July 2012 - astronomy@lists.redbrick.dcu.ie

[Astronomy Ireland] 'Ancient Astronomical Alignments', Star-B-Q, Aurora Trip
by AI Secretary 31 Jul '12

31 Jul '12

Aurora Trip Membership DVD Shop 1. Public Lecture: Ancient Astronomical Alignments Ireland is home to a number of well-known ancient monuments built by ancient astronomers, the most famous being Newgrange, located near the bank of the River Boyne. Newgrange is famous because on the morning of the Winter Solstice each year, sunlight enters the passage and illuminates the chamber within the monument. Other monuments around the country, such as standing stones, are known to be aligned with both with other terrestrial objects and with celestial bodies in the sky. These ancient alignments give modern scientists clues to the understanding of the Universe as we knew it thousands of years ago. Order tickets and DVDs here or by calling (01) 890 11 11 2. Star-B-Q 2012 The country's biggest annual telescope night takes place this year on September 15th and will feature BBC's The Sky at Night presenter Pete Lawrence. The UK astronomer is an expert in solar astronomy and space weather, and his keynote talk at this year's event will explore the amazing northern lights, which are becoming regularly visible over Ireland. As well as some great speakers, the Star-B-Q will also have dozens of powerful telescopes to give visitors an opportunity to see the wonders of the Universe from some of Ireland's darkest skies in the Wicklow Mountains, serve delicious barbecued food freshly prepared by professional caterers, and much more! If you book your ticket before August 15th you can avail of the early bird rate on adult tickets at only €29 (normal price after this date is €39). For more information and booking, please visit www.astronomy.ie/sbq 3. Northern Lights Tour to Norway Following this year's successful trip to Norway to see the northern lights, we have teamed up with Project Travel again to give you another opportunity to see this fantastic natural phenomenon! In February 2013 we will visit Tromsø to explore its surroundings, its history, and of course, the northern lights. Travellers will have the opportunity to visit the Science Centre & Planetarium, to go dog-sledding, to take an aurora photography workshop, and much, much more! For more details, a full itinerary, and booking details, please visit www.astronomy.ie/norway Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular Astronomy Club www.astronomy.ie ( subscribe / unsubscribe )

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[Astronomy Ireland] Moon near Saturn & Mars, Northern Lights Trip, Star-B-Q 2012
by AI Secretary 25 Jul '12

25 Jul '12

Aurora Trip Membership DVD Shop 1. Moon Near Saturn and Mars Tonight Tonight, July 25th, the Moon will be placed close to Saturn in the south-west just after sunset, with Mars located nearby. This way, the Moon can be used a 'signpost' so you can find these planets easily! Through a telescope, Mars will show its red disc, and the polar ice caps may be visible, as well as some of the large dark surface features. With a telescope you will see Saturn's famous rings and the shadow they cast on the planet itself. You will also see its largest moons as they orbit the ringed planet. For advice on viewing and photographing the Moon and the planets, visit our Shop or call us on (01) 890 11 11. Click HERE for information and a chart of the sky. Please send your observation reports and photos to observe(a)astronomy.ie for publication in an upcoming issue of Astronomy Ireland. 2. Northern Lights Tour to Norway Following this year's successful trip to Norway to see the northern lights, we have teamed up with Project Travel again to give you another opportunity to see this fantastic natural phenomenon! In February 2013 we will visit Tromsø to explore its surroundings, its history, and of course, the northern lights. Travellers will have the opportunity to visit the Science Centre & Planetarium, to go dog-sledding, to take an aurora photography workshop, and much, much more! For more details, a full itinerary, and booking details, please visit www.astronomy.ie/norway 3. Star-B-Q 2012 The country's biggest annual telescope night takes place this year on September 15th and will feature BBC's The Sky at Night presenter Pete Lawrence. The UK astronomer is an expert in solar astronomy and space weather, and his keynote talk at this year's event will explore the amazing northern lights, which are becoming regularly visible over Ireland. As well as some great speakers, the Star-B-Q will also have dozens of powerful telescopes to give visitors an opportunity to see the wonders of the Universe from some of Ireland's darkest skies in the Wicklow Mountains, serve delicious barbecued food freshly prepared by professional caterers, and much more! If you book your ticket before August 15th you can avail of the early bird rate on adult tickets at only €29 (normal price after this date is €39). For more information and booking, please visit www.astronomy.ie/sbq Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular Astronomy Club www.astronomy.ie ( subscribe / unsubscribe )

