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

[Astronomy Ireland] Higgs Boson Lecture Postponed, 'In Search of the Northern Lights', Star-B-Q
by AI Secretary 30 Aug '12

30 Aug '12

Aurora Trip Membership DVD Shop 1. Higgs Boson Lecture Postponed Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Higgs Boson lecture to be given by Dr Cormac O'Raifeartaigh will be postponed until October 8th (original provisional date was given as next Monday, September 3rd). All tickets bought for this lecture are still valid for the new date. We apologise for the inconvenience; if you have any queries about the new arrangement please contact us on (01) 890 11 11 or email sec(a)astronomy.ie 2. Public Lecture: In Search of the Northern Lights 2013 is expected to be the peak of the current solar cycle, meaning that northern lights should be more and more visible, even from Ireland! In this talk, Dr James Wild of Lancaster University will talk about the aurora borealis, or northern lights. What are they? How are the caused? Do they have any relevance to our daily lives or are they just objects of great beauty and wonder? How can we predict when they will be visible? All these questions will be answered at the talk with the aid of some amazing images of the breathtaking phenomenon. The lecture will take place on September 10th at 8pm in Trinity College Dublin. For tickets and DVDs of the lecture, please click HERE. 3. Star-B-Q 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 and Irish supernova hunter David Grennan, who recently discovered his second supernova from Dublin! Lawrence will speak about the amazing northern lights, which are expected to get even better next year, and Grennan will talk about how he makes amazing discoveries in space from his own back garden. Exhibitions on the night will include The Irish Rocketry Society and astrophotography by Tom O'Donoghue. 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 Roundwood in the Wicklow Mountains, serve delicious barbecued food freshly prepared by professional caterers, and much more! Tickets for this fun-filled evening of astronomy are only €39 (€29 for under-16s with an adult), and family and group rates are available 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] Neil Armstrong, David Grennan Discovers Supernova, Higgs Boson Lecture Postponed, 'In Search of the Northern Lights', Star-B-Q
by AI Secretary 28 Aug '12

28 Aug '12

Aurora Trip Membership DVD Shop 1. Neil Armstrong Passes Away Aged 82 On Saturday last, August 25th, the world was saddened to learn that Neil Armstrong - the first man on the Moon, and the most famous human of all time - had died aged 82. Armstrong visited Ireland in 2003 to be interviewed by Gay Byrne in the National Concert Hall, and Astronomy Ireland's David Moore had a chance to talk to the renowned astronaut. "While we talked, Neil revealed to me that he managed to trace his ancestry back to Ireland," said Mr Moore. "In fact, he joked that he was actually descended from a family of cattle-rustlers from Fermanagh!" During their friendly chat about space and astronomy, Armstrong briefly interrupted the conversation to point out to the organisers who were present that he was extremely impressed with the contribution that amateur astronomers make to the subject. Astronomy Ireland invites people who have been influenced by Armstrong to share their thoughts and memories by emailing editor(a)astronomy.ie. Astronomy Ireland would like to extend its thoughts and deepest condolences to the family and friends of Neil Armstrong, a brave pioneer who inspired humanity to reach for the stars. 2. Irishman Discovers Second Supernova 123 million years ago a huge star exploded releasing light and energy into space. On Saturday last, August 22nd, Astronomy Ireland member David Grennan became the first person in the world to spot the light streaming from this dying star, using his telescope at his home in North Dublin. This event, known as a supernova, has been designated 2012ej and is Grennan's second supernova discovery! This unbelievably powerful event is the second supernova to have been discovered from Ireland - the first was also discovered by Grennan in 2010 - and required lots of patience and some of the most sophisticated equipment in Irish hands. David Grennan will feature at this year's Star-B-Q (see below) as a keynote speaker, where he will talk to the audience about how he actually makes such discoveries. For more information on this massive supernova and to see Grennan's discovery images, please click HERE. To find out more about the Star-B-Q at which he will speak please click HERE or see below. 3. Higgs Boson Lecture Postponed Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Higgs Boson lecture to be given by Dr Cormac O'Raifeartaigh will be postponed until October 8th (original provisional date given as September 3rd). All tickets bought for this lecture are still valid for the new date. We apologise for the inconvenience; if you have any queries about the new arrangement please contact us on (01) 890 11 11 or email sec(a)astronomy.ie 4. Public Lecture: In Search of the Northern Lights 2013 is expected to be the peak of the current solar cycle, meaning that northern lights should be more and more visible, even from Ireland! In this talk, Dr James Wild of Lancaster University will talk about the aurora borealis, or northern lights. What are they? How are the caused? Do they have any relevance to our daily lives or are they just objects of great beauty and wonder? How can we predict when they will be visible? All these questions will be answered at the talk with the aid of some amazing images of the breathtaking phenomenon. The lecture will take place on September 10th at 8pm in Trinity College Dublin. For tickets and DVDs of the lecture, please click HERE. 5. 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 and Irish supernova hunter David Grennan, who recently discovered his second supernova from Dublin! Lawrence will speak about the amazing northern lights, which are expected to get even better next year, and Grennan will talk about how he makes amazing discoveries in space from his own back garden. Exhibitions on the night will include The Irish Rocketry Society and astrophotography by Tom O'Donoghue. 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 Roundwood in the Wicklow Mountains, serve delicious barbecued food freshly prepared by professional caterers, and much more! Tickets for this fun-filled evening of astronomy are only €39 (€29 for under-16s with an adult), and family and group rates are available 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] Extra Chances to See ISS, Astrophotography Exhibition, Star-B-Q
by AI Secretary 23 Aug '12

