November 2009 - astronomy@lists.redbrick.dcu.ie

[Astronomy Ireland] Christmas Telescope Demos, World's Biggest Telescopes, Gift Ideas
by AI Secretary 27 Nov '09

27 Nov '09

Special Christmas Offer Events DVDs Shop 1. Christmas Telescope Demonstrations at A.I. Shop The Great Red Spot on Jupiter was seen at this evening's Christmas Telescope Watch, making it a huge success! Tomorrow, from 5-6pm, two of the moons of Jupiter will pass in front of each other, and Astronomy Ireland will set up telescopes again to witness this amazing event! Further telescope demonstrations will take place each Friday and Saturday until Christmas, at the Astronomy Ireland Shop in Butterly Business Park, Artane, Dublin 5 (see www.astronomy.ie/map for directions) in the HUGE free carpark. Come along with friends and family, and see Jupiter and the Moon through some of Ireland's most powerful telescopes. Staff will be on hand to answer questions, give demonstrations, and offer expert advice on telescopes for Christmas. For more information call the shop on (01) 847 0777 or email sales(a)astronomy.ie. There will be a FREE Hubble DVD available to everyone who comes! 2. "The World's Biggest Telescopes" - Christmas Lecture, December 14 a.. Did you know that Europe is building the world's biggest telescope - twice as big as anything the US astronomers plan to build? b.. Did you know that the man in charge - the most important astronomer in the world - is coming to Ireland to give Astronomy Ireland's Christmas Lecture? Tim de Zeeuw, Director General of the European Southern Observatory, will talk about his amazing telescope facilities - the envy of scientists worldwide - which are famous for being the best skywatching machines in the world. These telescopes have discovered supermassive black holes, Earth-like planets, and the most distant explosions in the Universe. This amazing lecture will take place in Trinity College Dublin, on December 14, at 8pm. In the event that you can't come along, you can get it on DVD. BOOK NOW ORDER DVD 3. Christmas Gifts from Astronomy Ireland It's the time of year again to start thinking about Christmas presents, and what better gift to give someone than a membership to Astronomy Ireland, the gift that keeps on giving? This year, 2009, marks the UN declared International Year of Astronomy (IYA) and to celebrate this Astronomy Ireland are running a special offer on membership - giving you 15 months for the price of 12. That's THREE FREE MAGAZINES for a friend or family member when you give them a gift membership for Christmas. For more information click HERE. Why not give a little extra, and include a season lecture ticket along with their gift membership? For only ?100 your loved one will not only get Astronomy & Space delivered to their door each month, but will get a special ticket for entry to all of our monthly lectures, or a DVD of each of the lectures. Remember, as it's the International Year of Astronomy, that means that your friend will get 15 magazines and 15 lectures or DVDs! To buy a season ticket with membership, click HERE. Give someone a gift that will last 15 months - sign up at www.astronomy.ie/gift Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular Astronomy Club www.astronomy.ie ( subscribe / unsubscribe ) Our Online Telescope Shop or Tel (01) 847 0777 Mon-Sat

1 0

[Astronomy Ireland] Sky Diary Editor A&S, Telescope Watches, Atlantis Undocks, Events
by AI Secretary 24 Nov '09

24 Nov '09

Special Offer ISS Events DVDs Shop 1. Replacement Sky Diary Editor 'Astronomy & Space' Magazine Astronomy & Space is looking for a new Sky Diary Editor. Dave Grennan, having held the post for almost 5 years, has decided to move to pastures new and therefore an opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic contributor to play a key role in the production of our monthly magazine. Working closely with the editorial team you will be required to compile a monthly guide on the night sky for naked eye, binocular and telescope owners. The post requires some skills in both astronomy and PC and there is a small remuneration. If you are interested in this post please email editor(a)astronomy.ie. 2. Telescope Watches at A.I. Shop There will be Telescope Events this Friday and Saturday, November 27 and 28, from 5 - 6pm at the Astronomy Ireland Shop in Butterly Business Park, Artane, Dublin 5 (see www.astronomy.ie/map for directions). Come along and see Jupiter and the Moon through some of Ireland's most powerful telescopes. Staff will be on hand to answer questions, give demonstrations, and offer expert advice on telescopes for Christmas. For more information call the shop on (01) 847 0777 or email sales(a)astronomy.ie. 3. Atlantis Undocks from ISS The International Space Station (ISS) is still visible in Irish skies until Thursday, November 26 and with the space shuttle Atlantis undocking from the station tomorrow, we are in for two final spectacular passes as both will cross the sky within minutes of each other each night. Atlantis docked with the ISS on November 18 making the two conjoined crafts the biggest man-made object ever to be put into space. Mission STS-129 has delivered various pieces of equipment to the space station and featured 3 maintenance and improvement spacewalks, the last of which took place earlier today. For times to watch the Space Station and Shuttle, predictions are available on various websites on the internet, however to receive a text message to your phone with the predicted time it will pass over simply text SPACE to 57003. Each text costs 1 euro and proceeds help us promote astronomy in Ireland. For more information click HERE. Remember each time you see any of these exciting space events in the sky to email your report to iss(a)astronomy.ie, we will do our best to include it in a forthcoming issue of 'Astronomy & Space' magazine. 4. Events November 11 to 26 - ISS visible in Irish evening skies December 14 - Director of ESO speaks at our Christmas Lecture (Dublin) Coming Soon - Geminid Meteor Shower, BT Young Scientist Exhibition, New Year Lecture Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular Astronomy Club www.astronomy.ie ( subscribe / unsubscribe ) Our Online Telescope Shop or Tel (01) 847 0777 Mon-Sat

