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

[Astronomy Ireland] AI Radio Show, James Randi, B.A.A. President, Sale continues!
by Astronomy Ireland 28 Sep '04

28 Sep '04

ASTRONOMY IRELAND MAILING LIST - www.astronomy.ie (The all-Ireland astronomy Club, Magazine and Shop) --------------------------------------------------- 1. ASTRONOMY IRELAND RADIO SHOW The first of our NEW weekly radio show airs tonight (Sept. 28) on Dublin City Anna Livia radio (FM 103.2 Mhz) at 8pm for 30 minutes. Should you miss the show tonight, or if you are too far away to receive the signal, then we hope to put each week's show on our website www.astronomy.ie Our presenter/producer is Ben Emmett (A&S Book Review Editor) with different guests every week including yours truly who will be doing a round up of news and sky events. Give us a few days to get each show up on the website but tune in to 103.2 at 8pm every Tuesday (for 13 weeks initially) if you can! Sorry for the late notice but we've been getting the November issue of our magazine to printer over the last few days. 2. JAMES RANDI TO SPEAK IN IRELAND Our colleagues in The Irish Skeptics Society have organised a major public lecture by James Randi and are inviting Astronomy Ireland members along. It's in association with the Irish Times and the RDS on Wed, Oct. 6th at 8:30pm in the RDS concert hall in Ballsbridge. James Randi will speak on the topic "Science and Pseudoscience in the New Millennium". Information on Randi is available at www.randi.org. He is most famous for his Million dollar prize for anyone who can demonstrate supernatural powers under controlled conditions and for his encounters with Uri Geller. He was the subject of a recent BBC Horizon programme that examined the claim that water retains a memory of substances dissolved in it after the solution has been diluted to the point where nothing of the solute remains. The EUR1m prize was up for grabs but wasn't won! Randi is a highly stimulating and entertaining speaker and is a magician of renown as well as being among the most famous skeptics. We invite your members to come along and bring friends. There will be a nominal entrance fee of EUR5 to help cover costs. You will not be disappointed. There was an article on the Irish Times science page on Thurs. last and it will be advertised again this week. The Irish Times have set up a number to call to book tickets 1550-114-706 (0906-6040246 from Northern Ireland). See www.irishskeptics.net for more details. 3. B.A.A. PRESIDENT TO SPEAK IN IRELAND We are asking you to book your places NOW for this major public lecture which we are holding in association with The British Council on October 11 at 8pm in Dublin City University. Guy Hurst will speak about exploding stars (nova and supernova) and the UK's search for them which he leads. Admission 5euro (3euro members and concessions) Please email lecture(a)astronomy.ie or just reply to this email, saying how many places you wish to book (you then pay at the door). More lecture details at http://www.astronomy.ie/lecture0410.html 4. HALF PRICE SALE CONTINUES! Lots of you came in last week but there are still hundreds of books on offer! After the sale all titles will be available at a small discount, but nothing like 50% off! For example, here's just a SELECTION from titles starting with the letters A-C: Astronomy For Dummies (Stephen Maran), WAS 26.95 NOW 13.48! Astronomy With Small Telescopes (Stephen Tonkin), WAS 30.50 NOW 15.25! Astronomy With Your Personal Computer, WAS 31.11 NOW 15.56! Atlas Of Deep Sky Splendors (Vehrenberg), WAS 36.25 NOW 18.13! Big Bang, The (Age 12 & Up), WAS 18.41 NOW 9.21! Black Holes And Baby Universes (Hawking), WAS 12.50 NOW 6.25! Bright Star Atlas (Wil Tirion), WAS 20.25 NOW 10.13! Cambridge Atlas Of Astronomy, WAS 135.00 NOW 67.50! Carl Sagan - A Life - P/B, WAS 31.50 NOW 15.75! Choosing And Using A CCD Camera, WAS 43.81 NOW 21.91! Compact NASA Atlas Of The Solar System, WAS 72.38 NOW 36.19! Some of these are BELOW trade price! Full list at: www.astronomy.ie/dm/booksale.rtf Bring a sack or a wheel-barrow! Ever thought of building a library? Now's your chance. Once stocks have been depleted this sale will never be repeated! So hurry. We're open til 5:30pm Monday-Saturday inclusive. www.astronomy.ie/map.html Need anything else? Our Astronomy Shop either has it in stock or will get it for you! Call the number below. Regards and clear skies, David Moore, Chairman, Astronomy Ireland. Editor "Astronomy & Space" magazine. www.astronomy.ie Astronomy Shop: Tel (01) 847 0777 Mon-Sat

