November 2013 - astronomy@lists.redbrick.dcu.ie

[Astronomy Ireland] 'ESA Missions: Present and Future', BBC Horizon Special
by AI Secretary 22 Nov '13

22 Nov '13

Christmas Gifts <http://www.astronomy.ie/gifts> Membership <http://www.astronomy.ie/sub/index.html> DVD <http://www.astronomy.ie/lectureDVD.php> 1. Christmas Lecture: ESA Missions: Present and Future Earlier today, the European Space Agency's latest mission, Swarm, launched successfully from Russia to place a trio of satellites in orbit around Earth. Swarm will measure our planet's magnetic field to explore how it works and to see if Earth's magnetic field is 'flipping'. It will also try to determine if the Sun's effect on the magnetic field has any influence on the planet's climate. Swarm isn't the only mission being undertaken by the ESA, of course. A new mission called Gaia is due to launch later this year and will measure with great accuracy the location of stars in our galaxy, giving us a more complete picture of the Milky Way and galactic structure. Professor Alvaro Giménez Cañete is the Director of Science and Robotics at the European Space Agency, and will he will deliver Astronomy Ireland's special Christmas Lecture on December 9th in Trinity College Dublin. His directorate has a multi-billion euro budget to operate the ESA's science programme and its robotic exploration. Professor Cañete is one of the most important people in Europe's presence in space, of which Ireland is a part. We are extremely lucky to have him come to Ireland to give this special lecture, so make sure you book your tickets soon as this will be a very popular lecture! For more information and to book tickets, please click HERE <http://www.astronomy.ie/lecture201312.php> . 2. BBC Horizon Special about Comet ISON Northern Irish astronomer and comet expert Professor Alan Fitzsimmons will appear on the BBC’s Horizon programme this weekend. In Comet of the Century: A Horizon Special on BBC 2 at 9.15pm tomorrow night (Saturday 23rd November), Professor Fitzsimmons will be explaining why Comet ISON is so important to science, and how it might appear to sky watchers in early December. Our own magazine editor, David Moore, gave a Comet ISON viewing guide talk at our recent Astro-Expo, which you can order on DVD HERE <http://www.astronomy.ie/dvd> . We also have a dozen pages of comet background and diagrams in the December issue of Astronomy Ireland magazine. You can order the magazine online HERE <http://astronomy.ie/join> or pick up a copy of it in Dunnes Stores next week. Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular astronomy club www.astronomy.ie ( subscribe / unsubscribe <http://lists.redbrick.dcu.ie/mailman/listinfo/astronomy> ) _____ No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2013.0.3426 / Virus Database: 3629/6857 - Release Date: 11/22/13

1 0

[Astronomy Ireland] Astro-Expo Report, ISS Birthday, Comet ISON, Phishing Email
by AI Secretary 20 Nov '13

