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

[Astronomy Ireland] October Issue of Astronomy Ireland Now on Sale!
by AI Secretary 27 Sep '13

27 Sep '13

Star-B-Q <http://astronomy.ie/sbq/> Membership <http://astronomy.ie/join> DVD <http://www.astronomy.ie/dvd> October Issue of Astronomy Ireland Now On Sale! In the October issue of Astronomy Ireland magazine, we have news of a very special Irish discovery - heavy metal stars. Astronomers at Armagh Observatory have discovered two stars that are so hot that their atmosphere contains lead. Another huge news story was a new star, called a nova, which appeared in the constellation Delphinus. A photograph of the new star, when it was its brightest, was captured by the Editor, David Moore, very soon after it exploded making this Irish photo of the nova one of the earliest in the world. Also in the news we have a full report on the Perseid meteor shower which happened in August. You sent in many sightings and pictures and they are all here, with some international images too. We also have another spectacular image, taken by Hubble. The space telescope has solved a 40-year mystery on the origin of the Magellanic Stream, a long ribbon of gas stretching nearly halfway around our Milky Way galaxy. In one of our popular feature articles, we bring a summary of events and photographs of the Star-B-Q 2013, always a popular event. This year was a resounding success and we have some excellent pictures. In our Sky Diary there is the chance to see Moon encounters with both Jupiter and Mars. There is also a bit of a lunar eclipse occurs on October 18th. In a new regular feature we follow the Mars Curiosity rover, and this month we follow its path during its first 354 days. You can read about all these features, stories and much more in our October issue of the magazine, which you can order online HERE <http://www.astronomy.ie/join> . Remember, you can also sign up for a 12-month membership of Astronomy Ireland and your copy of the magazine will be delivered to your door each month! Astronomy Ireland magazine is now available nationwide in Dunnes Stores outlets next week. Be sure to let us know if you don’t see it (or even if you do!) in your local outlet so that we can adjust supplies in the coming months. Don’t forget, you can order your magazine or join Astronomy Ireland online at www.astronomy.ie/join Please support Irish astronomy and buy Astronomy Ireland magazine every month! 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: 2013.0.3408 / Virus Database: 3222/6702 - Release Date: 09/26/13

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[Astronomy Ireland] Beginner and Advanced Astronomy Evening Classes
by AI Secretary 20 Sep '13

20 Sep '13

Classes <http://astronomy.ie/class/> Membership <http://www.astronomy.ie/sub/index.html> DVD <http://www.astronomy.ie/lectureDVD.php> Beginner and Advanced Astronomy Evening Classes Astronomy Ireland’s Evening Classes are beginning again in October. Thousands of you have taken our ever popular ‘Astronomy for Beginners’ class already, and due to popular demand we are running our ‘Advanced Astronomy: Exploring the Universe’ class again, too. In the ‘Astronomy for Beginners’ classes you will learn about finding your way around the night sky, how telescopes work, the Sun and planets in the Solar System, and more. ‘Exploring the Universe’ is idea for people who want to go a bit deeper into the science of astronomy, and topics include, radio astronomy, space exploration, astrophotography, and cosmology! ‘Advanced Astronomy’ begins on October 9th: enrol HERE <http://www.astronomy.ie/class/advancedautumn2013.php> ‘Astronomy for Beginners’ begins on October 10th: enrol HERE <http://astronomy.ie/class/> These courses are a great way to get started in astronomy and the science behind it! Group discounts are available, so be sure to bring along your family and friends and call us on (01) 890 11 11 for the best group deal! 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: 2013.0.3408 / Virus Database: 3222/6684 - Release Date: 09/20/13

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[Astronomy Ireland] Volunteer Vacancy, Moon Art Exhibition, Public Lecture, Harvest Moon, Brian Cox on TV
by AI Secretary 18 Sep '13