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[Astronomy Ireland] 50% Off Summer School, Star-B-Q 2012
by AI Secretary 20 Jul '12

20 Jul '12

Aurora Trip Membership DVD Shop 1. Astronomy Summer School - 50% Off! Did you miss the first class of our new Summer School? Don't worry! You can now enrol for the remaining three classes with a massive 50% discount! Our brand new Astronomy Summer School began this week in Trinity College Dublin, and was developed by Astronomy Ireland to give newcomers to astronomy a good grounding in observational astronomy and how to find one's way around the night sky. Students will learn about the constellations, the Moon and the Sun, the history of astronomy, how telescopes work, and what to see in the night sky. An Introduction to Astronomy is ideal for those who want to get more out of their stargazing sessions, how telescopes can be used, and where to find celestial objects in the sky, without being going into the more complex details of astrophysics and cosmology. The Astronomy Ireland Summer School continues each Wednesday until August 8th. You can now enrol on the Summer School for only €70 (or €50 for members). For more information on these classes, please visit www.astronomy.ie/summerschool 2. Star-B-Q 2012 The country's biggest annual telescope night takes place this year on September 15th and will feature BBC's The Sky at Night presenter Pete Lawrence. The UK astronomer is an expert in solar astronomy and space weather, and his keynote talk at this year's event will explore the amazing northern lights, which are becoming regularly visible over Ireland. As well as some great speakers, the Star-B-Q will also have dozens of powerful telescopes to give visitors an opportunity to see the wonders of the Universe from some of Ireland's darkest skies in the Wicklow Mountains, serve delicious barbecued food freshly prepared by professional caterers, and much more! If you book your ticket before August 15th you can avail of the early bird rate on adult tickets at only €29 (normal price after this date is €39). For more information and booking, please visit www.astronomy.ie/sbq Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular Astronomy Club www.astronomy.ie ( subscribe / unsubscribe )

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[Astronomy Ireland] Astronomy Summer School Begins This Evening
by AI Secretary 18 Jul '12

18 Jul '12

Aurora Trip Membership DVD Shop Astronomy Summer School Begins This Evening Our brand new Astronomy Summer School begins this evening, Wednesday, July 18th, in Trinity College Dublin, and was developed by Astronomy Ireland to give newcomers to astronomy a good grounding in observational astronomy and how to find one's way around the night sky. Students will learn about the constellations, the Moon and the Sun, the history of astronomy, how telescopes work, and what to see in the night sky. An Introduction to Astronomy is ideal for those who want to get more out of their stargazing sessions, how telescopes can be used, and where to find celestial objects in the sky, without being going into the more complex details of astrophysics and cosmology. The Astronomy Ireland Summer School will commence this evening and run each Wednesday for four weeks. There are still places available for last minute enrolments, and the fee is only €140 for non-members and €100 for members (group rates can be arranged). For more information on these classes, please visit www.astronomy.ie/summerschool Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular Astronomy Club www.astronomy.ie ( subscribe / unsubscribe )

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[Astronomy Ireland] Saturn Watch, Astronomy Summer School
by AI Secretary 17 Jul '12