1 0

[Astronomy Ireland] Astro-Expo Report & DVD Offer, ISS & Atlantis, Events
by AI Secretary 19 Nov '09

19 Nov '09

Special Offer ISS Events DVDs Shop 1. Event Report: Astro-Expo 2009 On Saturday, November 14, Astronomy Ireland's annual exhibition the Astro-Expo took place in the prestigious Science Gallery in Trinity College Dublin. The Expo this year featured a book-signing by Irish Mars author, Kevin Nolan, a specially commissioned French Space Exhibition, renowned IYA exhibition 'From Earth to the Universe', a Huge Telescope display, as well as exhibits and trade stands. The exhibition attracted many people over the course of the day and Astronomy Ireland staff and volunteers were on hand to guide guests around the exhibition, take queries and have a chat with. To read a full report of the event and see pictures taken on the day click HERE. Astro-Expo 2009 also featured a superb line-up of speakers: This years keynote speaker, Kevin Nolan, Irish science writer and author of 'Mars, A Cosmic Stepping Stone' gave an enthralling talk about the Red Planet, as well as setting up his own display and signing copies of his book. Kevin Sweeney, prominent astro-photographer and Astronomy Ireland's own Education Officer gave a talk entitled 'Imaging The Night Sky', great for anyone interested in taking pictures of the night sky, and Dr. Ian Sanders, a meteorite expert from the Geology Department within Trinity College Dublin shared his expertise with a fascinated audience in a talk simply entitled 'Meteorites'. For anyone who couldn't make it to the Expo on the day, we have made a DVD available to order online, for more details see our special offer below. SPECIAL OFFER: 1 X Astro-Expo Lecture DVD for 10 euro (incl. P&P) ORDER HERE 3 X Astro-Expo Lecture DVDs for 20 euro (incl. P&P) ORDER HERE 2. Atlantis docks with ISS The space shuttle Atlantis docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday night making the two conjoined crafts the biggest man-made object ever to be put into space. ISS is visible in Irish skies each night until November 26 and now with the shuttle docked with it, will appear even brighter than normal blazing across our evening skies. Atlantis' mission STS-129, is delivering various pieces of equipment to the space station and will feature 3 spacewalks, the first of which took place today. Each space walk can be viewed on the NASA website at www.nasa.gov/ntv. For times to watch the Space Station and Shuttle, predictions are available on various websites on the internet, however to receive a text message to your phone with the predicted time it will pass over simply text SPACE to 57003. Each text costs 1 euro and proceeds help us promote astronomy in Ireland. For more information click HERE. Remember each time you see any of these exciting space events in the sky to email your report to observe(a)astronomy.ie, we will do our best to include it in a forthcoming issue of 'Astronomy & Space' magazine. 3. Events November 11 to 26 - ISS visible in Irish evening skies November 21 - De Valera, Einstein, and the future of advanced research (Dublin) December 14 - Director of ESO speaks at our Christmas Lecture (Dublin) Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular Astronomy Club www.astronomy.ie ( subscribe / unsubscribe ) Our Online Telescope Shop or Tel (01) 847 0777 Mon-Sat

1 0

[Astronomy Ireland] Space Chase This Week, Fantastic Meteor Shower Tonight
by AI Secretary 17 Nov '09