20 Nov '13

Christmas Gifts <http://www.astronomy.ie/gifts> Membership <http://www.astronomy.ie/sub/index.html> DVD <http://www.astronomy.ie/lectureDVD.php> 1. Astro-Expo Report and Photos Last weekend saw this year’s Astro-Expo take place in Trinity College Dublin. Of particular interest on the day was David Moore’s Comet ISON viewing and photography talk for the comet that is expected to be visible in our evening skies from next week. As well as a series of fascinating talks, there was a host of exhibits that visitors enjoyed, including one by John McKeon who displayed what were some of the best planetary and lunar photographs ever exhibited at the Astro-Expo. For a full report of all talks and exhibits, and to order DVDs, visit the report webpage HERE <http://www.astronomy.ie/astroexpo13report.php> . 2. International Space Station Birthday Today, November 20th, is the 15th birthday of the International Space Station, which was launched on this day in 1998. The first module of the ISS, Zarya, was launched on board a Proton rocket. Zarya provided storage, propulsion, and electrical power during the early construction stages of the ISS. The station is expected to be completed in April 2014. Brian Harvey is an established space author with many books written to date on the topic of space exploration. He writes an excellent column each month in Astronomy Ireland magazine all about the International Space Station and the ongoing missions on board the spacecraft. You can pick up a copy of Astronomy Ireland at any Dunnes Stores branch around the country, or you can order it online HERE. 3. Comet ISON Comet ISON is brightening as it approaches the Sun. It will make its closest approach next week on November 28th. The comet is currently just about visible to the naked eye in the mornings before sunrise, but is becoming quickly engulfed in the Sun’s glare. However, the comet has shown some activity over recent days to suggest that it may disintegrate, although this hasn’t appeared to happen just yet. If it survives the close approach to the Sun, it may become bright enough to be visible in daylight for a short time, and will then be visible in the evening skies. For more information on Comet ISON and a map of the sky showing where it can be found, see the November and December (on sale soon) issues of Astronomy Ireland. Let us know what you see over the coming weeks by emailing observe(a)astronomy.ie 4. Phishing Email You may have received a scam email (or a ‘phishing’ email) purportedly from Bank of Ireland via this email list at the weekend. If you did, please ignore it and delete it. Banking scam emails are quite common, but do not come from legitimate banks. The Friends of Astronomy Ireland newsletter regularly gets emails sent to it (some are spam emails, some are legitimate emails). All these emails are stored on the system to be either approved or discarded by an administrator. An approved email (such as this one you’re reading now) is then processed and sent out to all members of our list. Emails marked ‘discard’ get deleted. Normally, all emails except for the Friends of Astronomy Ireland email are discarded so that they don’t get released to the list. Unfortunately, due to human error, the spam email in question was accidentally marked as approved and thus released. There was no security breach of the email list, so all details still remain safe, as always. We apologise for any concern and inconvenience caused, and we thank those who contacted us to alert us of the issue. Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular astronomy club www.astronomy.ie ( subscribe / unsubscribe <http://lists.redbrick.dcu.ie/mailman/listinfo/astronomy> ) _____ No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2013.0.3426 / Virus Database: 3629/6851 - Release Date: 11/20/13

1 0

[Astronomy Ireland] Big Comet ISON Talk at 5pm today!
by sec＠astronomy.ie 16 Nov '13

16 Nov '13

1 0

[Astronomy Ireland] Big Comet ISON Talk at 5pm today!
by sec＠astronomy.ie 16 Nov '13

16 Nov '13

1 0

[Astronomy Ireland] Astro-Expo Tomorrow
by AI Secretary 15 Nov '13

15 Nov '13

Christmas Gifts <http://www.astronomy.ie/gifts> Membership <http://www.astronomy.ie/sub/index.html> DVD <http://www.astronomy.ie/lectureDVD.php> Astro-Expo Tomorrow Just a final reminder that Astronomy Ireland’s 24th annual Astro-Expo takes place tomorrow from 12pm to 6pm. It will feature interesting exhibitions and some awe-inspiring talks for all the family! Featured exhibitions will include: * The Irish Rocketry Society * The Planetary Society * Frank O’Dea – astronomy and Apollo artwork * Astrophotography and camera display * Operating a telescope Lecture Programme Three talks will take place throughout the day. * 1pm – Kevin Nolan: Exploring Mars, Discovering Earth – The Curiosity rover is currently exploring the Red Planet, making discoveries which may reveal the history of our own planet and the origins of life on Earth. * 3pm – Dr Kate Russo: Chasing Solar Eclipses – Author and psychologist Dr Kate Russo explains the phenomenon of solar eclipses and what life is like as an eclipse chaser. * 5pm – David Moore: Comet ISON and Northern Lights on Camera – Astronomy Ireland Chairman shows how to capture photographs of auroral displays and the upcoming comet this winter. Details The exhibition is free, and the talks are only €7 (€5 concessions). You can also buy two tickets and get the third free! All are welcome. For details and booking, visit www.astronomy.ie Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular astronomy club www.astronomy.ie ( subscribe / unsubscribe <http://lists.redbrick.dcu.ie/mailman/listinfo/astronomy> ) _____ No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2013.0.3426 / Virus Database: 3629/6838 - Release Date: 11/15/13

1 0

[Astronomy Ireland] Security Issue
by 365 Online 15 Nov '13

15 Nov '13

tete

1 0

[Astronomy Ireland] Exhibitions and Talks at Astro-Expo
by AI Secretary 14 Nov '13

