January 2005 - astronomy@lists.redbrick.dcu.ie

[Astronomy Ireland] Comet Watches tonight
by Astronomy Ireland 07 Jan '05

07 Jan '05

----------------------------------------------------- ASTRONOMY IRELAND MAILING LIST - www.astronomy.ie (Ireland's National Astronomy Club, Magazine and Shop) --------------3,000 members and growing-------------- 1. COMET WATCHES NATION-WIDE As announced in previous emails TONIGHT (Jan 7) we have our COMET WATCH aimed at introducing the general public to our new visitor Comet Machholz, and hopefully the hobby of astronomy also! Counties: CARLOW, CLARE, CORK, DONEGAL, DUBLIN, LOUTH, ROSCOMMON, TIPPERARY, and WATERFORD will all have events tonight Jan. 7 and/or Jan. 13 (email tom(a)astronomy.ie if you want to organise an Astronomy Ireland Comet Watch in your area). I'll be at the Dublin Comet Watch in the Phoenix Park (regardless of weather). All Comet Watches are at 8pm so do get along at that time. Full list of venues around the country are on our website www.astronomy.ie COMET SIGHTINGS Several of you have emailed observe(a)astronomy.ie to report seeing the Comet. The chart on page 45 has been helping you say, as has the close up at http://astronomy.ie/dm/m45mach.jpg Those of you with dark skies report seeing the faint tails up to several degrees long with some streamers embedded. Greenish and bluish hues to the comet have also been reported. Even some of you in cities can see the Comet with the naked eye though of course it is much better in binoculars. My last sighting was last night when the Comet (mag. 3.8) was just 3 degrees from the Pleiades star cluster - I will never forget the sight of the Comet and the cluster in the same binocular field of view for as long as I live! The January issue of our magazine is now all but sold out but a continuation of the chart in that issue and great photos from around Ireland (and a few from the rest of the world) will be in the February and future issues of our magazine, which you can order now at www.astronomy.ie/sub Here's an amazing recent photo sent to us from Austria to whet your appetite: http://www.astrostudio.at/common/images/fullFormat/LRGB3.jpg If you wanted a printed copy of this and many more photos make sure you sign up now! Comet Machholz is now about magnitude 3.5 (brighter than M31 several of you commented) and the size of the Full Moon. Please send us an email every time you view the comet to observe(a)astronomy.ie so we can mention as many of you as possible in the magazine report we are compiling. WE NEED YOUR REPORTS NOW PLEASE and keep them coming daily. For those of you who want to really get in to comet observing I've written a quick guide to how to make detailed observations of comets at http://www.astronomy.ie/dm/observingcomets.rtf AND FINALLY Don't forget our JANUARY SALE starts tomorrow Saturday January 8 at 12noon in The Astronomy Shop Unit 75, Butterly Business Park, Kilmore Road, Artane, Dublin 5. Map & bus routes: http://www.astronomy.ie/map.html - David Moore, Chairman, Astronomy Ireland - your national astronomy club & magazine. Astronomy Ireland is a non-profit club for EVERYONE interested in space. www.astronomy.ie/sub to join AI and get our magazine.

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[Astronomy Ireland] Comet Images, Map & Watches Nationwide, AIRS, January Sale!
by Astronomy Ireland 05 Jan '05

05 Jan '05

----------------------------------------------------- ASTRONOMY IRELAND MAILING LIST - www.astronomy.ie (Ireland's National Astronomy Club, Magazine and Shop) --------------3,000 members and growing-------------- 1. COMET CHART & NATIONWIDE WATCHES ON FRIDAY Good views of Comet Machholz (C/2004 Q2) early last night (on Jan 4) before clouds rolled in. It's about magnitude 3.5 and half a degree across (same size as a Full Moon) with very faint tails best seen in binoculars or wide angle telescopes from dark rural skies. Tonight the comet is only 5 degrees from the Pleiades (or Seven Sisters) star cluster. Both should be visible to the naked eye as the comet passes closest to Earth this week. A very nice picture from last night is at http://spaceweather.com/swpod2005/05jan05/lawrence.jpg Comet Machholz looks green or blue in photos but white to the eye (it's not bright enough to stimulate our colour vision). 5 degrees puts the comet in the same field of view as the cluster if you're using a pair of our ultra wide angle 10x50 binoculars, which a lot of you now have. On Thursday and Friday the comet will be closest, just 2 degrees away, an amazing and rare sight especially as the comet is so high up, at its closest and its brightest. Let's hope we're as lucky with the weather. In addition to the 2 page article and main star chart on page 45 of the January issue of our magazine (almost sold out now so hurry and order a copy www.astronomy.ie/sub) I have put a close-up chart at http://www.astronomy.ie/dm/m45mach.jpg showing the comet's path past the Pleiades for the next week. The chart is 10 degrees wide and shows stars to magnitude 9. COMET WATCHES NATIONWIDE We have our major Comet Watches running nationwide on Friday at 8pm (see www.astronomy.ie for the Watch nearest you) when we want to give everyone in Ireland a chance to see this new comet close up. Please pass on details of this event to everyone you know as it is aimed at making the general public aware of this unusually bright comet which is perfectly placed in evening skies. There will be another COMET WATCH on Thursday January 13. I'll be at the Dublin Watch in the Phoenix Park (papal cross car park) Jan 7 and 13 so I hope to see you all there. So far, no one in Ireland has reported sighting the Comet to the Observers Log column of the magazine! To do so send an email if you see the comet to observe(a)astronomy.ie Send any photos you take to gallery(a)astronomy.ie or P.O.Box 2888, Dublin 5. 2. A.I. RADIO SHOW The Astronomy Ireland Radio Show was back on air last night for the first show of 2005 taking about everything from the Comet to the effect on the Earth of the quake and tsunami in the Indian Ocean, including the prospects for a tsunami for Ireland and Europe. The repeat is on Thursday morning at 11am on Anna Livia radio 103.2FM (or download the show a few days later at www.astronomy.ie if you're not in the Leinster area). Let us know if you think Astronomy Ireland should continue the Show? Does Ireland need a weekly programme dedicated to astronomy, or not? Email your answer to radio(a)astronomy.ie and tell us if you tune in regularly or are we wasting our time and there is no need for an astronomy radio show? Don't forget to tune in every Tuesday at 8pm 3. JANUARY SALE NOW ON! The big sale continues at our Astronomy Shop in Artane, Dublin 5 (delivery nation-wide). 50% off most books!!! 40% off most NexStar GT series telescopes!!! Half price videos!!! Half price slide sets!!! Loads of other bargains on almost any equipment! Come in and see Ireland's BIGGEST telescope shop! Map and public transport details are at: http://www.astronomy.ie/map.html Or call (01) 847 0777 and we'll deliver anywhere in Ireland. Only while stocks last - so hurry. Open Mon-Fri 9:30-17:30 and SATURDAY FROM NOON TO 6PM - David Moore, Chairman, Astronomy Ireland - your national astronomy club & magazine. Astronomy Ireland is a non-profit club for EVERYONE interested in space. www.astronomy.ie/sub to join AI and get our monthly colour magazine. Or simply post 40euro to: P.O.Box 2888, Dublin 5.