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[Astronomy Ireland] EU Young Scientist Contest, Evening Class Size, ISS, Book Sale Online
by Astronomy Ireland 23 Sep '04

23 Sep '04

ASTRONOMY IRELAND MAILING LIST - www.astronomy.ie (The all-Ireland astronomy Club, Magazine and Shop) --------------------------------------------------- 1. 16TH EUROPEAN UNION CONTEST FOR YOUNG SCIENTISTS Ireland will proudly host the 16th EU Young Scientist Contest this coming weekend. It takes place in University College Dublin (O'Reilly Hall) and is open to the public for 3 days starting Sunday (Sept. 28) 12noon-4:30pm, Monday 10am-4:30pm and Tuesday 10am-4:30pm. There's lots to see, details at www.eucontestireland.com 2. EVENING CLASS SURVEY We need your help. Did you take our Astronomy Evening Classes earlier this year? We had a record 70 people doing the course. A large number of people have been booking the course and it looks like we could easily exceed this number by the time the classes begin on October 7. So, what did you feel about the class size? Were there too many people there or did the large class size help? No one complained and the lecture room can hold over 170 people but we wanted to get feedback before we decided to limit the numbers or not. Simply 'reply' now and give us your opinion. In the meantime we are still taking bookings at www.astronomy.ie/eveningclass.html 3. INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION VISIBLE UNTIL SEPT. 28 There's still plenty of time to spot the International Space Station. I've seen it blazing across the sky several times over the past week. Tonight's prediction is 8:46pm high in the South. To get the times for other nights call 1550-111-442 (in N.I. & Britain call 09001-88-1950) after 12noon each day for the time to watch that evening. ISS looks like the brightest 'star' in the sky, only you'll easily see that it is moving across the sky, silently, for a minute or two. See the ISS page on our website for background details www.astronomy.ie/iss.html. Please pass the Newsline number on to everyone you know and let's get Ireland our spaceship-watching this weekend! 4. HALF PRICE BOOK SALE An unexpectedly large number of you asked for the full book price list (approx 400 items) to be emailed to you and you should all have received it by now. If not, EVERYONE can access it www.astronomy.ie/dm/booksale.rtf and there are other discounts offered there too! If you don't have regular access to the net just 'reply' and ask for a copy to be emailed to you. Working during the week? That's why we open Saturdays! Come in and browse from noon until 6pm. You can see Ireland's biggest display of telescopes and gadgets too. There's never been a sale like this ever before in Ireland as we carry practically EVERY astronomy book currently in print and prices are at or BELOW trade price! Need anything at all? Then our Shop either has it in stock or will get it for you! See Map of how to get here at www.astronomy.ie/map.html Drop in and see our huge showroom next time you're in Dublin - but hurry as the sale is on only while stocks last. Thousands of books must go! Regards and clear skies, David Moore, Chairman, Astronomy Ireland. Editor "Astronomy & Space" magazine. www.astronomy.ie Astronomy Shop: Tel (01) 847 0777 Mon-Sat

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[Astronomy Ireland] Evening Classes, Clippings, Newsline, I.S.S. etc., Huge Book Sale!!!
by Astronomy Ireland 21 Sep '04

