October 2008 - astronomy@lists.redbrick.dcu.ie

[Astronomy Ireland] AI Speaker on Gerry Ryan 2FM, David Moore to open Major Space Exhibition, Events
by AI Secretary 31 Oct '08

31 Oct '08

1. October Speaker on Gerry Ryan Show 2FM To promote the DVD of his October 13 Public Lecture to Astronomy Ireland, Gregg Hallinan (from the Centre for Astronomy at NUI Galway) will be interviewed by Gerry Ryan (a keen space fan) on Friday morning October 31st. The show goes our on 2FM from 9am to noon so tune in as Gregg promises to play weird and wonderful sounds recorded through radio telescopes of cosmic phenomena. We hope to have a recording of Gregg's interview here later that day. Gregg's Public Lecture was all about finding planets around other stars using radio telescopes to detect the radio emissions caused by aurorae on these planets. You can order the DVD of Gregg's Lecture from Astronomy Ireland here at modest cost. P.S. check out our homepage over the next few days - it's not often you'll see well known names like Gerry Ryan and Boyzone on www.astronomy.ie ! 2. A.I. Chairman to Open National Museum Space Exhibition (Castlebar) The National Museum of Ireland is launching a major exhibition of its rarely seen collection of meteorites, extremely valuable actual Moon rocks, and an Irish flag that was flown in space in a major exhibition that will run from November until next year. Check out this link www.museum.ie/en/intro/country-life.aspx The NMI have kindly asked Astronomy Ireland's Chairman, David Moore, to perform a special opening ceremony on Monday November 3rd at 6:30pm and you are hereby cordially invited to come and preview the exhibition at this ceremony. This is a major honour for us all so please do try to come along and bring family and friends. We are also using this event to re-launch our Mayo Branch, which has been ably run over the past few years by Paul Gannon your Astronomy Ireland Mayo Branch Coordinator. We have already planned the next major Mayo event for January 30th, which will also take place at the National Museum at Turlough Park just outside Castlebar. This will be the first of many events as 2009 is the International Year of Astronomy and Astronomy Ireland has major plans for events all around Ireland and to raise the profile of the society even higher. 3. Other Events Now: Mercury Don't forget this elusive naked eye planet is still visible in morning skies, see last email or check our October magazine (see Jupiter, Venus & Saturn too!). observe(a)astronomy.ie if you see any of these planets? Nov. 8: Astro-Expo Have you made your travel plans to come from all parts of Ireland to our annual exhibition & lectures. Details and Book places here now! Nov. 10: "Smoking Stars" Lecture Book seats or order the DVD of our next exciting lecture here. Christmas: We are appointing Telescopes Dealers all around Ireland. If you know any Shop in Ireland that sells telescopes please email sales(a)astronomy.ie or call Lar Keogh at our Shop (01) 847 0777 Nov. 20: Robinson Lecture see previous emails or click here Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular astronomy club AND Ireland's Only Astronomy Magazine www.astronomy.ie Call Our Telescope Shop Tel (01) 847 0777 Mon-Sat ( subscribe / unsubscribe here )

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[Astronomy Ireland] Another Irish Asteroid, Mercury, Shop Owners, Astro-Expo, Smoking Stars, Boyzone.
by AI Secretary 28 Oct '08

