November 2006 - astronomy@lists.redbrick.dcu.ie

[Astronomy Ireland] Largest Observatory in the world to feature at Astro-Expo this Saturday.....
by Astronomy Ireland 30 Nov '06

30 Nov '06

Astronomy Ireland has distributed 6,000 complimentary passes to the Astro-Expo exhibition. If you have one don't forget to use it this Saturday. Supported by eleven European countries, The European Southern Observatory is the foremost intergovernmental European Science and Technology organisation in the field of ground-based astrophysics. Among ESO's current projects is what will be the world's largest ground based telescope. Construction of project ALMA began back in 2003 and this Saturday, December 2 nd, the ESO are bringing their projects to Ireland's largest combined astronomical event, the Astronomy Ireland Exposition in Dublin City University. All are welcome. The ESO headquarters are located in Garching, near Munich , Germany and it employs 570 personnel in Europe and Chile . Its aims and objectives: to explore where no ground based observatory has explored before and in order to do so it is foremost in the implementation of new technological advances. Created in 1962, ESO provides state-of-the-art research facilities to European astronomers and astrophysicists. ESO operates the La Silla Paranal Observatory, located at several sites 2400 m high in the mountains, 600 km north of Santiago de Chile in the Atacama Desert region. It is one of the scientifically most productive observing sites in the world. It is equipped with several optical telescopes with mirror diameters of up to 3.6 meters. The 3.5-m New Technology Telescope (NTT) was the first in the world to have a computer-controlled main mirror. Since 1999 however the 2600 m high Paranal site with the Very Large Telescope array (VLT) has become the flag ship of European Astronomy. The VLT is a most unusual telescope, based on the latest technology. It is not just one, but an array of four telescopes, each with a main mirror of 8.2-m diameter. With one such telescope, images of celestial objects as faint as magnitude 30 have been obtained in a one-hour exposure. This corresponds to seeing objects that are four billion times fainter than what can be seen with the naked eye. The Atacama Large Millimetre Array (ALMA), one of the largest ground-based astronomy projects of the next decade, is a major new facility for world astronomy. ALMA will be comprised of a giant array of 12-m submillimetre quality antennas, with baselines of several kilometres. An additional, compact array of 7-m and 12-m antennas is also foreseen. Construction of ALMA started in 2003 and will be completed in 2012; it will become incrementally operational from 2010 on. ALMA is located on the high-altitude Llano de Chajnantor (5000 m elevation), east of the village of San Pedro de Atacama in Chile. See some of ESO's amazing pictures at www.eso.org (look under "Outreach") ESO is planning to build the world's largest telescope - see page 13 of our October magazine. But best of all, ESO is coming to Ireland for the first time ever with a major exhibition and a public lecture for 1 day only at Astro-Expo in D.C.U. on Saturday (10am-6pm). Lecture and Exhibition details are at www.astronomy.ie/astro-expo2006.html (dinner places are still available that night - book online) The Lord Mayor of Dublin is coming, shouldn't you be going also? ASTRONOMY IRELAND - for telescopes and information www.astronomy.ie or call (01) 847 0777

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[Astronomy Ireland] Astronomy Ireland Christmas Dinner
by Astronomy Ireland 29 Nov '06

29 Nov '06

You are cordially invited to the Astronomy Ireland Christmas Dinner on Saturday December 2nd at 8pm in the Regency Hotel. Meet in the bar any time after 7pm for a chat and plan to stay on after the dinner for more socialising with all the 'regulars' from Astronomy Ireland and Astronomy & Space magazine. A full meal will be served and everyone is welcome so bring as many guests as you like. We are hoping that many of you who travel from all around Ireland for Astro-Expo will come to the Dinner afterwards. YOU CAN BOOK DINNER TICKETS (35euro) AT: www.astronomy.ie/astro-expo2006.html Details of the hotel location www.regencyhotels.com/hotels/content.asp?PageID=216 Here is a 'zoomable' map www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?lat=53.378&lon=-6.2474&scale=200000&icon=x I look forward to seeing all of you at our Christmas Dinner. David Moore Chairman. Tel (01) 847 0777. www.astronomy.ie for a report of last night's highly successful Telescope Show and Uranus Watch(the first in the history of the State!) NEXT: Lord Mayor to open biggest Astro-Expo ever this Saturday - www.astronomy.ie