17 Jul '12

Aurora Trip Membership DVD Shop 1. Saturn Watch - Ringed Planet at its Best! In advance of our Astronomy Summer School commencing tomorrow evening, we are holding a Saturn Watch tonight (Tuesday, July 17th) at the Astronomy Ireland Shop in Airside Enterprise Centre, where members of the public are invited to come along and see the Jewel of the Solar System through some of Ireland's most powerful telescopes! Using these powerful telescopes you will be able to see the moons of Saturn and its famous ring system for your own eyes! The Saturn Watch will begin at 9pm. More details and photos of Saturn can be found HERE. 2. Astronomy Summer School Our brand new Astronomy Summer School begins tomorrow in Trinity College Dublin, and was developed by Astronomy Ireland to give newcomers to astronomy a good grounding in observational astronomy and how to find one's way around the night sky. Students will learn about the constellations, the Moon and the Sun, the history of astronomy, how telescopes work, and what to see in the night sky. An Introduction to Astronomy is ideal for those who want to get more out of their stargazing sessions, how telescopes can be used, and where to find celestial objects in the sky, without being going into the more complex details of astrophysics and cosmology. The Astronomy Ireland Summer School will commence tomorrow, Wednesday, July 18th, and run each Wednesday for four weeks. The enrolment fee is only €140 for non-members and €100 for members, and group rates can be arranged. For more information on these classes, please visit www.astronomy.ie/summerschool Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular Astronomy Club www.astronomy.ie ( subscribe / unsubscribe )

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[Astronomy Ireland] CERN Speaker on Pat Kenny, Saturn Watch & Summer School, Watch ESOF2012 Live, Jupiter to Graze Moon
by AI Secretary 12 Jul '12

12 Jul '12

Aurora Trip Membership DVD Shop 1. CERN Speaker to Feature on Today With Pat Kenny Professor Rolf Heuer, Director-General of CERN, will visit Ireland this week to meet with President Higgins and to deliver Astronomy Ireland's July Public Lecture on Friday. He will also feature on RTE's flagship talkshow Today With Pat Kenny to talk about the work his team has undertaken over the last few years up to the recent discovery of a new particle, which is widely thought to be the long-sought Higgs Boson. Tune in to RTE Radio One from 10am tomorrow morning, or visit www.astronomy.ie/audio soon after to listen to a recording. While the lecture itself has sold out, a DVD will be produced which can be ordered at www.astronomy.ie/DVD for only €10, including delivery. "Discovering the Higgs Boson" Due to the immense interest in Prof Heuer's lecture this week, we are holding a second special lecture called Discovering the Higgs Boson on September 3rd. This will be given by popular Astronomy Ireland lecture speaker Cormac O'Raifeartaigh. At this lecture, Dr O'Raifeartaigh will outline the work of the Large Hadron Collider and what the famous Higgs Boson actually is, and what it means for the future of physics. Book tickets and order DVDs HERE. 2. Saturn Watch and Summer School In advance of our Astronomy Summer School commencing next Wednesday, we are holding a Saturn Watch on Tuesday, July 17th, at the Astronomy Ireland Shop in Airside Enterprise Centre, where members of the public are invited to come along and see the Jewel of the Solar System through some of Ireland's most powerful telescopes! The telescopes will reveal the moons of Saturn and its famous ring system. The Saturn Watch will begin at 9pm. More details can be found HERE. Summer School Places Still Available You can still enrol on our new Astronomy Summer school, which begins on Wednesday, July 18th, in Trinity College Dublin. This course takes place over four weeks and will cover the basics of astronomy so that you can get more out of your stargazing sessions, including how to find your way around the night sky, how to use a telescope, the Sun and the Moon, and the history of astronomy. For more information and enrolment details, please click HERE. 3. ESOF2012 This year, Ireland is home to the Euroscience Open Forum (ESOF) where some of the world's most influential people in science, society, and policy are coming together to help strengthen the links between science and society. You can follow ESOF2012 online at www.esof2012.org and use the "Watch Live" button to see the talks from amazing speakers as they're happening. Today (Thursday), NASA Administrator Maj. Gen. Charles F. Bolden Jr will give a keynote address at 6pm, which you can watch at the above link. 4. Jupiter to Graze Moon! This Saturday night/Sunday morning, Jupiter and the Moon will rise together and appear at the horizon at approximately 2:15am. The planet will be placed right next to the Moon and as the pair rise through the sky Jupiter will appear to skim the surface of our nearest neighbour! This will be a stunning sight that must not be missed! For a diagram of what you will see and further details, please click HERE. For advice on photographing this event, contact the Astronomy Ireland Shop on (01) 890 11 11 or by calling sales(a)astronomy.ie Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular Astronomy Club www.astronomy.ie ( subscribe / unsubscribe )

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[Astronomy Ireland] Higgs Boson Lecture DVD, Astronomy Summer School, Robert Boyle Gathering
by AI Secretary 10 Jul '12