18 Sep '13

Classes <http://astronomy.ie/class/> Membership <http://www.astronomy.ie/sub/index.html> DVD <http://www.astronomy.ie/lectureDVD.php> 1. Vacancy for Sales Volunteer Astronomy Ireland is seeking a volunteer with highly developed sales and administrative skills to work in a small team over 20 hours per week. Expenses will be covered. Please respond with a full CV and references to the Chairman, David Moore, at sec(a)astronomy.ie 2. Moon Art Exhibition Dublin artist, Frank O'Dea showcases a selection of his artwork based on the theme of the Moon, at Gallery 27 this week from Tuesday to Saturday (1pm to 5:30pm), entitled To The Moon and Back. The opening reception takes place on Thursday, September 19th at 6pm. The exhibition takes place 27 South Fredrick Street, Dublin 2 (just off Nassau St). More details at www.gallery27dublin.com 3. Public Lecture: Robots in Space Cassini engineer Dr Leah-Nani Alconel will give Astronomy Ireland's October Public Lecture Robots in Space, in which she will explain how robot spacecraft can provide important scientific data without risking the lives of human astronauts and at much lower cost. Robots are taking over space. They've already gone to the planets, and may even go to the stars without humans ever leaving Earth. On Earth we are protected by the planet's magnetic field, but in outer space astronauts can be exposed to cosmic rays and radiation from the Sun. With big risks of damaged DNA and cancer, future human space travel to other planets very risky business. But robots can do this dangerous exploration for us. Not only can spacecraft be protected from radiation much easier, but they are cheaper to put into space, and can survive decades travelling to other worlds in that extreme environment. One such spacecraft is the Cassini orbiter, which is currently travelling around Saturn: a planet with a dangerous environment full of ionised plasma created by both Saturn itself and its moons. The challenges of designing, constructing and operating them remotely require years, often decades, of commitment by large numbers of highly skilled personnel. In this talk, Dr Alconel will examine the process of overcoming these challenges from historical and personal perspectives to try to understand the abilities and limitations of robotic exploration. The October Public Lecture, Robots in Space, will take place at 8pm on Monday, October 16th, in Trinity College Dublin. Order tickets and DVDs of the lecture HERE <http://astronomy.ie/lecture201310.php> or by calling (01) 890 11 11 4. Harvest Moon The Full Moon this month is known as the Harvest Moon <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_moon#Harvest_and_Hunter.27s_moons> , and will be visible tonight and tomorrow night. For more details on the Moon and other things to see I the sky, see the centre pages of the current issue of Astronomy Ireland <http://www.astronomy.ie/sub/index.html> magazine! 5. New Brian Cox TV Show: Science Britannica Astronomy Ireland lecture speaker Dr Brian Cox has an exciting new TV series exploring the history of Britain’s scientists. The programme begins tonight, and you can find out more on the BBC website HERE <http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01d56dn/broadcasts/upcoming> . 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: 2013.0.3408 / Virus Database: 3222/6677 - Release Date: 09/18/13

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[Astronomy Ireland] The Past, Present, and Future of Moon Exploration
by AI Secretary 16 Sep '13