17 Nov '09

Special Offer ISS Events DVDs Shop 1. Atlantis and ISS Space Chase The International Space Station (ISS) is visible in Irish evening skies again until November 26. The Space Station appears as an extremely bright star moving across the sky and is an event not to be missed each evening it is visible. Not only that, this week observers will be treated to a "space chase" as the shuttle Atlantis, which launched successfully last night at 7:28pm (Irish time) approaches the International Space Station. STS-129 is on a mission to deliver various pieces of high-tech equipment to the space station and will feature 3 spacewalks. The mission will also return station crew member Nicole Stott to Earth. For times to watch the Space Station and Shuttle, predictions are available on various websites on the internet, however to receive a text message to your phone with the predicted time it will pass over simply text SPACE to 57003. Each text costs 1 euro and proceeds help us promote astronomy in Ireland. Alternatively you can call our Newsline on 1550 111 442 after 6pm each day for the times to view. For more information click HERE. Remember each time you see any of these exciting space events in the sky to email your report to observe(a)astronomy.ie, we will do our best to include it in a forthcoming issue of 'Astronomy & Space' magazine. 2. Spectacular Meteor Shower Tonight The maximum of the Leonids meteor shower occurs tonight, November 17, and we urge all of you to go outside and count the meteors that you see. This will be the prime time for observing this phenomenon and your count will contribute to scientific data for those who study meteor showers. The Leonids, which are tiny fragments of the comet Tempel-Tuttle and are visible each year at this time as Earth passes through the stream of debris. The ZHR (Zenithal Hourly Rate) of the shower is expected to be somewhere in the region of 300 - 400 meteors. They are visible to the observer as 'shooting stars' in the night sky and occur as the tiny pieces of debris hit our atmosphere at high speed, instantly vaporising. For more information about the Leonids see the Sky Diary of our November magazine. To read about the Leonids and how to make your own meteor count, which we will do our best to publish in our magazine, click HERE. Don't forget to email your report to observe(a)astronomy.ie. Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular Astronomy Club www.astronomy.ie ( subscribe / unsubscribe ) Our Online Telescope Shop or Tel (01) 847 0777 Mon-Sat

1 0

[Astronomy Ireland] Public Talk And Book Signing Tomorrow
by AI Secretary 13 Nov '09

13 Nov '09

Major Public Talk & Book Signing Tomorrow, November 14, in the prestigious Science Gallery in Dublin, Irish science author, Kevin Nolan will be launching his new book 'Mars: A Cosmic Stepping Stone' at Astronomy Ireland's annual Space exhibition - Astro Expo. In the book, Mars is seen as a critically important aspect of exploration because it is a stepping stone to the universe around us. Nolan investigates whether or not actual evidence of life is on Mars, its similarities to Earth, ancient waterways and oceans that once covered the planet, and the challenges and opportunities presented for manned missions to the Red Planet. Nolan's book is the first ever Irish written book of its kind and is sure to be a huge hit both in Ireland and abroad. Nolan will be the headline speaker at Astronomy Ireland's annual exhibition tomorrow and his talk is due to commence at 2.30pm with a chance for guests to have a chat with him before and afterwards at the exhibition. "There is one man in Ireland who knows everything there is to know about Mars. Kevin Nolan, the leading Irish science author, will reveal all about the Red Planet at our Astro Expo on Saturday." said David Moore, Chairman of Astronomy Ireland. "Did it ever have water? Could humans ever travel there? Does life exist on it? All these questions and much more will be answered at his amazing talk!" he said. Kevin's talk takes place tomorrow, November 14, at 2:30pm in The Science Gallery as part of our annual exhibition, Astro-Expo. For more information and to book your places click HERE. Astro Expo is the biggest Astronomy and Space exhibition on this island and is hosted by Astronomy Ireland, every year. This event takes place TOMORROW, NOVEMBER 14 and we encourage everyone in Ireland to come along to our National Exhibition featuring a host of activities, lectures and displays to whet the appetite of every science and astronomy fanatic. Throughout the years the Expo has comprised of rockets, meteorites, imaging displays (including impressive astro-photography stands), telescope demonstrations, information on astronomy degree courses and a full compliment of lectures and activities. This year's event is no exception, and is set to be a fantastic day out. When: Saturday, November 14 from 12pm - 6pm. Where: Science Gallery, Trinity College Dublin - click HERE for a map. Cost: Entry to the exhibition is FREE. The price for lectures is 25euro for all three, or 10euro each (a 20% discount applies to members of Astronomy Ireland). BOOK HERE