14 Nov '13

Christmas Gifts <http://www.astronomy.ie/gifts> Membership <http://www.astronomy.ie/sub/index.html> DVD <http://www.astronomy.ie/lectureDVD.php> Exhibitions and Talks at Astro-Expo This weekend sees the return of our annual Astro-Expo, featuring interesting exhibitions and some awe-inspiring talks for all the family! It takes place in the SNIAM Building in Trinity College Dublin from noon until 6pm this Saturday, November 16th. EXHIBITIONS Each year we aim to display a number of exhibits by our members and astronomy enthusiasts from around the country. In the past we’ve had rocket displays, science experiments, astrophotography, meteorites, and much more! If you would like to display something at Astro-Expo this year, please get in touch by emailing sec(a)astronomy.ie This year we have a number of fascinating exhibitions confirmed. * Kevin Nolan will be available after his talk (see below) to chat to about the activities of the Planetary Society and how you can get involved. * John McKeon will display his astrophotography, including photos and videos, alongside his telescope and camera setup to show you how he creates amazing images of the Universe. * Dublin-based artist Frank O’Dea (www.frankodea.net) will showcase his stunning astronomical artwork throughout the day. EXPLORING MARS, DISCOVERING EARTH – KEVIN NOLAN, THE PLANETARY SOCIETY At the Astro-Expo will be top Mars author Kevin Nolan, who lectures in Dublin IT and has written a book called Mars: A Cosmic Stepping Stone. In his very special lecture the audience will be treated to the latest high-quality images and discoveries from Mars! The Mars Science Laboratory "Curiosity" is the most sophisticated rover ever sent to another planet. Curiosity continues to drive across the mountainous terrain of Gale Crater in search of clues for the origin of life on Mars. The results of the mission will hugely improve our understanding of the connection between planets and the origin of life. At stake is Humanity's place in the Cosmos - should we detect evidence of past or present life on Mars it will suggest a Cosmos teeming with life. CHASING ECLIPSES – DR KATE RUSSO, AUTHOR AND ECLIPSE CHASER A seasoned author on the topic of eclipses, Dr Kate Russo is also a psychologist who explores the effects of eclipses on people around the world. She has travelled the world experiencing solar eclipses and to date has penned two books, Total Addiction: The Life of an Eclipse Chaser and Totality: The Total Solar Eclipse of 2012. >From her website <http://www.beingintheshadow.com/> , she says "Since my first total Eclipse in 1999, I have seen eight total eclipses and two annular eclipses (I don’t count the partial eclipses). I enjoy new things, I love to travel. I particularly enjoy experiencing the power of nature – along with eclipses, I have chased the aurora, and I enjoy the night sky. I am drawn to volcanoes, storms, and love watching lightning streak across the tropical sky then hearing the BOOM of thunder. These things are reminders that Nature is alive." COMET ISON AND THE NORTHERN LIGHTS ON CAMERA – DAVID MOORE, ASTRONOMY IRELAND Chairman of Astronomy Ireland will present a workshop on astrophotography, to show people how to get Comet ISON and the northern lights on camera over the coming weeks and months. This will be especially useful for those travelling on our Northern Lights Cruise later this year. DETAILS AND TICKETS The talks take place at 1pm, 3pm, and 5pm in the SNIAM Building, and the exhibits will be on display throughout the day from 12pm. Tickets for the talks are €7 each, or all three talks for the price of two at only €14. Members of Astronomy Ireland can avail of a discount: €5 each or three for €10. (In our previous email we mistakenly listed the incorrect prices) For more information and tickets, please click HERE <http://www.astronomy.ie/astroexpo13.php> or visit www.astronomy.ie Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular astronomy club www.astronomy.ie ( subscribe / unsubscribe <http://lists.redbrick.dcu.ie/mailman/listinfo/astronomy> ) _____ No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2013.0.3426 / Virus Database: 3629/6835 - Release Date: 11/14/13