10 Jul '12

Aurora Trip Membership DVD Shop 1. Higgs Boson Lecture from CERN's Top Scientist on DVD Professor Rolf Heuer, Director-General of CERN, will visit Ireland this week to meet with President Higgins and to deliver Astronomy Ireland's July Public Lecture on Friday. At this lecture in Trinity College Dublin, Prof Heuer will outline the work undertaken at the Large Hadron Collider that has led to the discovery of a new particle last week, which is commonly believed to be the long-sought Higgs Boson. A DVD of the lecture, Understanding the Universe with the Large Hadron Collider, will be available for people all over Ireland You can order the DVD by visiting www.astronomy.ie/DVD or by calling (01) 890 11 11. Please note that this lecture has fully sold out and tickets will not be available on the night of the lecture. 2. Astronomy Summer School An Introduction to Astronomy is a new set of classes developed by Astronomy Ireland to give newcomers to astronomy a good grounding in observational astronomy. Students will learn about the constellations, the Moon and the Sun, the history of astronomy, how telescopes work, and what to see in the night sky. An Introduction to Astronomy is ideal for those who want to get more out of their stargazing sessions, how telescopes can be used, and where to find celestial objects in the sky, without being going into the more complex details of astrophysics and cosmology. The Astronomy Ireland Summer School will commence on July 18th and run each Wednesday for four weeks. For more information on these classes, please visit www.astronomy.ie/summerschool 3. Robert Boyle Summer School The Robert Boyle Summer School is a gathering for adults interested in science and will take place on July 16 & 17th (with Opening BBQ at Lismore Castle on the 15th). Celebrating one of Ireland's greatest scientists, Robert Boyle who was born in Lismore Castle in 1627. Boyle made fundamental discoveries in physics and is regarded as the Founder of Modern Chemistry. In addition he was very influential in promoting experimental science and helped found the Royal Society. Leading speakers from around the world will shed light on Boyle's life, work and legacy. See here for more details: http://www.robertboyle.ie/robert-boyle-summer-school Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular Astronomy Club www.astronomy.ie ( subscribe / unsubscribe )

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[Astronomy Ireland] Higgs Boson Lecture, Aurora Alert & Sun Watch, Summer School, BBC's 'The Sky at Night'
by AI Secretary 06 Jul '12