16 Sep '13

Classes <http://astronomy.ie/class/> Membership <http://www.astronomy.ie/sub/index.html> DVD <http://www.astronomy.ie/lectureDVD.php> Public Lecture & DVD The Past, Present, and Future of Moon Exploration Recently NASA launched a new spacecraft called LADEE that’s currently on its way to the Moon. The probe will study the Moon’s very thin atmosphere and some long-standing mysteries about lunar dust. At the end of the month, China will launch a rover called Chang’e-3 to the Moon to explore beneath its surface using special radar equipment. To celebrate these exciting missions, Astronomy Ireland is holding a special lecture to be delivered by a space scientist who has handled Moon rock brought back to Earth by the Apollo astronauts! The Moon has been the subject of great fascination for thousands of years, but it wasn't until the 1950s and 1960s, when we sent orbiting and landing spacecraft to explore its surface, that we made giant leaps forward to understand its origin and evolution. In 2013 our knowledge is still growing with state of the art cameras capturing photographs of geological features down to only a few metres in size, and geophysics missions measuring the state of the lunar crust in never before seen detail. This renewed interest in the Moon is on-going with two more lunar missions being launched in the next year by the USA and China, and the race is on between nations and commercial enterprises to continue the exploration of our nearest neighbour. Astronomy Ireland is flying in Dr Katherine Joy from the University of Manchester to give a public lecture tonight to talk about the history of lunar science, what’s happening now, and how future missions to the Moon will advance our understanding of our companion in space. A DVD of the lecture will be produced for people around the country. The Past, Present, and Future of Moon Exploration will take place in Trinity College Dublin tonight, Monday, September 16th at 8pm. For tickets and DVDs of the lecture, please visit: www.astronomy.ie or call (01) 890 11 11. 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: 2013.0.3392 / Virus Database: 3222/6670 - Release Date: 09/16/13

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[Astronomy Ireland] Public Lecture, Astronomy Evening Classes, List Maintenance
by AI Secretary 11 Sep '13

11 Sep '13

Classes <http://astronomy.ie/class/> Membership <http://www.astronomy.ie/sub/index.html> DVD <http://www.astronomy.ie/lectureDVD.php> 1. Public Lecture: The Past, Present, and Future of Moon Exploration The Moon has been the subject of great fascination for thousands of years, but it wasn't until the 1950s and 1960s, when we sent orbiting and landing spacecraft to explore its surface, that we made giant leaps forward to understand its origin and evolution. In 2013 our knowledge is still growing with state of the art cameras capturing photographs of geological features down to only a few metres in size, and geophysics missions measuring the state of the lunar crust in never before seen detail. This renewed interest in the Moon is on-going with two more lunar missions being launched in the next year by the USA and China, and the race is on between nations and commercial enterprises to continue the exploration of our nearest neighbour. This lecture will be delivered by Dr Katherine Joy who we are flying in especially to talk to you from the University of Manchester. It takes place on Monday, September 16th at 8pm in Trinity College Dublin. For tickets and DVDs, please click HERE <http://www.astronomy.ie/lecture201309.php> . 2. Beginner and Advanced Astronomy Evening Classes Astronomy Ireland’s Evening Classes are beginning again in October. Thousands of you have taken our ever popular ‘Astronomy for Beginners’ class already, and due to popular demand we are running our ‘Advanced Astronomy: Exploring the Universe’ class again, too. In the ‘Astronomy for Beginners’ classes you will learn about finding your way around the night sky, how telescopes work, the Sun and planets in the Solar System, and more. ‘Exploring the Universe’ is idea for people who want to go a bit deeper into the science of astronomy, and topics include, radio astronomy, space exploration, astrophotography, and cosmology! ‘Advanced Astronomy’ begins on October 9th: enrol HERE <http://www.astronomy.ie/class/advancedautumn2013.php> ‘Astronomy for Beginners’ begins on October 10th: enrol HERE <http://astronomy.ie/class/> 3. Email List Maintenance A couple of weeks ago you may have noticed that this email newsletter went offline temporarily. The system administrators who look after the computers on which this newsletter operates noticed that the list was running a little slower than normal, and so took it offline while it was being fixed up. This is normal practice, and at all times your email address was – and remains – secure. We wish to thank the system administrators for ensuring that your astronomy news continues to get delivered to you! If you have any queries about your subscription to this Friends of Astronomy Ireland email newsletter, please email sec(a)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: 2013.0.3392 / Virus Database: 3222/6655 - Release Date: 09/11/13

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[Astronomy Ireland] 'Astronomy Ireland' Magazine Now Available In Dunnes Stores
by AI Secretary 10 Sep '13