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[Astronomy Ireland] Uranus Watches, Lord Mayor at Astro-Expo
by Astronomy Ireland 27 Nov '06

27 Nov '06

1. URANUS WATCH / TELESCOPE SHOW Just a reminder that Uranus will make a rare close approach to the Moon Tuesday Nov. 28 and we are setting up telescopes all around Ireland at 8pm - see www.astronomy.ie In Dublin in particular there will be a special Telescope Show run by our Telescope Shop - come along to the Phoenix Park if you want advice on a telescope for Christmas or call the number below. We'll be there at 8pm regardless of weather (breaks in the clouds are all we need). If you can't get to one of the Watches then get out your binoculars and become one of the few people in the world that have seen this distant giant planet. The diagram on the website shows how incredibly easy it is to locate Uranus thanks to the Moon on this one night only. Of course it's only a line of sight effect, at 2,990 million km Uranus is 8,000 times further away than the Moon (370,500 km distant). Also, Uranus is 52,000 km wide, 15 times wider than the Moon (3,500km). We want to hear from every one of you that attempts this sighting. Get the whole family out. Call all your friends and tell them to borrow binoculars if they have to. Send this email on to everyone you know. Please tell us what you see by emailing observe(a)astronomy.ie 2. LORD MAYOR TO OPEN ASTRO-EXPO Ireland's biggest annual astronomical event will feature a huge display from the European South Observatory and in recognition of the magnitude of the event the Lord Mayor of Dublin has agreed to formally open the event. We've had Deputy Mayor's and astronauts open previous Astro-Expos but this is the first time the city's first citizen has performed the ceremony so we would like you all to be there. Astro-Expo is a (free) all day exhibition, a series of 4 talks, and the Christmas Dinner, which sees members of Astronomy Ireland and the general public travel from all parts of Ireland to Dublin once a year for one amazing day (and night) of astronomy and socialising. Book your Christmas Dinner (and lecture tickets if you wish) on www.astronomy.ie or call (01) 847 0777 as soon as possible ASTRONOMY IRELAND - for telescopes and information call (01) 847 0777 www.astronomy.ie

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[Astronomy Ireland] Uranus & Moon Telescope Shows Countrywide
by Astronomy Ireland 23 Nov '06

