January 2014 - astronomy@lists.redbrick.dcu.ie

[Astronomy Ireland] Kerry Dark Sky Reserve, Evening Classes, 'Our Dynamic Sun', Galway Astronomy Festival
by AI Secretary 28 Jan '14

28 Jan '14

Classes <http://astronomy.ie/class/> Membership <http://www.astronomy.ie/sub/index.html> DVD <http://www.astronomy.ie/lectureDVD.php> 1. Kerry Dark Sky Reserve A 700km-square region in South West Kerry has become the first gold standard dark sky reserve in the Northern Hemisphere. This was awarded by the International Dark Sky Association following hard work undertaken by the Kerry Dark Sky Group and the Kerry Astronomy Club. It is hoped that this will now attract astronomers from around the world and help to kick-start the region’s ‘astro-tourism’. David Moore of Astronomy Ireland was recently in Kerry to film a special programme for TV3 about dark skies, which will be broadcast in the coming weeks, and he took a photo of the Kerry sky to compare it to that of Dublin. The photo appeared in Astronomy Ireland magazine and really shows the excellent quality of the Kerry sky without light pollution! David has also done a number of radio interviews over the last couple of days about this fantastic achievement, and you can listen to them online at www.astronomy.ie/audio 2. Astronomy Evening Classes Our popular astronomy evening classes commence again next week on Wednesday, February 5th. 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 much more! Everyone should do these classes, is they will help you keep up to date with the exciting celestial events taking place over the coming year: · Solar maximum has just passed so we can expect more northern lights displays · Mars will be at its closest to Earth early this year · The Rosetta spacecraft will place a lander on a comet · Jupiter is blazing brightly in the evening sky · And maybe we’ll even have our first Irish astronaut! Enrolling on the evening classes also includes a year’s membership to Astronomy Ireland with a 12-month subscription to our magazine. So, with the classes, you’ll be able to follow all the latest news and events in space and astronomy! Enrol on ‘Astronomy for Beginners’ and find out more by clicking on www.astronomy.ie/class These classes are a great activity to get you started in astronomy, so be sure to bring family and friends, too! 3. Public Lecture: Our Dynamic Sun The Sun should now be finishing the peak of its activity cycle, but strangely, this whole cycle has been relatively quiet compared to previous ones. However, over the past few years, astronomers have been monitoring the Sun like never before, with several observatories in space watching our nearest star: SoHO, SDO, Stereo, and others. In our Public Lecture on February 10th, Dr Helen Mason from Cambridge University will deliver a roundup of the last solar maximum now that we have passed the peak in a fascinating talk about what we have learned about the Sun so far, including the solar cycle, solar flares, and how the star causes ‘space weather’ and affects us on Earth. Our Dynamic Sun takes place on Monday, February 10th at 8pm in Trinity College Dublin. For more information and to book tickets or order DVDs, please click HERE <http://www.astronomy.ie/lecture20142.php> . 3. Galway Astronomy Festival This weekend sees the return of the Galway Astronomy Festival, which takes place in the Westwood House Hotel in Galway City on Saturday, February 1st. "City of Stars" is the theme for this year’s event with an emphasis on how our exploration of the Cosmos has inspired communities and cultures in Galway that would not otherwise do so, to think about the Universe. The gathering for amateur astronomers will have talks, exhibitions, trade stands, fine food and observing in Connemara under some of the darkest skies in Europe. Everyone is welcome to attend in friendship, to exchange information, successful stargazing and mutual progress. For more information about the Astronomy Festival, please visit the Galway Astronomy Club website at www.galwayastronomyclub.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: 2013.0.3462 / Virus Database: 3681/7039 - Release Date: 01/28/14

1 0

[Astronomy Ireland] Supernova in M82, Evening Classes, Public Lecture
by AI Secretary 23 Jan '14