10 Sep '13

Classes <http://astronomy.ie/class/> Membership <http://www.astronomy.ie/sub/index.html> DVD <http://www.astronomy.ie/lectureDVD.php> Astronomy Ireland Magazine Now Available In Dunnes Stores Astronomy Ireland’s full-colour monthly magazine is now available in all 97 branches of Dunnes Stores across the country, making it easier for you to pick up your copy today! Dunnes Stores like to support Irish publications, and we want to support them in return by encouraging people to buy a copy of Astronomy Ireland in their branches. Let us know if you don't see it in your local Dunnes Stores, so we can contact them and rectify it in the initial phases. Remember, AI is the only Irish monthly newsstand magazine! Each month we bring you all the latest sightings that people have been making in Irish skies, tell you what to see in the coming month, report on professional Irish Astronomy, and cover the international news stories that count. We hope you will want to come on our journey of discovering the cosmos with Astronomy Ireland and get our magazine every month. If you want to become a member of Astronomy Ireland and get a 12-month subscription to the magazine, please click HERE. 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: 2013.0.3392 / Virus Database: 3222/6649 - Release Date: 09/09/13

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[Astronomy Ireland] September Issue of Astronomy Ireland Now on Sale!
by AI Secretary 06 Sep '13

06 Sep '13

September Issue of Astronomy Ireland ON SALE NOW! Only €5 including postage Each month we bring you all the latest sightings that people have been making in Irish skies, tell you what to see in the coming month, report on professional Irish Astronomy, and, cover the international news stories that count. We hope you will want to come on our journey of discovering the cosmos with Astronomy Ireland and get our magazine every month: In the September issue of Astronomy Ireland magazine, we have some very special features and news items as well as the monthly Sky Diary to look forward to. - In our news section, we have the discovery of a new type of explosion called a kilonova. It seems to be the rare and super-violent collision of two neutron stars. What’s more, the explosion may have produced huge amounts of gold, amounting to the mass of several Moons! - We also have a spectacular image, taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, of a new moon orbiting the distant blue-green planet Neptune, the 14th known to be circling the giant planet. - Another image which will inspire, is of Earth taken by the Cassini spacecraft at Saturn showing the 'Pale Blue Dot' where all 7 billion of us Earthlings live. - In one of our popular feature articles, internationally acclaimed author Brian Harvey reports on the amazing images from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter that show the pioneering Soviet craft that landed on the Moon. These are some truly excellent pictures. - In our Sky Diary there is the chance to see the planet Jupiter once more and an amazing Moon and Venus encounter on September 8th. You can learn about these fascinating conjunctions too in the magazine - In a new regular feature we follow the Mars Curiosity Rover, and it celebrates its first successful year on the Red Planet. The rover has taken a 1 billion pixel image of the Martian landscape near to where it landed. - You can read about all these features, stories and much more in our September issue of the magazine! Order your copy of the September issue (€5), or become a full member for a 12-month subscription (€48): <http://www.astronomy.ie/join> ORDER HERE You will also be able to find Astronomy Ireland on the newsstands, and it can now be bought in Dunnes Stores nationwide next week (all 97 branches!) 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: 2013.0.3392 / Virus Database: 3222/6637 - Release Date: 09/04/13 _____ No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2013.0.3392 / Virus Database: 3222/6637 - Release Date: 09/04/13

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[Astronomy Ireland] Public Lecture on Moon Exploration, Star-B-Q Report and Photos
by AI Secretary 04 Sep '13