21 Sep '04

ASTRONOMY IRELAND MAILING LIST - www.astronomy.ie (The all-Ireland astronomy Club, Magazine and Shop) --------------------------------------------------- 1. EVENING CLASSES IN D.C.U. AND T.C.D. Our "ASTRONOMY EVENING CLASSES FOR BEGINNERS" which Astronomy Ireland will be running in D.C.U. starting on October 7 (Thursdays) were mentioned in the Irish Times last Saturday and we've had a huge rush of bookings over the past couple of days. If you want to book for the course please do so soon online at www.astronomy.ie/eveningclass.html where you will also find more details of the course which is aimed at giving you an overview of the universe from stars and planets to cosmology and advice on learning your way around the sky and even how to use a telescope. All 10 classes are 75euro in total (105 to non-members who are very welcome - or join AI now at www.astronomy.ie/sub and immediately avail of the 30euro discount) You can also book by calling our Shop staff at (01) 847 0777 Monday to Saturday up to 5:30pm. If you're not free on Thursdays, then Dr Ian Sanders of TCD's Geology Dept is presenting a series of 6 lectures on "THE SOLAR SYSTEM - ITS ORIGIN AND EARLY HISTORY" every Tuesday at 8pm starting October 12 in the Museum Building, Trinity College Dublin. Dr Sanders writes "This series of six illustrated lectures will attempt to explain in non-technical language how the solar system began. The lectures will explore the evidence in meteorites and lunar samples for the creation of the sun and planets and for early events in their history. Apply to Ms M. Duncan, Dept. of Geology, Trinity College, Dublin 2. Phone 01 608 1074; e-mail earth(a)tcd.ie. Fee is 60euro (students/unwaged/pensioners 30euro)" Further details at www.astronomy.ie/dm/Geology_evening_lect.doc Also, don't forget the sold out RIA lecture tomorrow night at 7pm (Sept. 22) will be webcast live See www.ria.ie Book the next public lecture for the Leinster area now at www.astronomy.ie/lecture0410.html to hear the past president of the British Astronomical Association 2. CLIPPINGS If you have a copy of last Saturday's Irish Times which carried the notice of our Astronomy Evening Classes in D.C.U. then please FREEPOST it (no stamps required) to Astronomy Ireland FREEPOST P.O.Box 2888 Dublin 5 Indeed, if you see any articles of interest to us please send them on or email us a note to info(a)astronomy.ie We used to have several people who 'watched the press' for us and kept our scrap book up to date but alas no one does it for us anymore... 3. NEWSLINE HEADLINES THIS WEEK: FIRST EXOPLANET SEEN DIRECTLY; MORNING PLANETS VENUS AND SATURN; SUNSPOTS AND AURORA; INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION IN EVENING SKIES. Please call 1550-111-442 (calls cost 95c/min, in UK dial 09001-88-1950 at 60p/min) every Monday for a brand new weekly message, and remember to call this week EVERY DAY after 12noon for the time to see I.S.S. that evening. 4. I.S.S. AND OBSERVATIONS I've seen I.S.S. blazing across the sky several evenings now. We're expecting it tonight (Tuesday) at 9:24pm. To see it every night until early next week call the NEWSLINE above every day after 12noon for the exact time to watch that evening. It's only a short message less than a minute long at the start of the Newsline every day so its not that expensive and the Newsline can handle hundreds of callers which our Shop staff could not! If you've been taking my advice in previous emails you've now had wonderful views over the past couple of weeks: Venus is stunning in morning skies and last week I got to see in with the Beehive star cluster in the same binocular field of view as we predicted! Amazing sight! I missed Mercury at its very closest to Regulus (3 arc minutes) but did see it several mornings, and a few of you emailed to say you saw it too (your reports will be in Observers Log column of the magazine). No one reported seeing that aurora that was predicted early last week - a lot of cloud cover. Same problem for the occultation of the magnitude 8.8 star by the 65km wide asteroid Moira on September 16. I got up early but it was cloudy! Keep emailing your observations to observe(a)astronomy.ie (and text 086 081 99 86 if you see an aurora! There's a nice sunspot right now but no aurora expected yet). 5. HALF PRICE BOOK SALE - CHEAPER THAN AMAZON.COM! Note that our Astronomy Shop has a HUGE clearance sale this month!!! Nearly all books (300 titles in stock, email and we'll send you a list!) are reduced to HALF PRICE! Yes, that's right HALF PRICE - that's cheaper than the publishers sell them to shops! e.g. Laminated Sky Atlas 2000 (probably the best star atlas in the world) was 146euro NOW 73euro! Black Holes and Baby Universes (Stephen Hawking) was 12.50euro NOW 6.25euro! All brand new! All HALF PRICE. Drop in to the Astronomy Shop at Unit 75 Butterly Business Park, Kilmore Road, Artane, Dublin 5 (see map: www.astronomy.ie/map.html and bus routes) or call with your credit card Mon-Fri 9:30-17:30 and SATURDAY 12:00-18:00 Big discounts on slides, VistaPix binoculars, and telescopes too - just ask.... Come and visit Ireland's only dedicated telescope showrooms - from beginners models to research grade all on display 6 days a week. Find out why most people in Ireland buy their telescopes and accessories from us! And browse through our book sale for as long as you want. Regards and clear skies, David Moore, Chairman, Astronomy Ireland. Editor "Astronomy & Space" magazine. www.astronomy.ie Astronomy Shop: Tel (01) 847 0777 Mon-Sat