1 0

[Astronomy Ireland] Astro-Expo 2009 This Weekend
by AI Secretary 11 Nov '09

11 Nov '09

ASTRO-EXPO 2009 a.. Mars Book-Signing b.. French Space Exhibition c.. From Earth to the Universe d.. Lectures, Exhibits, Trade Stands e.. Huge Telescope Display Astronomy Ireland's Annual Astronomy Exhibition will once again take place this year in the impressive Science Gallery, Trinity College Dublin. This event takes place THIS SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14 and we encourage everyone in Ireland to come along to our National Exhibition featuring a host of activities, lectures and displays to whet the appetite of every science and astronomy fanatic. Astro-Expo is the biggest Astronomy and Space exhibition on this island and is hosted by Astronomy Ireland every year. Throughout the years the Expo has comprised of rockets, meteorites, imaging displays (including impressive astro-photography stands), telescope demonstrations, information on astronomy degree courses and a full compliment of lectures and activities. This year's event is no exception, and is set to be a fantastic day out. For 2009, "Exploring the Universe" spectacular exhibition, in partnership with the French Embassy in Ireland, will be the main exhibit for guests to feast their eyes on. The exhibition illustrates some of the most fantastic discoveries in the history of astronomy. From ancient times until now, man has observed the sky, first with the naked eye, and then with ever more powerful instruments. Leading French scientists have helped put this travelling exhibition together and it has proved highly successful across the globe to date. The exhibit is provided entirely through English. Also on display this year is the renowned International Year of Astronomy (IYA) exhibition 'From Earth to the Universe'. Having travelled across towns and cities throughout the country this exhibition has received rave reviews and it is a display not to be missed. The keynote speaker this year is Irish scientist, Kevin Nolan, who has written a book called 'Mars: A Cosmic Stepping Stone' and he will be on hand for a book signing to launch this, the very first Irish space book! Other speakers include Dr. Ian Sanders, an expert on meteorites from the Geology Dept. in TCD, and Kevin Sweeney, Astronomy Ireland's Education Officer, who will give a talk entitled 'The Universe for Beginners' - a must for all budding astronomers! When: Saturday, November 14 from 12pm - 6pm. Where: Science Gallery, Trinity College Dublin - click HERE for a map. Cost: Entry to the exhibition is FREE. The price for lectures is 25euro for all three, or 10euro each (a 20% discount applies to members of Astronomy Ireland). Each year, people from all over Ireland converge in Dublin for this annual exhibition and lectures so don't miss this, Astronomy Ireland's 19th annual "Astro-Expo" - Ireland's biggest annual space exhibition! For more information or to book your places click the link below or call us on (01) 847 0777. BOOK HERE

1 0

[Astronomy Ireland] Our Events for National Science Week Nov. 8th-15th
by AI Secretary 09 Nov '09