04 Sep '13

Classes <http://astronomy.ie/class/> Membership <http://www.astronomy.ie/sub/index.html> DVD <http://www.astronomy.ie/lectureDVD.php> 1. Public Lecture & DVD: ‘The Past, Present, and Future of Lunar Science’ by Katherine Joy The Moon has been the subject of great fascination for thousands of years, but it wasn't until the 1950s and 1960s, when we sent orbiting and landing spacecraft to explore its surface, that we made giant leaps forward to understand its origin and evolution. In 2013 our knowledge is still growing with state of the art cameras capturing photographs of geological features down to only a few metres in size, and geophysics missions measuring the state of the lunar crust in never before seen detail. This renewed interest in the Moon is on-going with two more lunar missions being launched in the next year by the USA and China, and the race is on between nations and commercial enterprises to continue the exploration of our nearest neighbour. This lecture will be delivered by Dr Katherine Joy who we are flying in especially to talk to you from the University of Manchester. It will prove to be an excellent talk by one of the world’s experts who has even held some of the Moon rocks brought back to Earth by astronauts! It takes place on Monday, September 16th at 8pm in Trinity College Dublin. Book tickets HERE <http://astronomy.ie/lecture201309.php> Order DVD HERE <http://astronomy.ie/lectureDVD.php> 2. Full Star-B-Q Report with Photos This year’s Star-B-Q at the weekend was another great success, with around 300 people attending in Roundwood, Co Wicklow. The barbecued food went down very well and everyone enjoyed the three talks. As it got dark we went out to see some of the wonders of the Universe, including the new nova in Delphinus! For a report and photos of the event, please click HERE. DVDs of the Star-B-Q talks can be ordered online 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: 2013.0.3392 / Virus Database: 3222/6637 - Release Date: 09/04/13

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[Astronomy Ireland] Star-B-Q Success!, Public Lecture, BBC 'The Sky at Night'
by AI Secretary 02 Sep '13

02 Sep '13

Star-B-Q <http://www.astronomy.ie/sbq/> Membership <http://www.astronomy.ie/sub/index.html> DVD <http://www.astronomy.ie/lectureDVD.php> 1. Star-B-Q Success! This year’s Star-B-Q at the weekend was another great success, with around 300 people attending in Roundwood, Co Wicklow. The barbecued food went down very well and everyone enjoyed the three talks. After talks as it got dark we went outside to the telescopes. Some cloud cover quickly disappeared to give us great views of the wonders of the Universe underneath the dark skies, including the Andromeda Galaxy, the Great Hercules Cluster, and of course, the nova in Delphinus! DVDs of the Star-B-Q talks can be ordered online at www.astronomy.ie/dvd We will have a full report of the event with photos in the coming days on our website. 2. Public Lecture: The Past, Present, and Future of Lunar Science The Moon has been the subject of great fascination for thousands of years, but it wasn't until the 1950s and 1960s, when we sent orbiting and landing spacecraft to explore its surface, that we made giant leaps forward to understand its origin and evolution. In 2013 our knowledge is still growing with state of the art cameras capturing photographs of geological features down to only a few metres in size, and geophysics missions measuring the state of the lunar crust in never before seen detail. This renewed interest in the Moon is on-going with two more lunar missions being launched in the next year by the USA and China, and the race is on between nations and commercial enterprises to continue the exploration of our nearest neighbour. This lecture will be delivered by Dr Katherine Joy who we are flying in especially to talk to you from the University of Manchester. It takes place on Monday, September 16th at 8pm in Trinity College Dublin. For tickets and DVDs, please click HERE <http://www.astronomy.ie/lecture201309.php> . 3. BBC The Sky at Night Fatal Attraction: Chris Lintott talks to the astronomer royal about black holes, the beating heart of galaxies which also have a destructive side. TSAN SEPTEMBER 2013 Mon Sep. 02 at 12:20am BBC 1 Northern Ireland Mon Sep. 02 at 12:20am BBC One HD Wed Sep. 04 at 07:30pm BBC FOUR Thu Sep. 05 at 12:50am BBC FOUR Sat Sep. 07 at 11:10am BBC 2 Northern Ireland Sat Sep. 07 at 11:10am BBC Two HD Sun Sep. 08 at 02:20am 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: 2013.0.3392 / Virus Database: 3211/6620 - Release Date: 08/29/13

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