23 Aug '12

Aurora Trip Membership DVD Shop 1. Extra Chances to See the International Space Station The biggest and most expensive spacecraft ever put in orbit, the International Space Station had its orbit successfully boosted yesterday. This increase of 10km in altitude has changed the orbit enough to give Irish observers unexpected opportunities to see the ISS over the weekend. The International Space Station currently holds a crew of six astronauts, including five men and one woman. The ISS is a great opportunity for people to watch the sky with friends and family! Each afternoon Astronomy Ireland will publish the times the ISS will be visible at www.astronomy.ie/iss and you can also receive daily reminders of this time by texting the word SPACE to 57003 (subscription service; one message will be sent each day the ISS is visible and it costs €1 per message received). 2. Exhibition: A View of the Cosmos by Tom O'Donoghue Tom O'Donoghue - one of Ireland's leading astrophotographers - is holding an exhibition of his stunning images at the Centre for Creative Practices from September 6th to 12th. This exhibition, entitled A View of the Cosmos, will feature some of Tom's newest single frame images and widefield mosaics of up to 60 hours of exposure time per photograph. A View of the Cosmos begins at 6pm on September 6th at 15 Pembroke Street Lower, Dublin 2, and it will be launched by Astronomy Ireland's David Moore. See some of Tom's work on his website at www.astrophotography.ie 3. Star-B-Q 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 Roundwood in the Wicklow Mountains, serve delicious barbecued food freshly prepared by professional caterers, and much more! Exhibitions on the night will include Tom O'Donoghue's stunning astrophotography and a display of amateur rockets from the Irish Rocketry Society. Tickets for this fun-filled evening of astronomy are only €39 (€29 for under-16s with an adult), and family and group rates are available. 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] 'Discovering the Higgs Boson', Star-B-Q, Last Chances to See the ISS, Follow Us Online
by AI Secretary 21 Aug '12