1 0

[Astronomy Ireland] Astro-Expo This Weekend
by AI Secretary 12 Nov '13

12 Nov '13

Christmas Gifts <http://www.astronomy.ie/gifts> Membership <http://www.astronomy.ie/sub/index.html> DVD <http://www.astronomy.ie/lectureDVD.php> Astro-Expo This Weekend We are delighted to announce that two top science authors will speak at this year’s Astro-Expo, taking place in Trinity College Dublin this Saturday, November 16th. EXPLORING MARS, DISCOVERING EARTH – KEVIN NOLAN, THE PLANETARY SOCIETY At the Astro-Expo will be top Mars author Kevin Nolan, who lectures in Dublin IT and has written a book called Mars: A Cosmic Stepping Stone. In his very special lecture the audience will be treated to the latest high-quality images and discoveries from Mars! The Mars Science Laboratory "Curiosity" is the most sophisticated rover ever sent to another planet. Curiosity continues to drive across the mountainous terrain of Gale Crater in search of clues for the origin of life on Mars. The results of the mission will hugely improve our understanding of the connection between planets and the origin of life. At stake is Humanity's place in the Cosmos - should we detect evidence of past or present life on Mars it will suggest a Cosmos teeming with life. CHASING ECLIPSES – DR KATE RUSSO, AUTHOR AND ECLIPSE CHASER A seasoned author on the topic of eclipses, Dr Kate Russo is also a psychologist who explores the effects of eclipses on people around the world. She has travelled the world experiencing solar eclipses and to date has penned two books, Total Addiction: The Life of an Eclipse Chaser and Totality: The Total Solar Eclipse of 2012. >From her website <http://www.beingintheshadow.com/> , she says "Since my first total Eclipse in 1999, I have seen eight total eclipses and two annular eclipses (I don’t count the partial eclipses). I enjoy new things, I love to travel. I particularly enjoy experiencing the power of nature – along with eclipses, I have chased the aurora, and I enjoy the night sky. I am drawn to volcanoes, storms, and love watching lightning streak across the tropical sky then hearing the BOOM of thunder. These things are reminders that Nature is alive." COMET ISON AND THE NORTHERN LIGHTS ON CAMERA – DAVID MOORE, ASTRONOMY IRELAND Chairman of Astronomy Ireland will present a workshop on astrophotography, to show people how to get Comet ISON and the northern lights on camera over the coming weeks and months. This will be especially useful for those travelling on our Northern Lights Cruise later this year. EXHIBITIONS Each year we aim to display a number of exhibits by our members and astronomy enthusiasts from around the country. In the past we’ve had rocket displays, science experiments, astrophotography, meteorites, and much more! If you would like to display something at Astro-Expo this year, please get in touch by emailing sec(a)astronomy.ie The talks take place at 1pm, 3pm, and 5pm in the SNIAM Building, and tickets are €10 each or all three talks for €25. For more information and tickets, please click HERE <http://www.astronomy.ie/astroexpo13.php> . Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular astronomy club www.astronomy.ie ( subscribe / unsubscribe <http://lists.redbrick.dcu.ie/mailman/listinfo/astronomy> ) _____ No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2013.0.3426 / Virus Database: 3222/6828 - Release Date: 11/11/13

1 0

[Astronomy Ireland] RTE News, 'Dark Matter', Venus in Evening Skies
by AI Secretary 08 Nov '13

08 Nov '13

Christmas Gifts <http://www.astronomy.ie/gifts> Membership <http://www.astronomy.ie/sub/index.html> DVD <http://www.astronomy.ie/lectureDVD.php> 1. Astronomy Ireland on RTE News David Moore, Chairman of Astronomy Ireland, appeared on a news feature recently on RTE that talked about the latest data from the Chebyalinsk asteroid event in Russia earlier this year. Scientists have found that the flash was 30 times brighter than the Sun and had the power of a 600 kiloton atomic bomb, causing a lot of injuries and damage to buildings. They say that this should be a warning sign, as the number of asteroids that can cause significant damage to life on Earth may be ten times higher than previously thought. You can watch the news clip on our YouTube page HERE <http://youtu.be/rn4jH-Za1rE> . 2. ‘Dark Matter’ Lecture Just a reminder that our major Science Week lecture is the extremely popular topic of dark matter. It takes place on Monday, November 11th at 8pm in Trinity College Dublin. To book tickets or order DVDs, please click HERE <http://www.astronomy.ie/lecture201311.php> . 3. Venus in the Evening Skies Many of you have been sending in reports and photographs of Venus which is now glowing brightly above the south-western horizon as the Sun sets each evening. It’s very easy to spot as it’s very bright. Venus will gradually get higher above the horizon making it easier to see over the coming weeks. If you see Venus, be sure to email observe(a)astronomy.ie with your observation report so that we can publish it in an upcoming issue of Astronomy Ireland <http://www.astronomy.ie/join> magazine. Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular astronomy club www.astronomy.ie ( subscribe / unsubscribe <http://lists.redbrick.dcu.ie/mailman/listinfo/astronomy> ) _____ No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2013.0.3426 / Virus Database: 3222/6799 - Release Date: 11/01/13 Internal Virus Database is out of date.