23 Nov '06

RARE CHANCE TO SEE URANUS EASILY! For our last Telescope Event on Nov. 1 we had perfectly clear skies and hundreds of people came along to see Comet SWAN. We're hoping for the same luck next Tuesday Nov. 28 when the Moon will be close to Uranus making it extremely easy to spot as I'll explain. Many of you have gone hunting for the elusive planet Mercury which, it has been estimated has been seen by less than 1% of the Earth's population, despite being easy to see with the naked eye if you bother to look for it. In fact, Mercury is in morning skies all this week and next week as you will read in the November issue of our magazine (sold out!). I saw Mercury last Sunday morning when it made its rare close passage to the Moon (see November magazine and we also told you about this on AIRS last week). Uranus has been seen by even less people than Mercury - but all this could change next Tuesday. Uranus' problem is that it is faint. Only experts can locate it with the naked eye as a very dim star on the edge of visibility to the naked eye under good conditions. However, that means it is EASY to see in binoculars and thousands of you have bought our special 10x50s over the years so you are well equipped for Tuesday, but any pair will do. All you have to do is point your binoculars at the Moon on Tuesday night and to its right, in the same field of view, you will see a fairly bright star (it's called Lambda and it's in the constellation of Aquarius). Now, just to the lower right of Lambda is another 'star' which is in fact the planet Uranus! Of course it's only a line of sight effect, at 2,990 million km Uranus is 8,000 times further away than the Moon (370,500 km distant). Also, Uranus is 52,000 km wide, 15 times wider than the Moon (3,500km). We want to hear from every one of you that attempts this sighting. Get the whole family out. Call all your friends and tell them to borrow binoculars if they have to. Send this email on to everyone you know. Hold a street party! Whatever it takes! The keen sighted amongst you can even try to see Uranus with the naked eye, but the nearby bright Moon won't help, still you never know. Try taking a photograph too? There is a diagram showing how to locate Uranus and more details on www.astronomy.ie then click on the Uranus & Moon Watch link for Nov. 28. Please tell us what you see by emailing observe(a)astronomy.ie TELESCOPE SHOWS COUNTRYWIDE This is such a unique event that no less than 8 groups from Astronomy Ireland will set up telescopes to view the Moon and the planet Uranus. All events start at 8pm on November 28. In Dublin (car park at the Papal Cross in the Phoenix Park) we will have a lot of very powerful telescopes for a special Show given that Christmas is coming and many of you are thinking of buying a telescope. Our Shop staff will be on hand to answer questions and give demonstrations - as they do in our Dublin Shop 6 days a week , call (01) 847 0777 for advice. Remember, A TELESCOPE IS FOR LIFE, NOT JUST FOR CHRISTMAS! PRICE NOTE: You can get telescopes at similar sometimes lower price from Astronomy Ireland as you can from department stores and camera shops but buying from us will mean you can get service under warranty for years to come and we are not selling off discontinued ranges for which parts will be difficult to get, only brand new top quality models that will last. We will match or beat any price! For details of other Uranus Watches in counties Carlow, Clare, Cork, Louth, Tipperary, Waterford, Wexford see www.astronomy.ie VENUE: TELESCOPES will be set up in Dublin's Phoenix Park at Papal Cross car park (and around Ireland see www.astronomy.ie) TIME: Tuesday November 28th at 8pm LASER: A giant laser beam (Dublin only) will be aimed toward the sky to point out the position of Uranus BRING YOUR BINOCULARS if you have them. Free delivery nationwide is included in price. ASTRONOMY IRELAND - for telescopes and information call (01) 847 0777 www.astronomy.ie

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[Astronomy Ireland] Leonid Meteor Shower Burst Predicted, news, Astro-Expo & ESO, Telescopes
by Astronomy Ireland 16 Nov '06

16 Nov '06

1. LEONIDS FIREWORKS THIS WEEKEND! This weekend will see the Leonid meteor shower reach its peak. The 'normal' maximum is expected on Friday night Nov. 17 with a ZHR (zenithal hourly rate - the number you would see if the radiant, in Leo, were at the zenith and you had very dark skies with magnitude 6.5 stars visible overhead). This is down on a few years ago when "storms" were predicted due to the return of the comet that causes this shower, but since this comet only returns every 33 years no exceptional activity was expected. However, David Asher at Armagh Observatory and his colleague Rob McNaught have predicted that debris shed by the comet when it returned in 1932 should collide with Earth on Sunday morning for a brief period around 4:45am give or take 10 minutes. Activity could be twice as high as the August Perseids, one of the strongest showers of the year. Astronomy Ireland has set up a webpage for the Leonids giving more details and telling you how to best observe these meteors and where to send your reports. There is also a link to the work by Asher & McNaught so check out www.astronomy.ie/leonids.html So make plans to stay up late on Saturday night at least and tell us what you see of what could be a fantastic celestial fireworks display? 2. OTHER NEWS: It's National Science Week this week, see www.science.ie for 400 events running around Ireland. There is a naked eye sunspot at present (NEVER view the Sun without suitable protection like the AstroSolar filters from Astronomy Ireland's Shop). On November 24 there will be a lecture about the Sun on the occasion of the 2006 Robinson Lecture at Armagh Observatory, details and tickets at http://star.arm.ac.uk/publicevents/2006/robinson.html Comet SWAN remains on view in binoculars high in the West each evening around magnitude 6 and with 2 tails - see November magazine for details Mercury is 6 degrees to the upper left of a thin crescent Moon on Sunday morning, low in the East just as dawn breaks after the Leonids outburst. Rare event! On November 28 the Moon will be incredibly close to the dim planet Uranus so almost anyone can see this rarely glimpsed planet in humble binoculars! Astronomy Ireland will set up telescopes all around Ireland, effectively a Christmas Telescope Show too - see www.astronomy.ie 3. ASTRO-EXPO 2006 Astro-Expo on Dec. 2nd is barely 2 weeks away and will have a HUGE exhibit from the European Southern Observatory, perhaps the most amazing telescopes on the planet! And lots more besides. Book the lectures and our CHRISTMAS DINNER now at www.astronomy.ie The ESO exhibit will be perhaps the most incredible that has ever come to Ireland!!! Everyone in Ireland should travel to Dublin once a year to visit Astro-Expo OUR BIGGEST ANNUAL EVENT - be there on Saturday December 2nd 4. CHRISTMAS TELESCOPES With a guarantee of top quality, keenest prices guaranteed, and advice + LIFETIME support, most members of the public in Ireland now buy their telescopes from Astronomy Ireland. Christmas offers were posted with the December magazine this week but anyone in Ireland can call to get advice and place an order from now until Christmas from Ireland's biggest telescope shop. Free delivery nationwide is included in price. ASTRONOMY IRELAND - for telescopes and information call (01) 847 0777 www.astronomy.ie