21 Aug '12

Aurora Trip Membership DVD Shop 1. Public Lecture: Discovering the Higgs Boson Following our extremely popular recent lecture delivered by the Director-General of CERN after the discovery of a new particle, we have organised a special follow-up lecture to explain what the Higgs Boson actually is, and what it means for physics. While there has been much media coverage about the discovery of what is believed to be the Higgs Boson, we want to show where the Higgs Boson came from, how it gives other particles mass, and how the discovery fits into modern theories of particle physics. Irish physicist Dr Cormac O'Raifeartaigh will give the Astronomy Ireland Public Lecture - titled Discovering the Higgs Boson: What It Is and What It Means - on September 3rd in Trinity College Dublin at 8pm. 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 Roundwood in the Wicklow Mountains, serve delicious barbecued food freshly prepared by professional caterers, and much more! Tickets for this fun-filled evening of astronomy are only €39 (€29 for under-16s with an adult), and family and group rates are available For more information and booking, please visit www.astronomy.ie/sbq 3. Last Chances to See the International Space Station The biggest and most expensive spacecraft ever put in orbit, the International Space Station (ISS), is currently visible in our night and early morning skies, and will continue to be visible until this Thursday evening. Tonight (Tuesday, August 21st) it will pass over Ireland at 10:05pm. The International Space Station currently holds a crew of six astronauts, including five men and one woman. The ISS is a great opportunity for people to watch the sky with friends and family! Each afternoon Astronomy Ireland will publish the times the ISS will be visible at www.astronomy.ie/iss and you can also receive daily reminders of this time by texting the word SPACE to 57003 (subscription service; one message will be sent each day the ISS is visible and it costs €1 per message received). 4. Follow Us Online Keep in touch with Astronomy Ireland online by following us at www.facebook.com/AstronomyIRL and www.twitter.com/AstronomyIRL. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel at www.youtube.ie/astronomyireland Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular Astronomy Club www.astronomy.ie ( subscribe / unsubscribe )

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[Astronomy Ireland] BBC's 'The Sky at Night' Star Coming to Ireland!
by AI Secretary 14 Aug '12

14 Aug '12

Star-B-Q Offer Ends Tomorrow at Midnight! Sir Patrick Moore's world record TV series The Sky at Night is back on BBC TV this week (transmission times below). Pete Lawrence is Sir Patrick's right-hand man when it comes to telling the UK what to see in the sky each month and he has graciously accepted our invitation to be the main speaker at this year's Star-B-Q which has been Ireland's biggest annual star party for over a decade. Star-B-Q takes place in the very dark skies of Ireland's highest village, Roundwood, Co. Wicklow, on Saturday, September 15th. >From 1,000 feet above sea level in the depths of the Wicklow mountains the night sky is breath-taking, and on top of this there will be the country's biggest array of large powerful telescopes to show the wonders of the universe to the general public like few people on Earth have ever seen them. Tickets to the September 15th Star-B-Q include all food and drinks (no alcohol served in the dark!) are normally €39 per adult BUT if you book by August 15th (i.e. one month in advance) you get a €10 discount! So, get all your friends and family together and book your tickets to come and hear one of the BBC's top astronomers speak and see the Universe like you have never seen it before. Call (01) 890 11 11 or visit www.astronomy.ie/sbq The Sky at Night, August 2012 Mon Aug 13 at 12:35am BBC 1 Northern Ireland Wed Aug 15 at 07:30pm BBC FOUR Wed Aug 15 at 10:30pm BBC HD Thu Aug 16 at 01:00am BBC FOUR Sat Aug 18 at 12:05pm BBC 2 Northern Ireland Sun Aug 19 at 12:00am BBC FOUR Note that the BBC1 and BBC2 programmes are shorter versions (20 minutes). Try to watch BBC FOUR or BBC HD transmissions (30 minutes) Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular Astronomy Club www.astronomy.ie ( subscribe / unsubscribe )

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[Astronomy Ireland] How Ireland Invented Astronomy, Perseid Meteor Shower, Astronomy Ireland on TV and Radio
by AI Secretary 09 Aug '12