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[Astronomy Ireland] I.S.S. blazing across evening skies
by Astronomy Ireland 18 Sep '04

18 Sep '04

The International Space Station can be seen blazing across the sky every evening for the coming week, in fact you can see it every night until September 27. On board are Mike Foale and Gennady Padalka - they took the picture on the front cover of the October issue of our magazine! I.S.S. will be high up for just a minute or two each evening. It looks like the brightest 'star' in the sky, though it will be obviously moving. The multi-billion dollar space station is visible at a different time each evening. For the most accurate prediction of when to go out and watch please call our premium rate Newslines on: 1550-111-442 (calls cost 95c/min) from Republic of Ireland 09 001 88 19 50 (calls cost 60p/min) from N.Ireland and Britain. Call every day after 12 noon to hear the predicted time for that evening. Please forward this message on to everyone you know and let's get the whole country out spaceship-watching! Regards and clear skies, David Moore at the Astronomy Ireland Shop (open Monday-Saturday up to 5:30pm) www.astronomy.ie/map.html Check out our HALF PRICE book sale that is on ALL NEXT WEEK - all titles CHEAPER than amazon.com!

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[Astronomy Ireland] Aurora tonight!
by Astronomy Ireland 14 Sep '04

14 Sep '04

ASTRONOMY IRELAND MAILING LIST - www.astronomy.ie (The all-Ireland astronomy Club, Magazine and Shop) --------------------------------------------------- An active sunspot ejected material toward the Earth on September 12 that was not expected to reach Earth until September 14/15 but it now appears the material was ejected much faster than expected. This could mean that an aurora will be seen tonight, September 13/14, i.e. Monday night, as material impacted Earth at 9:02pm BST September 13. The aurora should last 12 to 24 hours. There is a chance of an aurora Tuesday night also therefore. If you see anything pleas TEXT your name and location to 086 081 99 86 as usual (please store this number in your mobile phone now), then email a fuller report to observe(a)astronomy.ie for publication in our magazine. Thanks. Regards and clear skies, David Moore, Chairman, Astronomy Ireland. Editor "Astronomy & Space" magazine. www.astronomy.ie Astronomy Shop: Tel (01) 847 0777 Mon-Sat: 50% off MOST books this week only!!!

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[Astronomy Ireland] Tonight: Major Public Lecture/Speaker with latest details of Life on Mars
by Astronomy Ireland 13 Sep '04