28 Oct '08

1. Another Irish asteroid discovered, this time from Raheny Astronomy Ireland's very own David Grennan has discovered a main belt asteroid from his observatory in Raheny, Dublin. This discovery follows hot on the heels of Dave McDonald's discovery earlier this month from his home in Celbridge, Co. Kildare. So, after waiting 160 years for an asteroid to be discovered from Ireland we now have two that have been discovered less than a month apart. This is only the third asteroid to be discovered from Ireland. That old adage about waiting for a bus comes to mind. Many congratulations to David on his discovery. David will be guesting on The Astronomy Ireland Radio Show on 11 November to talk about his amazing discovery from his suburban Dublin home. Truly an amazing feat. David Grennan was also part of the team that was responsible for Dave McDonald's earlier discovery and you can check out what he, Andreas Doppler and Dave McDonald had to say about the earlier discovery at www.astronomy.ie/AIRS You can e-mail your congratulations to David Grennan at skydiary(a)astronomy.ie and come and learn how the team did it at Astro-Expo 2008, see below. 2. Mercury in morning skies Checking out the Sky Diary page of our October magazine you will see that the elusive planet Mercury is on view in morning skies. Astronomy Ireland officers David Moore and Tony Ryan saw it next to the Moon on Bank Holiday Monday morning from Bull Island in Dublin. James O'Sullivan in Limerick saw it the next morning also. This is an extremely rare sight, but even though the Moon is now gone from morning skies you can still see Mercury with the naked eye around 6am onwards, low in the East, before the Sun rises. If you do spot it please email your sighting to observe(a)astronomy.ie for publication in our magazine and remember, less than 1% of Earth's population has ever seen Mercury so you'll be joining a very elite club! Mercury will be back in April 2009 so keep your subscription to our magazine up to date here. 3. Become A Celestron Dealer for Astronomy Ireland Do you own, run or work for a Shop anywhere in Ireland? If so, would you like to sell the prestigious line of Celestron telescopes? We are now distributing telescopes to the trade and any Camera Shop, Chemist Shop or Pharmacy can become a Celestron dealer by contacting David Moore at Astronomy Ireland on (01) 847 0777. 4. Astro-Expo 2008 Our 19th annual space and telescope exhibition takes place during Science Week on Saturday 8th November in the superb new Science Gallery at Trinity College Dublin. We will have incredible displays and a huge range of telescopes on display. There are also major Public Lectures organised for the Science Gallery's incredible lecture theatre: Discovering Asteroids From Ireland (Dave McDonald and David Grennan, Ireland's only living asteroid discoverers) How China Will Beat America to the Moon (Brian Harvey, author) The Wrath of Ra! (by NASA scientist Dr. James McAteer) Further details in a future email and on www.astronomy.ie/astroexpo08.html so make your travel plans now as this is the annual gathering of all our members and an event not to be missed. 5. Public Lecture and DVD Astronomy Ireland's November Public Lecture (and DVD) takes place on Monday 10 November in the Physics Building, Trinity College Dublin at 8pm. The talk is entitled "Smoking Stars" and will be given by Dr. Simon Jeffrey of Armagh Observatory. Simon will explain how and why some stars also emit black soot as well as light. He will also talk about his research and the giant leap forward in the last few years in our understanding of how stellar systems work. You can book tickets and the DVD HERE 6. Mikey Graham, Boyzone, on AIRS Tuesday 21 October You can still catch our interview with Mikey Graham of Boyzone about his interest in astronomy on www.astronomy.ie/AIRS Many other shows are also available there including interviews with Sir Patrick Moore and Dr. Chris Lintott. Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular astronomy club AND Ireland's Only Astronomy Magazine www.astronomy.ie Call Our Telescope Shop Tel (01) 847 0777 Mon-Sat ( subscribe / unsubscribe here )

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[Astronomy Ireland] Boyzone on AI Radio, Astro-Expo, Lecture-DVD
by AI Secretary 20 Oct '08

20 Oct '08

1. Mikey Graham, Boyzone, on AIRS Tuesday 21 October Tomorrow evening's special guest on The Astronomy Ireland Radio Show is Mikey Graham of Boyzone who joined Astronomy Ireland in 2005, one of the many public figures in Astronomy Ireland. The show is broadcast live at 8:00pm. Listen to it live or catch it later on www.astronomy.ie/AIRS or as a podcast. Mikey will be talking to Ben Emmett and Christy Creely about his interest in astronomy. 2. Astro-Expo 2008 Our 19th annual space and telescope exhibition takes place during Science Week on Saturday 8th November in the superb new Science Gallery at Trinity College Dublin. We will have incredible displays and a huge range of telescopes on display. There are also major Public Lectures organised already for the Science Gallery's incredible lecture theatre: Discovering Asteroids From Ireland (Dave McDonald, Ireland's only living asteroid discoverer), How China Will Beat America to the Moon (Brian Harvey, author) The Wrath of Ra! (by NASA scientist) Further details in a future email and on www.astronomy.ie/astroexpo08.html so make your travel plans now as this is the annual gathering of all our members and an event not to be missed. 3. Public Lecture and DVD Astronomy Ireland's November Public Lecture (and DVD) takes place on Monday 10 November in the Physics Building, Trinity College Dublin at 8pm. The talk is entitled "Smoking Stars" and will be given by Dr. Simon Jeffrey of Armagh Observatory. In this lecture he will be talking about his research and new findings and the giant leap forward in the last few years in our understanding of how stellar systems work. You can book tickets and the DVD HERE Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular astronomy club AND Ireland's Only Astronomy Magazine www.astronomy.ie Call Our Telescope Shop Tel (01) 847 0777 Mon-Sat ( subscribe / unsubscribe here )