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[Astronomy Ireland] Aurora?, Comet Bright, Sky At Night, Opening Hours
by Astronomy Ireland 02 Jan '05

02 Jan '05

ASTRONOMY IRELAND E-MAIL LIST 2 January 2005. 1. Aurora Alert Jan 2 & 3 An explosion on the Sun (X class flare) has prompted an aurora alert for tonight and tomorrow (Jan 2 & 3). Keep an eye on the northern sky for glows, rays, etc. So far (8pm Jan 2) all of our experts around Ireland are reporting no aurora despite mostly clear skies so it doesn't appear to have started for Ireland yet, so keep an eye out all night long. As usual, if you spot anything please immediately TEXT 086 081 99 86 (keep this number in your phone!) giving your full name and location (town + county). Then please email a full report when you have finished watching for the night to observe(a)astronomy.ie 3. Naked Eye Comet Comet Machholz (C/2004 Q2) is visible to the naked eye even from the suburbs of Dublin and an impressive sight in binoculars. From darker skies it should be spectacular. It's just below the Pleiades star cluster tonight and moving towards the cluster (closest Jan 6 and 7). As you may have seen in the Irish Times we are organising Comet Watches all around Ireland on BOTH Friday January 7 and Thursday January 13 while the Moon is out of the way (see list of venues so far at www.astronomy.ie) The comet is high in the South every evening this week making it very well located. See the 2 page article and star map in the January issue of our magazine that was posted in mid December (or order a copy at www.astronomy.ie/sub) Comet Machholz will be a fine sight until February and well worth watching into March as it passes near the North Star (Polaris). Don't forget to send all your sightings to observe(a)astronomy.ie and your photos to gallery(a)astronomy.ie as we have received virtually nothing yet except personal emails and texts Here's a nice photo from our friends in Austria http://www.astrostudio.at/Astrofotos/aufnahme.php?a_id=341&page=1&kategorie… 3. BBC1 TV Sky at Night (Sunday night) & Lecture Astronomy Ireland member Sir Patrick Moore presents his monthly TV show tonight (technically Monday morning 1:50am) on BBC 1 TV about the images sent back by the Cassini mission so far (the Huygens probe was successfully released Christmas Day and the Cassini craft successfully moved out of its collision course with Titan so we now wait for the landing on Titan Jan 14). Note that one of the leader of the UK Team for the Cassini Huygens Mission, Prof Carl Murray, will be in Ireland to give Astronomy Ireland's February Lecture in D.C.U.! See website and book early by reserving seats NOW by emailing lecture(a)astronomy.ie (note that our New Year Lecture on Jan 10 in Dunsink Observatory has SOLD OUT!) Cassini Lecture details at http://www.astronomy.ie/lecture0502.html This lecture will be recorded and made available to members all around Ireland (Christmas Lecture is just about ready on DVD watch for announcement to this list soon). 4. Our Office & Shop Opening Hours (+ January Sale!) Our office and the Astronomy Shop will re-open on Tuesday January 4 at 9:30am (we closed on Christmas Eve at 6pm). A massive January Sale will be in effect until January 31st. See booklist on our website (but note some titles have sold out). There will be up to 40% off some telescope models and discounts on practically every Celestron model (while stocks last). So plan to drop in or call as early as possible in January (Saturday January 8th from noon til 6pm will be a special day if you can make it in to the Shop then or call us). Happy New Year! ========== David Moore B.Sc. F.R.A.S. Chairman, Astronomy Ireland. Editor, Astronomy & Space magazine. Astronomy Shop, Dublin 5. info(a)astronomy.ie www.astronomy.ie Tel: (01) 847 0777

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