13 Sep '04

In a stunningly successful mission the twin NASA Mars Rovers have been trundling across the red planet for 8 months now and have sampled and drilled in to many rocks from many different places on the surface of Mars. The overriding discovery is that time and time again there is evidence for vast quantities of water having existed on Mars. If this water lasted long enough many scientists believe life must have started on Mars. Is it there today? Or are there just fossils? Tonight (Monday Sept 13) Dr Tom Mason, the new Director of Armagh Planetarium, will give his first public lecture for Astronomy Ireland, in which he will address this issue for everyone in the Leinster area. Armed with the latest data and his own professional background as a geologist who has worked in extreme desert environments in different parts of the world, he is driven to the conclusion that life is very tenacious, and once it has a foothold it is difficult to eradicate. He will discuss the possibility of the existence of extraterrestrial life on other Solar System bodies, and illustrate his viewpoint with examples of aliens that live on earth. It should be one of the most exciting lectures of the year and all are welcome: "Mars - Life in hostile environments" is at 8pm in Dublin City University (Henry Grattan Building). by Dr Tom Mason, Director of the world famous Armagh Planetarium ALL WELCOME. Admission 5euro (Admission only 3euro if you show the current issue of our magazine at the door, or you are a student, under 16, OAP, or unwaged) [Doors open at 7:45pm for those who have booked places already by email] If you want to know the very latest ideas on where there is or was life on Mars you will be in D.C.U. tonight at 8pm!!! -----CD-ROM: As most members of Astronomy Ireland live outside Leinster this lecture is to be video taped and put on our website www.astronomy.ie in a few days. A higher quality version will also be produced on CD-ROM for 5euro including postage(reply now if you want it and we'll email when it is ready). Anyone anywhere in Ireland may order the CD-ROM for 5euro (if you live overseas email for extra postage costs). -----Background details of our Speaker: Dr Tom Mason trained as a geologist at the Queen's University of Belfast, and spent 22 years in South Africa teaching at the University of KwaZulu Natal in Durban. He has extensive experience as a geological research professor, working on environments of coal formation, marine heavy mineral deposits, Namibian diamonds and on palaeontological topics ranging from the description of the earliest fossils on Earth to mammal-like reptiles of the Karoo and using their trace fossils to describe ancient environments. www.astronomy.ie/lecture0409.html T: (01) 847 0777

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[Astronomy Ireland] Buzz Aldrin, Aurora, Sold out, Asteroid occultation, Help
by Astronomy Ireland 09 Sep '04