06 Jul '12

Aurora Trip Membership DVD Shop 1. Higgs Boson Lecture from CERN's Top Scientist On Wednesday morning a team of scientists from CERN in Geneva - led by Professor Rolf Heuer, Astronomy Ireland's lecture speaker this month - announced the discovery of a new particle. It is widely believed that this particle is the long-sought Higgs Boson, sometimes dubbed the 'God Particle'. Current results do not confirm that the new particle is definitely the Higgs Boson, but according to Prof Heuer having seen the current results, "In layman's terms: I think we have it." Further analysis of the new particle will now take place to establish the exact nature of the particle. Professor Rolf Heuer, Director-General of CERN, will visit Ireland next week to meet with President Higgins and to deliver Astronomy Ireland's July Public Lecture. At this lecture in Trinity College Dublin, Prof Heuer will outline the work undertaken at the Large Hadron Collider that has led to this discovery, and he will explain the future steps that this amazing experiment will take. The lecture, Understanding the Universe with the Large Hadron Collider, will take place on Friday, July 13th, at 6:30pm in Trinity College Dublin. Tickets and DVDs available HERE or call (01) 890 11 11. Please note that there is a high demand for tickets for this lecture so be sure to books yours as soon as possible. New Particle Discovery on Radio and in Magazine Astronomy Ireland Chairman featured - and continues to feature - on radio stations around Ireland to talk about this amazing result which will doubtlessly result in a Nobel Prize for Professor Peter Higgs himself. You can listen to the interviews online at www.astronomy.ie/audio and be sure to keep an eye out in future issues of Astronomy Ireland for coverage of what is expected to be the most important discovery this century. 2. Aurora Alert and Sun Watch The Sun's surface is bubbling with activity as planet-sized sunspots trigger massive ejections of material from the Sun, with several solar flares occurring this week. This material is due to arrive at Earth tomorrow morning (Saturday) which means that skywatchers in Ireland may be treated to a display of the northern lights Saturday night and into Sunday morning. Try to watch the sky from when it gets dark on Saturday night to watch out for unusual glowing towards the northern horizon. Let us know what you see by emailing observe(a)astronomy.ie >From 1pm on Saturday, Astronomy Ireland will hold a daytime Sun Watch at Ireland's biggest telescope shop in Swords, Co Dublin. At this Watch, members of the general public can use very powerful telescopes fitted with necessary safety equipment to see the sunspots for themselves. Come along with some friends and family for an interesting day of solar astronomy (www.astronomy.ie/map) 3. Astronomy Summer School An Introduction to Astronomy is a new set of classes developed by Astronomy Ireland to give newcomers to astronomy a good grounding in observational astronomy. Students will learn about the constellations, the Moon and the Sun, the history of astronomy, how telescopes work, and what to see in the night sky. An Introduction to Astronomy is ideal for those who want to get more out of their stargazing sessions, how telescopes can be used, and where to find celestial objects in the sky, without being going into the more complex details of astrophysics and cosmology. The Astronomy Ireland Summer School will commence on July 18th and run each Wednesday for four weeks. Get €20 Off Your Enrolment Fee! If you book before midnight tonight (Friday, July 6th) you can avail of a €20 discount off the enrolment fee. This means you will pay only €120, which includes membership to Astronomy Ireland, or €80 for current members (normal price after this date is €140 for non-members and €100 for members, so don't delay!). For more information on these classes, please visit www.astronomy.ie/summerschool 4. The Sky at Night In this episode the team watches the Sun and the Transit of Venus from the far-northern archipelago of Svalbard. Mon Jul 02 at 12:45am BBC 1 Northern Ireland Mon Jul 02 at 12:45am BBC One HD Thu Jul 05 at 07:30pm BBC FOUR Fri Jul 06 at 01:40am BBC FOUR Sat Jul 07 at 02:30pm BBC 2 Northern Ireland Sat Jul 07 at 11:45pm BBC FOUR Note that the BBC1 and BBC2 programmes are shorter versions (40 minutes). Try to watch BBC FOUR or BBC HD transmissions (60 minutes). Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular Astronomy Club www.astronomy.ie ( subscribe / unsubscribe )

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[Astronomy Ireland] Big Bang Lecture and Pat Kenny
by AI Secretary 02 Jul '12

02 Jul '12

European City of Science Lecture The Big Bang and Birr Telescope Tonight's fantastic public lecture is to celebrate Dublin being the European City of Science in 2012. Dr Cormac O'Raifeartaigh will describe the advent of the Big Bang Theory and how the world’s largest telescope at Birr Castle aided in the development of the Big Bang model of the Universe. In times past it was thought that the Universe was a stationary, non-changing place, that consisted only of our own galaxy, The Milky Way. With the dawn of giant telescopes, such as the Birr Telescope, astronomers learned that there were other galaxies dotted around the Universe, and very far away from our own galaxy. This discovery fundamentally changed how we saw our Universe as we realised that it was an ever-changing place. If the Universe was always changing and expanding, it dawned on scientists that at one point in the past, all matter and energy - the Universe itself - emerged from a single energetic event: The Big Bang. Using the Leviathan Telescope at Birr Castle - the Hubble Space Telescope of its day - the latest scientific theories of the Universe were forged that ultimately led to the Big Bang theory of the Universe, which will be explained in this talk. David Moore featured on Today With Pat Kenny on RTE Radio One this morning in an astronomy round-up and to talk about tonight's amazing lecture. You can listen to it online at www.astronomy.ie/audio The lecture will take place in the Fitzgerald Building in Trinity College Dublin at 8pm. To order DVDs or tickets please click HERE. To give people a chance to avail of our Summer School offer after hearing about it on Today With Pat Kenny, we are extending our offer of €20 off the enrolment fee until this Friday! For more information and to avail of this offer visit www.astronomy.ie/summerschool Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular Astronomy Club www.astronomy.ie ( subscribe / unsubscribe )

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