23 Jan '14

Classes <http://astronomy.ie/class/> Membership <http://www.astronomy.ie/sub/index.html> DVD <http://www.astronomy.ie/lectureDVD.php> 1. Exploding Star May Become Visible In Binoculars A star in the nearby galaxy M82 has violently exploded in the closest supernova since 1993. The cigar-shaped galaxy is located in Ursa Major in the northern sky, and the supernova was first spotted on January 22nd. Australian supernova expert Brad Tucker has said that the explosion may become bright enough to be spotted in binoculars in the coming days! The supernova was discovered by Dr Steven Fossey of University College London and his students when they managed to capture a few images of the galaxy just before clouds rolled in. This particular type of supernova is usually caused when a white dwarf pulls in material from a companion star. The mass of the white dwarf becomes so great that runaway nuclear fusion occurs and the dwarf is blown apart. The supernova is particularly interesting to astronomers for two reasons. First of all, it was discovered early in its outburst phase, meaning that scientists can now get further clues as to what exactly happens to a star when it dies like this. Secondly, the supernova is of type Ia: the unique way in which type Ia supernovae brighten and then fade out over time provides astronomers with a useful way to measure the expansion of the Universe. David Moore <http://www.astronomy.ie/dmbio.html> spotted the supernova last night (January 22nd) using an 8.75” reflector from Dublin, at a magnitude of 11.5 This supernova will be covered in an upcoming issue of Astronomy Ireland <http://www.astronomy.ie/join> magazine. If you manage to take any photos of the supernova over the coming days or weeks, be sure to send them to observe(a)astronomy.ie so we can include them in our magazine reports! 2. Astronomy Evening Classes Thousands of you have taken our ever-popular ‘Astronomy for Beginners’ evening classes to date, and the demand for them is as strong as ever! The evening classes commence again next month on Wednesday, February 5th. 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 much more! Everyone should do these classes, is they will help you keep up to date with the exciting celestial events taking place over the coming year. Enrolling on the evening classes also includes a year’s membership to Astronomy Ireland with a 12-month subscription to our magazine. So, with the classes, you’ll be able to follow all the latest news and events in space and astronomy! Enrol on ‘Astronomy for Beginners’ and find out more by clicking on www.astronomy.ie/class These classes are a great activity to get you started in astronomy, so be sure to bring family and friends, too! 3. Public Lecture: Our Dynamic Sun The Sun should now be finishing the peak of its activity cycle, but strangely, this whole cycle has been relatively quiet compared to previous ones. However, over the past few years, astronomers have been monitoring the Sun like never before, with several observatories in space watching our nearest star: SoHO, SDO, Stereo, and others. In our Public Lecture on February 10th, Dr Helen Mason from Cambridge University will deliver a roundup of the last solar maximum now that we have passed the peak in a fascinating talk about what we have learned about the Sun so far, including the solar cycle, solar flares, and how the star causes ‘space weather’ and affects us on Earth. Our Dynamic Sun takes place on Monday, February 10th at 8pm in Trinity College Dublin. For more information and to book tickets or order DVDs, please click HERE <http://www.astronomy.ie/lecture20142.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: 2013.0.3462 / Virus Database: 3681/7026 - Release Date: 01/22/14

1 0

[Astronomy Ireland] Astronomy Evening Classes, Rosetta
by AI Secretary 20 Jan '14

20 Jan '14

Classes <http://astronomy.ie/class/> Membership <http://www.astronomy.ie/sub/index.html> DVD <http://www.astronomy.ie/lectureDVD.php> 1. Astronomy Evening Classes Thousands of you have taken our ever-popular ‘Astronomy for Beginners’ evening classes to date, and the demand for them is as strong as ever! The evening classes commence again next month on Wednesday, February 5th. 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 much more! Everyone should do these classes, is they will help you keep up to date with the exciting celestial events taking place over the coming year: · Solar maximum has just passed so we can expect more northern lights displays · Mars will be at its closest to Earth early this year · The Rosetta spacecraft will place a lander on a comet · Jupiter is blazing brightly in the evening sky · And maybe we’ll even have our first Irish astronaut! Enrolling on the evening classes also includes a year’s membership to Astronomy Ireland with a 12-month subscription to our magazine. So, with the classes, you’ll be able to follow all the latest news and events in space and astronomy! Enrol on ‘Astronomy for Beginners’ and find out more by clicking on www.astronomy.ie/class These classes are a great activity to get you started in astronomy, so be sure to bring family and friends, too! 2. Comet-Chaser Rosetta Wakes Up Today, the Rosetta spacecraft is “waking up” after a 31-month slumber as it made its way through space. The craft is due to rendezvous with Comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko in August of this year to map its surface, and place a lander on the surface of the icy body in November. This exciting mission will study the comet as it makes its way around the Sun, giving us a fantastic opportunity to study an example of some of the strangest and oldest objects in the Solar System. Astronomy Ireland’s Christmas Lecture in 2013 was delivered by the ESA Director of Science and Robotics who oversees this mission and others. In his lecture he talked about the various space missions – including Rosetta – being undertaken by the European Space Agency, of which Ireland is a member. You can order DVDs of this talk at www.astronomy.ie/DVD As Rosetta continues towards the comet, we will cover the latest news about the mission in Astronomy Ireland magazine throughout the year. Be sure to pick up a copy in your local Dunnes Stores branch, or become a member of Astronomy Ireland and get the magazine delivered to you each month at www.astronomy.ie/join 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: 2013.0.3462 / Virus Database: 3681/7017 - Release Date: 01/20/14

1 0

[Astronomy Ireland] Fireballs, Aurora, BBC, Einstein & Big Bang
by AI Secretary 08 Jan '14