09 Sep '04

ASTRONOMY IRELAND MAILING LIST - www.astronomy.ie (The all-Ireland astronomy Club, Magazine and Shop) --------------------------------------------------- 1. SEE BUZZ ALDRIN Following the highly successful interview of Neil Armstrong last year, Gay Byrne returns to the National Concert Hall to interview the second man on the Moon, Buzz Aldrin on November 18th (Thursday). This year is the 35th anniversary of Aldrin and Armstrong's 'stroll on the Moon'. Astronaut and Rocket Scientist, Buzz Aldrin has an exciting vision of man's future exploration outward to the planets and the stars. He will relate his experiences in his unique and famously entertaining style. Gay Byrne will also interview Sir David Frost and George Foreman, details on www.nch.ie Tickets for the Eagle Star Face to Face interviews (organised by Newpark Productions) are available at the National Concert Hall on (01) 4170000 or www.nch.ie priced at 35, 50 and 70 euro. Tickets have already been selling very well so you are advised to book early. We will carry our own interview with Buzz Aldrin in our magazine so if you have any questions do send them to us. 2. AURORA No one reported seeing the aurora over the last couple of nights. I was city bound a lot of the time and did not see any major displays, but those of you in rural locations should have seen a display at least low on the northern horizon? The weak conditions have passed now but keep an eye out and don't forget to text 086 081 9986 if you see anything. By the way, there is a large sunspot on view at present - for SAFE VIEWING use AstroSolar (available from our Shop). 3. SOLD OUT It's great to see so much interest in matters astronomical: The RIA 'Nobel' lecture Sept. 22 is completely booked out (to be webcast at www.ria.ie though). The "Hawking in Dublin" special issue of our magazine (September issue) has SOLD OUT also! The Aldrin Lecture above could sell out soon www.nch.ie My own lecture in Naul (last night) was packed out (despite the Ireland/Roy Keane match at same time!). Also, we've had a steady stream of bookings for both the LIFE ON MARS lecture on Monday (not to be missed!) and the Evening Classes, so be sure to book now, especially the LIFE ON MARS lecture by a brilliant speaker who is an expert in this area: www.astronomy.ie/lecture0409.html www.astronomy.ie/eveningclass.html See you Monday - if you can get a seat! 6. MERCURY AND REGULUS Tonight (technically Friday morning) is the big day for the extremely close conjunction of Mercury and Regulus in the dawn sky. They'll be just 3 arc minutes apart and so probably too close for the human eye to split them? See the map and write up on pages 26 to 27 of the September issue of our magazine (now SOLD OUT unfortunately - order the October Total Eclipse issue now though!) or call our Newsline this week 1550-111-442. 4. ASTEROID OCCULTATION Tolis Christou at Armagh Observatory alerts us to the asteroid (638) Moira occulting a magnitude 8.8 star in Taurus at the crack of dawn on September 16. Details at www.asteroidoccultation.com/2004_09/0916_638_1913.htm Path map at www.asteroidoccultation.com/2004_09/0916_638_1913_MapE.gif Tolis writes "From the path I would say that anyone observing between Limerick and Galway has a good chance of seeing something (weather permitting of course)". But of course everyone in Ireland should watch as even negative reports will constrain the maximum size of the asteroid. Any of you who have purchased webcams (Philips ToUcam Pro) from us are ideally equipped to measure the size and shape of this asteroid. The asteroid is 65km wide and magnitude 15.6 so the star will completely disappear from view to up to 6 seconds. The star is about 8 degrees to the left of Aldebaran and will be 50 degrees up at 5:30am BST making