1 0

[Astronomy Ireland] Exhibitors Wanted, Dark Matter Lecture, BBC Sky at Night
by AI Secretary 07 Nov '13

07 Nov '13

Christmas Gifts <http://www.astronomy.ie/gifts> Membership <http://www.astronomy.ie/sub/index.html> DVD <http://www.astronomy.ie/lectureDVD.php> 1. Exhibits Wanted for Our 24th Annual Exhibition “Astro-Expo” We are finalising the details of our annual Astro-Expo, which will take pace this year in Dublin on Saturday November 16th noon-6pm. We are appealing to our more advanced members, anyone with a telescope, cameras, or any other equipment of an astronomical nature to bring them along to show to particularly our newer members. If you would like to get involved and exhibit your work (photography, artwork, and anything else you can think of) at the event, please let us know by emailing sec(a)astronomy.ie In the past we’ve had all kinds of exhibitions at our events, including rocks and minerals, amateur rockets, artwork and photography, physics experiments, and more! So, everyone should make a note of the date, Saturday November 16th noon to 6pm, TCD. This is our 24th annual exhibition so please make an effort to bring along your equipment, photos, etc. and share the enthusiasm with other space enthusiasts. It will be one of our two main highlights for National Science Week <http://www.scienceweek.ie/> (Nov. 10-17) ! 2. SCIENCE WEEK Public Lecture: DARK MATTER For national science week we are also flying in a special speaker from the U.K. who is an expert on the elusive Dark Matter which we now know makes up the vast majority of the physical universe. All around us we can see matter. It’s the stuff we see in our own bodies, buildings, clouds, the oceans, planets, stars, and galaxies. But this is only a fraction of what really makes up the Universe. Dark matter, which makes up about 80% of all matter in the Universe, was first proposed in 1933, but does not give off any light of its own, rendering it invisible. The means that we can really only detect it by how it affects light and nearby ‘normal’ matter. Astronomers realised that dark matter must exist when they realised that galaxies were too massive to be accounted for by only visible matter. This month’s Public Lecture will be delivered by an international speaker, Dr Mark Wilson, who will explain the concept of this mysterious material and how modern astronomy is exploring dark matter. The lecture takes place in Trinity College Dublin on November 11th at 8pm and is sure to be very popular given the subject matter and the fact that it is Science Week. To book tickets or order DVDs, please click HERE <http://www.astronomy.ie/lecture201311.php> . All welcome, so bring family and friends and celebrate the start of Science Week with us. 3. BBC’s The Sky at Night Moore Moon Marathon: The team join astronomers on Blackheath to watch a lunar eclipse, find out how everyone got on in the Moore Moon Marathon and discuss the future moon missions. TSAN NOVEMBER 2013 Mon Nov. 04 at 12:30am BBC 1 Northern Ireland Mon Nov. 04 at 12:30am BBC One HD Thu Nov. 07 at 07:30pm BBC FOUR Fri Nov. 08 at 01:05am BBC FOUR Sat Nov. 09 at 09:05am BBC 2 Northern Ireland Sat Nov. 09 at 09:05am BBC Two HD Sun Nov. 10 at 01:20am BBC FOUR Note that the BBC1 and BBC2 programmes are shorter versions (20 minutes). Try to watch BBC FOUR transmissions (30 minutes) All of the Sky At Night team have now given public lectures to Astronomy Ireland, all of which you can get on DVD by post at www.astronomy.ie/dvd Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular astronomy club www.astronomy.ie ( subscribe / unsubscribe <http://lists.redbrick.dcu.ie/mailman/listinfo/astronomy> ) _____ No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2013.0.3426 / Virus Database: 3222/6799 - Release Date: 11/01/13

1 0