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[Astronomy Ireland] Blackrock Castle Robotic Observatory
by Secretary AI 10 Nov '06

10 Nov '06

PUBLIC LECTURE and DVD CORK'S BLACKROCK CASTLE OBSERVATORY Monday November 13th at 8pm Everyone in the Leinster area is invited to a very exciting lecture about Ireland's newest high-tech observatory, and everyone outside Leinster can get a copy on DVD. The most advanced observatory in Ireland has just opened in Cork at a cost of four million Euro. The extensive restoration and refitting of Blackrock Castle, in which it is housed, is now complete. This observatory provides a state of the art facility for astronomical research as well as a new interactive science exhibition centre. It is a unique Irish facility that promotes science, engineering and technology through the medium of astronomy. More info is available at www.physics.cit.ie/blackrock. Dr. Niall Smith of Cork Institute of Technology will take us on a tour of this historic facility. His talk will cover this restoration itself and the background on the observatory and its facilities. All are welcome! If you cannot get to Dublin for the lecture, you can purchase a full DVD for the same price as a ticket. Simply log onto www.astronomy.ie/lectureDVD.html Time of Lecture: 8:00pm, Monday, November 13 Venue: Trinity College Dublin (Physics Building) Admission: €5 (€3 children/students). ALL WELCOME! For more information or to book places, visit www.astronomy.ie or call (01) 847 0777. ASTRONOMY IRELAND - for telescopes and information www.astronomy.ie or call (01) 847 0777

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[Astronomy Ireland] FREE Tickets for Toys 4 Big Boys Exhibition, Comet SWAN
by Astronomy Ireland 03 Nov '06

03 Nov '06

1. TOYS 4 BIG BOYS FREE TICKETS Astronomy Ireland will have a stand at the upcoming "Toys 4 Big Boys" exhibition in the RDS on November 9-12. We will be exhibiting some of Ireland's most powerful portable telescopes. You can learn more about this event at www.toys4bigboys.ie. All are welcome! Please view the full page ad on the back page of the November issue of Astronomy&Space. To order Astronomy&Space, simply go to www.astronomy.ie/magazine.html FREE TICKETS worth 16euro: Robert, Paul, and Carl have a limited number of tickets to give away absolutely free! Call them at our Shop in Artane soon to get yours. If you cannot make it to this event, come view our huge telescope showroom. A.I. Shop Opening Hours: Monday-Friday 9:30am-5:30pm Saturday 10am-6pm Learn more at www.astronomy.ie or call us at (01) 847 0777. 2. COMET SWAN ON VIEW Hundreds of people came to our Comet Watches in Dublin and around the country. Sorry for the short notice but the comet only surged in brightness last week. A report will appear on www.astronomy.ie soon. The November issue of our magazine sold out so we're going to put the comet article online for FREE at www.astronomy.ie/cometSWANarticle.pdf Here is a star map showing the comet's position each night for the coming week to keep you going in the meantime. More soon. www.astronomy.ie/cometSWANmap.gif Note the comet's position relative to the star Vega and the constellation Hercules, both high in the West after sunset until late. ASTRONOMY IRELAND - for telescopes and information www.astronomy.ie or call (01) 847 0777

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