conditions ideal. I'll be watching, let me know if you will too? Or if you need any advice? If I get any video I'll try to post it on our website. You'll need a 3-inch or larger telescope to see this event well. 5. HELP PACK MAGAZINE We are looking for volunteers to help pack the October issue of our magazine tomorrow (Friday Sept. 10). If you live in the Leinster area can you spare an hour or two to come in to our office/Shop in Artane (www.astronomy.ie/map.html) and help us envelope the thousands of magazines that have to go in the post that day? Any time from 10am to 10pm please? Regards and clear skies, David Moore, Chairman, Astronomy Ireland. www.astronomy.ie Call our ASTRONOMY SHOP: Tel (01) 847 0777 Mon-Sat up to 5:30pm. ----------

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[Astronomy Ireland] Aurora tonight? Lectures, Newsline this week
by Astronomy Ireland 06 Sep '04

06 Sep '04

ASTRONOMY IRELAND MAILING LIST - www.astronomy.ie (The all-Ireland astronomy Club, Magazine and Shop) --------------------------------------------------- 1. AURORA TONIGHT (TOMORROW?) The solar wind coming from coronal holes on the Sun has increased auroral activity around the world to the point where there is a chance of seeing aurora from Ireland tonight. It may only be a small display on the northern horizon from dark rural skies but you never know. There is a chance tomorrow night (Tuesday) also. Please TEXT you name & location to 086 081 99 86 immediately (please store that number in your mobile now!) if you see anything and email a fuller account later. 2. LECTURE REMINDER (Sept 8 event is NEW) Wed Sept. 8 at 8pm "The Universe" by David Moore, Seamus Ennis Centre, Naul, Co. Dublin. All welcome. (No admission charge). Slide show and talk suitable for beginners. Mon Sept. 13 at 8pm "Mars - Life in Hostile Environments" by Dr Tom Mason, Director of the world famous Armagh Planetarium. What news after NASA rovers have spent 8 months digging up the red planet and why has George Bush told NASA to land astronauts on Mars in the 2020s? All welcome. D.C.U. Admission 5euro. To reserve seats click 'reply' now saying how many. http://www.astronomy.ie/lecture0409.html Fri Sept. 10 from 10am to 6pm ASGI meeting U.C.D. www.arm.ac.uk/asgi Wed Sept. 22 at 7pm "The Search for Simplicity in the Universe" by Prof Leon Lederman, Nobel Laureate, Trinity College but now BOOKED OUT (we warned you last week!). However a webcast over the internet is planned - see www.ria.ie for details. Thu Oct. 7 Astronomy Evening Classes for beginners. Book online (or print the form) at www.astronomy.ie/eveningclass.html Plenty of seats are still available at the Sept. 13 Mars lecture so book there if you didn't get a ticket for the RIA event! 3. NEWSLINE HEADLINES THIS WEEK: As well as those two big stories from last week (ET and new NASA planets - see previous email) the morning skies are ablaze with activity, some of it very rare indeed. Consult the "Hawking Special Issue" of our magazine (the September issue - a world exclusive! None of the other astronomy magazines were in Dublin covering the event like Emmet Mordaunt and I were! www.astronomy.ie/sub ) especially the diagram on page 26 which shows Mercury+Regulus, Saturn, Venus+Beehive and the Moon: HEADLINES THIS WEEK: Extraterrestrial signal denied; NASA announces new small planets found; Mercury's best morning show of the year; Regulus extremely close to Mercury; Saturn, Venus and Mercury all near the Moon; and, Venus passes the Beehive. PLEASE CALL: 1550-111-442 (calls cost 95c/min, in UK dial 09001-88-1950 at 60p/min) for details 24 hours a day. ---------- Regards and clear skies, David Moore, Chairman, Astronomy Ireland. www.astronomy.ie Call the ASTRONOMY SHOP: Tel (01) 847 0777 Mon-Sat up to 5:30pm. ----------