08 Jan '14

Events <http://www.astronomy.ie/Events2014.php> Membership <http://www.astronomy.ie/sub/index.html> DVD <http://www.astronomy.ie/lectureDVD.php> 1. Two Major Fireballs We received reports of two major fireballs recently. The first was on December 15th at 9:30am and appears to have been a daytime fireball meaning it was a super-bright event that must certainly have dropped a meteorite, somewhat reminiscent of the Russian fireball on Feb. 15th in 2012. We are still collecting reports of this object which could have landed in the southeast. The second was at 5:40pm on January 3rd (last Friday) and appears to have been a major event with any meteorite fall probably being in the west of Ireland. If you, or anyone you know, saw either of these events please fill out the report form on www.astronomy.ie (see "Report a Fireball" in the menu at left). 2. Northern Lights Over Next Few Nights There is a huge sunspot, far bigger than Earth, crossing the Sun at present. Material ejected from one of its explosions is expected to reach Earth tonight or tomorrow so keep an eye on the northern skies over the next few nights for any possible displays of the aurora borealis, or northern lights. If you see or photograph the display then please send a report and any photos to observe(a)astronomy.ie Our last trip to northern Norway, inside the Arctic Circle, was very successful with the aurora being seen on two nights. Photos will appear in our magazine, but if you want to come on our next trip in December then see www.astronomy.ie/norway and get added to the list to be notified when flights are finalised. 3. BBC's Stargazing Live Last nights show on BBC TWO used the latest cameras to show live video of the aurora from Tromso, Norway (near where the Astronomy Ireland trips go) when they got lucky with the weather! The excellent Stargazing Live with UCD science graduate Dara O’Briain (and Astronomy Ireland guest lecturer Brian Cox!) continues tonight and tomorrow (Jan 8th and 9th) at 8pm on BBC TWO so be sure to tune in. 4. Einstein and the Big Bang To hear David Moore <http://www.astronomy.ie/dmbio.html> talking on radio about The New Year Lecture click HERE <http://www.astronomy.ie/audio/LMFM_140108.mp3> . Or click here to hear all our radio interviews (in case more are added in the coming days): www.astronomy.ie/audio Our 'big cosmology lecture' kicks off our monthly lecture series next Monday, January 13th, with great interest already being expressed. If you want to know all about The Big Bang, and Einstein's role, from one of Ireland's leading cosmology experts Dr Cormac O’Raifeartaigh then book a ticket or the DVD HERE <http://www.astronomy.ie/lecture201401.php> . All welcome! Admission €7. DVD €7+P&P Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular astronomy club www.astronomy.ie <http://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: 2013.0.3462 / Virus Database: 3658/6985 - Release Date: 01/08/14

1 0

[Astronomy Ireland] 'Einstein and the Big Bang', 'Stargazing Live' on BBC, Magazine Delay
by AI Secretary 07 Jan '14

07 Jan '14

Events <http://www.astronomy.ie/Events2014.php> Membership <http://www.astronomy.ie/sub/index.html> DVD <http://www.astronomy.ie/lectureDVD.php> 1. Public Lecture: Einstein and the Big Bang Our New Year Lecture this year is about the extremely popular subject of explaining the Big Bang with special emphasis on Einstein's role. It will be given by Dr Cormac O’Raifeartaigh who lectures about Cosmology in Waterford I.T. and may have recently discovered some surprising errors in the calculations Einstein made, as well as a possible misunderstanding of his work by the wider scientific community. Cosmology talks (especially those by Dr O’Raifeartaigh) are always extremely popular so please bring friends and book early to avoid disappointment! If demand is as high as Dr O’Raifeartaigh's talks have been in the past the venue may be changed to a large room (still within Trinity College). Please check website on the day to confirm the location. For tickets, DVDs, and more information about the lecture, please click HERE <http://www.astronomy.ie/lecture201401.php> . The lecture takes place in Trinity College Dublin on Monday, January 13th at 8pm, and tickets are only €7 each. 2. Stargazing Live on BBC The popular stargazing and astronomy TV show presented by Professor Brian Cox and Irish comedian Dara O’Briain returns to our screens this week. Starting tonight and continuing for three nights (January 7th, 8th, and 9th) the astronomy duo will explore aspects of astronomy that interest the general public. In the first episode the team will hunt the northern lights in Tromso, Norway, where Astronomy Ireland travels to each year to experience amazing auroral displays. For more information on our upcoming trips to Norway, please visit www.astronomy.ie/norway 3. Magazine Delay Unfortunately the production of the January issue of Astronomy Ireland magazine has been delayed, as the editor was in a car accident that put him out of action for a short while. We sincerely apologise for this inconvenience. The February issue will be out at end of January, and all subscribers will have their membership extended by one month to ensure you get the full twelve issues of the magazine that were paid for. To join Astronomy Ireland and get our magazine please visit www.astronomy.ie/join Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular astronomy club www.astronomy.ie <http://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: 2013.0.3462 / Virus Database: 3658/6980 - Release Date: 01/06/14

1 0