09 Nov '09

- "BIG BANG" LECTURE - FREE TELESCOPE NIGHTS - ANNUAL NATIONAL EXHIBITION - I.S.S. This week is National Science Week and Astronomy Ireland are running very high profile events from Lectures and Telescope Nights to our huge annual exhibition "Astro-Expo" for which we have a major exhibition on space being shipped in from France! Even I.S.S. will blaze over so plan to come to as many of these events as you can. 1. Major Public Lecture "THE BIG BANG" (also on DVD & R.T.E. ) Tonight, November 9th, in a talk entitled 'The Big Bang', Dr. Cormac O' Raifeartaigh of Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) will explain everything you ever wanted to know about the Universe but were afraid to ask! Dr. O' Raifeartaigh will discuss all aspects of the Universe from the Big Bang right up to the present, touching on common questions such as; What happened at the Big Bang? How did everything in the Universe fit into such a small space? How did it all begin?, and much more. The venue is Trinity College Dublin's largest lecture hall (Ed Burke Theatre) at 8pm. For more information click HERE. R.T.E.: Our speaker was on The Pat Kenny show on RTE Radio 1 this morning. Check www.astronomy.ie/audio later today to hear him. DVD: A DVD is available to order for anyone who can't make it to the event tonight. SOCIAL: After the lecture there will be a social reception in The Lombard and we encourage all of you to come along and have a chat with us and Dr. O' Raifeartaigh Please note that due to demand we have moved this lecture to the Ed Burke Theatre in the Arts Building, Trinity College Dublin (just off Nassau Street). Book seats HERE. Order DVD HERE. 2. FREE TELESCOPE NIGHTS !!! Nov. 10th to 13th (Tues-Fri) Powerful telescopes will be set up at the Astronomy Ireland Offices each night from November 10 - 13 (Tuesday - Friday) this week. The main target will be the planet Jupiter which is an amazing sight in a good quality telescope but we will also teach you how to find your way around the sky with Ireland's most powerful hand held laser, and show you double stars, I.S.S., star clusters, and more, like you have never seen them before. Ideal for beginners (experts welcome too!). Free Tea & Coffee and a FREE Hubble DVD for every visitor over the 4 nights so please tell all your friends. Come along to the Astronomy Ireland Headquarters in Butterly Business Park, Artane, Dublin 5 (www.astronomy.ie/map) from 5:30pm - 7:30pm each evening. Events will go ahead regardless of weather. For more information call a member of the shop staff on (01) 847 0777 or email sales(a)astronomy.ie. 3. Our Annual National Exhibition "Astro-Expo" Astronomy Ireland's annual astronomy exhibition will once again take place this year in the impressive Science Gallery, Trinity College Dublin. This year's event is a one-day affair, taking place on Saturday, November 14, and will include - a specially commissioned exhibition by the French Embassy in Ireland called 'Exploring The Universe', - International Year of Astronomy (IYA) exhibition 'From Earth To The Universe', - Astro-photography displays, telescope demonstrations and much more. SPEAKERS: Our keynote speaker this year is Irish scientist, Kevin Nolan, who has written a book called 'Mars: A Cosmic Stepping Stone'. Other speakers include Dr. Ian Sanders an expert on meteorites, from the Geology Dept, TCD, and a 3rd speaker to be confirmed (see website) FREE: There is no entry fee to the exhibitions The price for lectures is 25euro for all three, or 10euro each (a 20% discount applies to members of Astronomy Ireland). Each year, members from all over Ireland converge on Dublin for our annual exhibition and lectures so don't miss this, our 19th annual event "Astro-Expo" - Ireland's biggest annual space exhibition. The event begins at 1pm this Saturday, November 14. For more information and to book your places click HERE or call us on (01) 847 0777. 4. International Space Station Returns For Science Week 2009 The International Space Station (ISS) will be visible in Irish skies from November 11 (Wednesday) to November 26. The ISS appears as an extremely bright star moving across the sky and is an event not to be missed each evening it is visible. Predictions are available on various websites, however to receive a text message to your phone with the predicted time it will pass over simply text SPACE to 57003, each text costs 1euro and proceeds help us promote astronomy in Ireland. Alternatively you can call our Newsline on 1550 111 442 after 6pm each day for the times to view. Remember to email your sighting to iss(a)astronomy.ie and we will try to include your observations in forthcoming issues of 'Astronomy & Space' magazine. This time I.S.S. will pass in front of the planet Jupiter, an amazingly rare event and we will tell you where in Ireland to see this via our TEXT service - please tell all your friends. 5. For more information about other science events in your local area visit www.scienceweek.ie. Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular Astronomy Club www.astronomy.ie ( subscribe / unsubscribe ) Our Online Telescope Shop or Tel (01) 847 0777 Mon-Sat

1 0

[Astronomy Ireland] The Big Bang Lecture and DVD
by AI Secretary 05 Nov '09

05 Nov '09

Special Offer Armagh Trip 'The Big Bang' Events DVDs Shop What happened at the Big Bang? How did all the stuff in the Universe fit into such a small space? How did it all begin? To find out the answers to these questions and more come to our Science Week Public Lecture on November 9. On Monday, November 9, Dr. Cormac O' Raifeartaigh of Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) will give our November Public Lecture. In a talk entitled 'The Big Bang', Dr. O' Raifeartaigh, a leading expert in the world of science and astronomy will enthral guests with his knowledge of one of the defining aspects of our Universe as we know it - The Big Bang. Cormac will explain everything you ever wanted to know about the phenomenal theory that is the Big Bang, and how the Universe as we know it today came into existence. This month's Public Lecture is an extra special one as we are hosting it as part of Science Week 2009 which sees a range of events taking place from November 8 - 15 (see www.scienceweek.ie for further details). For more information about the lecture click HERE. After the lecture there will be a social reception in The Lombard and we encourage all of you to come along and have a chat with us and Dr. O' Raifeartaigh. All are welcome to attend and food will be kindly provided by The Lombard. Tickets cost 7euro (5euro members rate) and as places are filling up quickly we urge you to book your place in advance - we cannot guarantee admission on the night to anyone who has not pre-booked. For anyone who cannot make it to the event on November 9, a DVD is available for everyone in Ireland and you can order it online by clicking the link below or calling us on (01) 847 0777. BOOK TICKETS HERE ORDER DVD HERE Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular Astronomy Club www.astronomy.ie ( subscribe / unsubscribe ) Our Online Telescope Shop or Tel (01) 847 0777 Mon-Sat

1 0

[Astronomy Ireland] Armagh Trip, Big Bang Lecture, Evening Classes
by sec＠astronomy.ie 04 Nov '09

04 Nov '09

1 0