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[Astronomy Ireland] AI on National Radio re Budget, Smoking Stars, God and the Universe, Astro-Expo, Telescope Dealerships
by AI Secretary 16 Oct '08

16 Oct '08

1. Join in on National Radio Tonight Astronomy Ireland Chairman David Moore will be on the 2-hour long current affairs programme Late Night Live on Newstalk 106FM which can be heard nationwide on 106FM or online www.newstalk.ie We want you to show there is an interest in astronomy in Ireland by calling and texting while the show is on: Call: 1890 453 106 Text: 53106 No doubt the Budget will feature in the programme and we have already asked the nation's professional researchers what they thought. While science funding (e.g. SFI) have not been cut there is concern over the third level registration charges being increased thereby putting students off university courses and some detail is yet to be confirmed. Ireland had hoped to become a member of the European Southern Observatory (ESO) but at an initial cost of 15 million euro this seems unlikely now. Please email us your comments on the budget now, before the show (via our secretary) so we can voice your concerns in the media in the coming days and weeks: sec(a)astronomy.ie We especially want to hear from those in education, research, and those promoting science. Astronomy Ireland is expanding its activities to lobby for a 'Science Culture' in Ireland. This will be particularly important if the government's plans to move to a 'Knowledge Economy' are to be realised, especially at a time where the number of young people studying science and technology is decreasing. When the world economy picks up we need to have a vibrant scientific community, a plethora of science graduates and a society that appreciates science, in much the same way as Ireland has a strong Arts and Science Culture. Astronomy is the best subject to champion this cause with the general public and your society will play a major role in the coming years. Do you agree this is the most important mission Astronomy Ireland could undertake? If so, help us and get involved. Start by tuning in tonight. If you miss the show, we hope to have an MP3 on www.astronomy.ie/audio by the next day. And keep reading these emails. 2. Public Lecture and DVD Astronomy Ireland's November Public Lecture (and DVD) takes place on Monday 10 November in the Physics Building, Trinity College Dublin at 8pm. The talk is entitled "Smoking Stars" and will be given by Dr. Simon Jeffrey of Armagh Observatory. In this lecture he will be talking about his research and new findings and the giant leap forward in the last few years in our understanding of how stellar systems work. You can book tickets and the DVD HERE 3. Robinson Lecture 2008 The ninth Robinson Lecture will be presented on Thursday 20th November 2008 in The Armagh City Hotel, 2 Friary Road, Armagh by Professor Peter W.J.L. Brand FRSE, of the Institute of Astronomy at the University of Edinburgh. The lecture will begin at 8.00 pm and is scheduled to end at 9.00 pm, followed by light refreshments. The title of Professor Brand's lecture is: GOD AND THE UNIVERSE and admission is free but if you would like to attend the Lecture, please write, telephone or send an e-mail to: Mrs Aileen McKee, Armagh Observatory, College Hill, Armagh, BT61 9DG; Tel: 028-3752-2928; Fax: 028-3752-7174; e-mail: ambn(a)arm.ac.uk Details here. 4. Astro-Expo 2008 Our 19th annual space and telescope exhibition takes place during Science Week on Saturday 8th November in the superb new Science Gallery at Trinity College Dublin. We will have incredible displays and a huge range of telescopes on display. There are also major Public Lectures organised already for the Science Gallery's incredible lecture theatre: Discovering Asteroids From Ireland (Dave McDonald, Ireland's only living asteroid discoverer), How China Will Beat America to the Moon and The Wrath of Ra! Further details in a future email and on www.astronomy.ie/astroexpo08.html so make your travel plans now as this is the annual gathering of all our members and an event not to be missed. 5. Become A Celestron Dealer for Astronomy Ireland Do you own, run or work for a Shop anywhere in Ireland? If so, would you like to sell the prestigious line of Celestron telescopes? We are now distributing telescopes to the trade and any Shop can become a Celestron dealer by contacting Lar Keogh at Astronomy Ireland on (01) 847 0777. Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular astronomy club AND Ireland's Only Astronomy Magazine www.astronomy.ie Call Our Telescope Shop Tel (01) 847 0777 Mon-Sat ( subscribe / unsubscribe here )

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[Astronomy Ireland] Classes, AI on BBC, Lecture-DVD, Astro-Expo, Meteors, ISS, Hamilton Lecture
by AI Secretary 06 Oct '08