09 Aug '12

Aurora Trip Membership DVD Shop 1. Public Lecture: How Ireland Invented Astronomy Newgrange is older than the Great Pyramids in Egypt, and older than Stonehenge in England, yet doesn't get the recognition as the world's oldest observatory! 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. Observing the Sun like this was vital for Ireland's ancient inhabitants, as it marked the date that their agriculture and economy depended on. 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. The lecture will take place in Trinity College Dublin on Monday, August 13th, at 8pm. Order tickets and DVDs here or by calling (01) 890 11 11. 2. Perseid Meteor Shower This weekend sees the peak of the Perseid Meteor Shower, on Saturday night/Sunday morning, and already we have received several reports from people who have seen some Perseid meteors in the night sky! Astronomy Ireland's David Moore saw four such meteors in the space of only half an hour on Tuesday night, so we are expecting an excellent show this weekend. It is expected that observers may get to see around 100 meteors per hour, and with no Moon to cause any glare, this meteor shower will be a spectacle not to be missed. You do not need any special equipment to see the meteors; just go outside and look up! Astronomy Ireland is running a Nationwide Meteor Watch where we ask observers to count how many meteors they saw, and to let us know. For more information on taking part in this easy exercise of "citizen science", please visit www.astronomy.ie/perseids 3. Astronomy Ireland on TV and Radio Astronomy Ireland member and gaeilgeoir Éamonn O'Fearcháin was interviewed on RTE Nuacht and TG4 this week to speak about the successful descent and landing of the Mars rover Curiosity. Watch his interviews online at www.astronomy.ie/tv Chairman of Astronomy Ireland, David Moore, has been interviewed extensively recently on radio stations around the country to talk about Curiosity, the International Space Station, the Star-B-Q, and more! Listen to these and more at www.astronomy.ie/audio Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular Astronomy Club www.astronomy.ie ( subscribe / unsubscribe )

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[Astronomy Ireland] International Space Station, 'Ancient Astronomical Alignments', Star-B-Q, Curiosity on Mars, Astronomy Ireland on Radio
by AI Secretary 07 Aug '12

07 Aug '12

Aurora Trip Membership DVD Shop 1. The International Space Station Visible Over Ireland The biggest and most expensive spacecraft ever put in orbit, the International Space Station (ISS), is currently visible in our night and early morning skies, and will continue to be visible until August 25th. Tonight (Tuesday, August 7th) it will pass over Ireland at 11:04pm. Each afternoon Astronomy Ireland will publish the times the ISS will be visible at www.astronomy.ie/iss and you can also receive daily reminders of this time by texting the word SPACE to 57003 (subscription service; one message will be sent each day the ISS is visible and it costs €1 per message received). 2. 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. The lecture will take place in Trinity College Dublin on Monday, August 13th, at 8pm. Order tickets and DVDs here or by calling (01) 890 11 11 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 4. Curiosity Successfully Lands on Mars NASA's biggest robot destined for the Red Planet successfully landed on Mars on Monday morning just after 6:30am Irish time. The nail-biting descent to the surface went perfectly and included the new 'Skycrane' - a method to lower the car-sized Curiosity rover to the ground. Astronomy Ireland magazine will feature coverage of the landing and the ongoing mission in upcoming issues. You can get updates of the mission from NASA TV at www.astronomy.ie/nasatv 5. Astronomy Ireland on Radio Chairman of Astronomy Ireland, David Moore, has been interviewed extensively recently on radio stations around the country to talk about Curiosity, the International Space Station, the Star-B-Q, and more! Also interviewed were Eamonn Ó Fearcháin, one of our Irish-speaking spokespeople, and Kevin Nolan, author of Mars: A Cosmic Stepping Stone and Irish organiser of The Planetary Society. You can listen to these interviews at www.astronomy.ie/audio. Keep checking back as this page is regularly updated with more interviews! Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular Astronomy Club www.astronomy.ie ( subscribe / unsubscribe )

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[Astronomy Ireland] 'Curiosity' Landing, 'Ancient Astronomical Alignments', Star-B-Q
by AI Secretary 02 Aug '12

02 Aug '12

Aurora Trip Membership DVD Shop 1. Curiosity Landing on Monday The Mars Science Laboratory, also known as Curiosity, will land on the surface of Mars at approximately 6:30am Irish time on Monday morning, August 6th. The car-sized robot will land after an ambitious and exciting seven-minute descent through the Martian atmosphere, and will commence its mission to find out if Mars was ever home to microbial life forms in the past (or if it could be habitable in the present!). You can watch a special video produced by NASA on YouTube called Seven Minutes of Terror, explaining how Curiosity will overcome technological obstacles in its descent during a radically new landing procedure. On Monday morning, you can watch NASA TV at www.astronomy.ie/nasatv for live coverage of the landing of the craft on Mars. 2. 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. For more information, tickets, and DVDs of the lecture, please click HERE or call (01) 890 11 11 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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