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[Astronomy Ireland] Sunspot, Lectures, New planets, Hawking, Weekend Shop Sale
by Astronomy Ireland 03 Sep '04

03 Sep '04

ASTRONOMY IRELAND MAILING LIST - www.astronomy.ie (The all-Ireland astronomy Club, Magazine and Shop) --------------------------------------------------- It's been a busy week here at Astronomy Ireland so there's a lot of news that has to be condensed in to this one email as we've been too busy getting the October issue of "Astronomy & Space" off to the printer during the week. We have all your Perseid reports inside and lots more as usual including October's Total Eclipse of the Moon - the last for over 2 years. It'll be posted late next week if you subscribe www.astronomy.ie/sub) Here goes... 1. SUNSPOT APPEARS + AURORA SEEN The first ever big sunspot that we predicted on our telephone Newsline (1550-111-442) appeared on time! Check it out at http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/realtime/mdi_igr/512/ or view it with your inexpensive AstroSolar filter available from our Shop, by post or in person www.astronomy.ie/map.html The big sunspot should stay on view for 2 whole weeks. Will it grow, will it shrink? Let us know at observe(a)astronomy.ie An aurora was seen by Martin McKenna in Co. Derry and John Flannery in north Dublin on Monday night. Nothing to do with the sunspot, the Earth's magnetic field was just favourable to let the solar wind in to the Earth's poles. Please email observe(a)astronomy.ie now if you saw it too? Always goes to show that it's worth checking the northern horizon every clear night, especially now with that big sunspot about. Remember, if you ever see an aurora please immediately TEXT our alert line on 086 081 99 86 with your name and location. We can then email an alert to everyone in time to see it. 2. LECTURES GALORE Sept 10 (Fri) ASGI meeting. Ireland's researchers meet twice a year to present professional level papers. This conference will be held in University College Dublin, Theatre C, Science building 10am-5:40pm. Details www.arm.ac.uk/asgi At 5:40pm, after the ASGI meeting, a meeting of the A RADIO TELESCOPE for IRELAND (ARTI) project will also be held. All welcome. www.arti.ie Astronomy Ireland is a member of ASGI and as such all members may attend to observe the proceedings but you are asked to respect the fact that this is a professional level meeting, not aimed at the general public. I expect to be there so do come up and say hello. Admission is free. Sept 13 (Mon) AI Public Lecture. The Director of Armagh Planetarium, Dr Tom Mason, will give his first ever public lecture for us at 8pm in the Henry Grattan Building in Dublin City University on "Mars - Life in Hostile Environments". Admission is 5euro (3euro if you show the current issue of our magazine at the door, or if you are a student, under 16, unwaged or OAP). Details www.astronomy.ie/lecture0409.html Please note we are asking you to please email if you intend coming to this lecture, see this weblink or just 'reply' now with your name and number of places required. Thanks to those of you who have done so already. All are welcome. Last month's AI lecture was truly excellent and Tom Mason has a professional background that will allow him to explain why the Mars Rovers drilling in to rocks is so important to the search for Martian Life. Don't miss it! See you there. Sept 22 (Wed) RIA Lecture: Nobel Laureate Professor Leon Lederman "The Search for Simplicity in the Universe" at 7 pm. in the Burke Theatre, Trinity College Dublin. Details at www.ria.ie/events/lederman.html where you must book online, but tickets are FREE. I've booked mine already. Oct. 7 (Thu) AI Astronomy Evening Classes. Suitable for beginners. Advance booking is essential and you can do so online as many of you have already: www.astronomy.ie/eveningclass.html don't forget to join the society to get your 30euro discount! 3. NASA's NEW PLANETS The press conference on Tuesday that we alerted you to in the last email was very interesting. NASA relegated the European discovery of 'smaller-than-Jupiter' new planets to third place "...a bronze medal"! Still, a lot of interesting science and we'll be covering it the magazine. Leo Enright did a piece on RTE Radio 1's 5-7 Live show which you can still listen to at www.rte.ie/news/2004/0831/57live/57live8.smil and NASA details at www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/newworlds/extrasolar-083104.html 5-7 Live also did an interesting report the day before about a new radio astronomy website www.radio-astronomy.net where you can hear sounds from space: www.rte.ie/news/2004/0830/57live/57live3.smil Do you think we should invite Geoffrey Marcy (USA) or Michel Mayor (Geneva) to speak in Ireland? Perhaps at Astro-Expo (so that everyone in Ireland can meet the main people who discover exo-planets) this year, or maybe next year? We are interested in your comments (just 'reply' to this email and give your name and location too). 4. FIRST CONTACT? HARDLY! The news was ablaze with stories of signals from extra-terrestrials yesterday! By noon though the BBC (at least) had crushed the story (a New Scientist article had been over-hyped!). Here's one article from a 'reliable source' http://planetary.org/news/2004/seti_signal_0902.html note the concluding remark "but as of now there is no breakthrough". However, 5-7 Live still did a piece on it that evening which is quite entertaining. Where does Leo Enright get all those sounds from! Listen at www.rte.ie/news/2004/0902/57live/57live2.smil By the way, if you ever see any stories in the daily papers do email us (fax a copy to 01-8470771 if you can) with newspaper name+date+page as we keep a press clip library. Or send a TEXT to 086 081 99 86 (please store that number in your mobile now!) 5. HAWKING SOLD OUT We have nearly sold out of the September issue of our magazine that details Stephen Hawking's new theory which he announced in DUBLIN to the world in July. There's a feature on everything you ever wanted to know about black holes. One of Hawking's own PhD students has said the "summary of Stephen's talk was very good". There are just a few issue left which you can drop in to buy in our Shop in Dublin 5, or call, or order SECURELY online at www.astronomy.ie/sub. Just 5euro INCLUDING postage for a piece of history, and you'll be supporting the promotion of astronomy in Ireland. 6. DIGITAL CAMERA BINOCULAR SALE Speaking of the Shop we currently have a "20% off" sale on Celestron's new Digital Camera Binoculars (the VistaPix range). Come in and see them or call. We're open Saturday noon to 6pm as well as normal office hours during the week. Several other bargains on the Shop floor this week too, and 300 books, dozens of telescopes on display, and lots more in Ireland's only dedicated astronomy showrooms www.astronomy.ie/map.html. Please support Astronomy Ireland and buy from our Shop. It's well worth a visit, even just to browse this weekend! Regards and clear skies, David Moore, Chairman, Astronomy Ireland. Editor "Astronomy & Space" magazine. www.astronomy.ie Astronomy Shop: Tel (01) 847 0777 Mon-Sat

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