 12:24 pm June 8th. All Welcome. Remember to bring along a few euro to buy a copy of our magazine with that article by Sir Patrick Moore and a full guide to the present and past Transits e.g. find out how Captain Cook found Australia when sent to Tahiti to observe the 1769 Transit! You can still order the magazine online at http://www.astronomy.ie/VTshopcart.html It would make an excellent souvenir of the event. Let's hope for clear skies, and whatever the forecast do get outside and watch, we have 6 hours for the clouds to break and just a few seconds is all you will need to witness the event of a lifetime. NEVER LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN. Use our AstroSolar filter (still on sale in the Phoenix Park) or the projection method - bur be careful. The next Venus Transit is in 2012 but it ends just as the Sun rises as seen from Ireland. Indeed as we say in the magazine, we won't get another full Venus Transit like this month's one for another 243 years! Best wishes for clear skies, David Moore, Astronomy Ireland, P.O.Box 2888, Dublin 5. Astronomy Shop, Artane, Dublin 5. Tel (01) 847 0777 www.astronomy.ie info(a)astronomy.ie

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[Astronomy Ireland] Venus Transit Notes
by Astronomy Ireland 04 Jun '04

04 Jun '04

The big day is very close now, so here are some notes to help you witness this once in a lifetime event on Tuesday morning. Hopefully you took our advice and booked at least the morning off work. Thanks to all of you who ordered from our online Shop we were all kept very busy packing AstroSolar, Eclipse Shades, Patrick Moore issue of our magazine, and binoculars over the past few days. You should have received your order by now. Our Shop is still open until 5:30pm today and noon til 6pm tomorrow, Saturday. After that we're closed for the Bank Holiday weekend and we won't re-open until 2pm on Tuesday as we'll all be out in the Phoenix Park running the Transit Watch on Tuesday morning from 6am! You can still order Binoculars, magazines, AstroSolar(for regular sunspot watch) at the online secure website: http://www.astronomy.ie/VTshopcart.html (just click "buy"). For Ireland, the Venus Transit begins at 6:19am with the Sun just 9 degrees above the horizon from Dublin (8 degrees at Galway, Limerick & Waterford, and 7 degrees at Cork). The "black drop effect" (see June 'Patrick Moore' issue of our magazine) is something to watch out for at this time. Venus will take about 20 minutes to move fully on to the Sun's disk. Then we have 6 hours of Venus transiting the Sun's disk. Will there be sunspots for Venus to pass near or in front of? Will sunspots look grey and Venus' disk look jet black? These are the things to watch out for if you have a telescope or binoculars equipped with AstroSolar filter. Then at 12:04pm Venus starts to move off the Sun's disk and by 20 minutes later at 12:24pm the Transit will be over, but not before we get one last chance to see the "black drop effect" from Ireland for 243 years. Although there will be another Venus Transit in 2012 it will end just as the Sun rises as seen from here. The next full transit we get to see from Ireland won't be for 243 years. (Ignore the times on the diagram on our website by the way as they are 'geocentric', the times I give here are exact for Ireland and differ by a few minutes as we are not at the 'centre of the Earth'.) NEVER LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN, AND NEVER USE BINOCULARS OR TELESCOPES TO VIEW IT UNLESS FITTED WITH APPROVED FILTERS (like AstroSolar from Astronomy Ireland). This is truly an historic event that those of us in the hobby for a long time have been awaiting for decades. Make sure you don't miss it and get to your nearest Astronomy Ireland Venus Transit Watch or get your AstroSolar filter from our shop for your binoculars today or tomorrow. Here is a list of our Transit Watches (see www.astronomy.ie and click on the Transit link) with contact numbers for directions. Bring along a few euro to support Astronomy Ireland by buying a copy of our magazine for just 4 euro at each event. Remember each member is volunteering their time and equipment for you to use: Boyle: The Horseman Viewing Point Boyle to Ballinafad Road. Betty Meyler (086)8341218 Carlow: IT College Carlow. Gerry Moloney (087)9184000 Castlebar: Ashwood Estate turning circle. Paul Gannon (087)2595400 Clare: Kilmihil, Ennis. Angus Sealy (065)9050883 Cork: University College Cork. JJ Keating (086)8131286 (021)4902912 Downpatrick: Greenacres, Downpatrick. Michael McAleenan (028)44614455 Dublin: Papal Cross Car Park, Phoenix Park. Tom Finnegan (086)8105155 Dundalk: Millennium Statue Blackrock. Derek Watters (086)0806908 Letterkenny: Graveyard, Kilpeak, Glenswilly, Letterkenny. Seamus Byron (087) 2203312 Waterford: Liam Walsh (087)2329130 You can also project an image through a small telescope or even binoculars and on to a white or grey card (see article in magazine) but NEVER look in to them when doing this and be extremely careful to supervise the binoculars at all times if others are with you, especially children who rush to look in(!) in our experience when running Sun shows in the past. Far better to have a pair of binoculars fitted with AstroSolar filters (secured in place with lots of tape when doing group viewing) where NO intense light ever gets in to the instrument in the first place. Tripod mount binoculars if you can and inspect the filter regularly. That's enough information for the time being. After the event you can look at all the lovely pictures on TV, the net, and our magazine for Irish images. Let's hope for at least partially clear skies and remember weather forecasts are only an estimate of what might happen (the solar eclipse in 1999 had perfectly clear skies WHILE the radio was announcing it was cloudy!). There will be a lot of coverage in the media. RTE and SKY NEWS have said they will come to our Phoenix Park event in particular (probably others too) and a number of radio stations will be calling in to us for updates. I will be on the Marian Finucane show on Bank Holiday Monday morning (9-11am, with my piece probably after 9:30am) on RTE Radio 1 and we have already done about 10 interviews as the pace heats up towards Transit day. Do email us your comments and any photos you take(same warning applies to looking through cameras as telescopes!) to observe(a)astronomy.ie Do read the articles by Sir Patrick Moore and Emmet Mordaunt in our magazine and above all have fun! Clear skies, David Moore. Astronomy Ireland, P.O.Box 2888, Dublin 5. Astronomy Shop, Artane, Dublin 5. Tel (01) 847 0777 www.astronomy.ie info(a)astronomy.ie

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