06 Oct '08

1. Nationwide Evening Classes start this week The Astronomy Ireland Evening Classes for beginners commence on Thursday 9th October (Space Week) in Athlone, Cork, Dublin, Letterkenny and Limerick (but note the Limerick classes will begin on Thursday 16th October). These classes are very popular and aimed at the general public and new members. You should book your place for any of the venues online at www.astronomy.ie/class or by calling (01) 847 0777 as soon as possible. This eight week course is designed with the beginner in mind. You do not need to own a telescope and no knowledge of astronomy or maths is required. This is an opportunity to meet with fellow enthusiasts and learn all about about the Sun, Planets, Telescopes, History of Astronomy, Cosmology and much more. BOOK HERE NOW 2. Astronomy Ireland on BBC Sky At Night For the third time Astronomy Ireland's Carl O'Beirnes and David Grennan have appeared on Sir Patrick Moore's "Sky At Night" programme on BBC TV. Astronomy Ireland's Gary Clarke was also there. The show went out on Monday morning at 1:10am but it will be repeated on BBC FOUR at 7:30pm Monday Oct. 6th with a repeat later that night at 2am. BBC 2 will screen the show again at 2pm on Saturday October 11th. This month the show is about the Autumn Sky and was filmed at Sir Patrick Moore's home on the south coast of England where the top amateur astronomers from the U.K. and Ireland were invited. A recording of the show should also be on the BBC's website here soon. Congratulations to Carl, David and Gary. Carl & David gave our March lecture about their February trip to Sir Patrick's home and you can order the DVD of this lecture here. Last year a whole group of us were invited to join Sir Patrick on the show's 50th anniversary. See our webpage report here. 3. Public Lecture & DVD: "Searching for Planets Around Other Stars - >From Galway" On Monday 13 October, Astronomy Ireland will presents its Colm J. Cannon Memorial Lecture in the Physics Building, Trinity College Dublin at 8pm. As this is a very interesting topic, our speaker will be on the Gerry Ryan Show the morning of the Lecture (if you miss it check www.astronomy.ie/audio afterwards). The existence of over 300 planets outside our own Solar System has been confirmed since the first extra-solar planet was discovered only 14 years ago. The techniques used to detect these planets requires the use of very sensitive and expensive equipment. Some astronomers have recently claimed to have photographed one of these planets directly. Now, Gregg Hallinan, an astronomer based in Galway, is using a technique based on what happens during "The Northern Lights" to detect billion watt beacons beaming powerful radio beams into space from these far away planets. With the latest generation of powerful radio telescopes we can now begin to search for these kind of radio waves from planets in orbit around other stars. For those who cannot make it to the venue on the night a DVD will be available for 7euro (same price as a ticket). This lecture is part of our Maths Week activities. Book your ticket HERE and order the DVD HERE 4. Astro-Expo 2008 announcement! Our 19th annual space exhibition takes place during Science Week on Saturday 8th November in the superb new Science Gallery at Trinity College Dublin. We are bringing in an incredible display about Planets Around Other Stars from the U.K.'s prestigious Royal Society, and there are major Public Lectures organised already for the Science Gallery's incredible lecture theatre. Further details in a future email and on www.astronomy.ie/astroexpo08.html so make your travel plans now as this is the annual gathering of all our members and an event not to be missed. 5. Meteor Observing at SDAS The South Dublin Astronomical Society's (SDAS) next meeting will take place on 9 October. The talk that evening will be "Catch A Falling Star" and will concentrate on meteor observing. All are welcome on the night and admission is free. The venue is Gonzaga College, Ranelagh, Dublin 6 at 8pm. 6. International Space Station - 3 more amazing days! We've been getting sightings from all around the country as the I.S.S. blazes across the sky with its 3 astronauts on board. Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday this week are the 3 remaining nights to see it (it will be back in November though!). On Monday I.S.S. passes very close to Jupiter (check your magazine and see how Jupiter & the Moon are very close Monday & Tuesday). On Tuesday it passes below the Moon! On Wednesday it will pass in front of Jupiter as seen from some parts of the country! Details on www.astronomy.ie/iss and make use of our TEXT service if you can afford 1euro a day for each prediction: text SPACE to 57003 7. Hamilton Lecture 2009 The annual Hamilton Lecture on October 16 sounds very interesting, see here or here. Unfortunately the event is sold out. If anyone has any spare ticket(s) please email sec(a)astronomy.ie as none of the society officials managed to get tickets this year. Thank you! Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular astronomy club AND Ireland's Only Astronomy Magazine www.astronomy.ie Call Our Telescope Shop Tel (01) 847 0777 Mon-Sat ( subscribe / unsubscribe here )

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