Star-B-Q <http://www.astronomy.ie/sbq/> Membership <http://www.astronomy.ie/sub/index.html> DVD <http://www.astronomy.ie/lectureDVD.php> Fantastic Talks at this Year’s Star-B-Q MORE PUBLICITY As we get close to the Star-B-Q later today we’ve had lots of interviews over the last few days! NEAR FM did a great extensive piece with David Moore, Chairman of Astronomy Ireland, about the Star-B-Q to talk about how the Sun is reaching solar maximum and how we’ll get to see more and more displays of the northern lights over the next two years. He also talked about the problem of light pollution – an issue many of you town- and city-based stargazers will be only too familiar with – and how Irish research is addressing the issue and exploring solutions to help gives us back dark skies. Listen to the NEAR FM interview HERE <http://astronomy.ie/audio/LMFM_130829.mp3> . You will also see Astronomy Ireland feature in today’s Irish Times and Evening Herald in articles talking about the Star-B-Q and the amazing sights we will see through the powerful telescopes: galaxies, star clusters, planets, and the ‘new star’ which appeared in a blaze of thermonuclear energy in the constellation Delphinus! SOLAR MAXIMUM: THE SUN-EARTH CONNECTION Dave Gradwell is the keynote speaker at this year’s Star-B-Q. He is very well-known around Ireland for making amazing observations of the Sun, and his particular expertise lies in space weather and geomagnetic storms. His talk will focus on the ‘Sun-Earth Connection’, and how the current solar maximum affects Earth’s magnetic field to produce the stunningly beautiful northern lights we sometimes see from Ireland. But did you know that space weather can have a dark side? Very strong blasts of material – known as coronal mass ejections – can seriously affect satellites in orbit around Earth. And it can get worse. On March 9th in 1989, a massive coronal mass ejection lifted off the Sun and headed straight for Earth. A few days later, when the CME arrived at our planet, it triggered aurora displays that could be seen as far south as Texas and Florida in the US. The vast electrical currents triggered in Earth’s magnetic field by the CME flowed along power lines in Québec, Canada, causing a blackout lasting 9 hours. Dave’s talk will explore the fascinating connection between our planet and our parent star, how the Sun can cause an aurora, and how we can protect our technology from extremely large events like that in 1989. LIGHT POLLUTION IN IRELAND The Star-B-Q site in Roundwood, Co Wicklow, has very dark skies away from the horrid orange glow so many of us experience in towns and cities. Dr Brian Espey, Trinity College Dublin, is undertaking research to find out more about light pollution in our country, using photographs taken from space by Commander Chris Hadfield on the International Space Station and data collected by researchers in Ireland using high-tech handheld devices that measure the sky’s darkness. The majority of streetlights in Ireland, as well as lighting the ground beneath them, also send up to 30% of their light upwards to illuminate the sky. This is a huge waste of energy that costs the taxpayer millions of euro each year. Not only does light pollution spoil the views for us skywatchers, light pollution also has knock-on effects that can harm the environment, ecological systems, and even human health. Dr Espey will talk about how some simple changes to our civil planning and to the design of streetlights could open up dark skies for us all to enjoy the Universe. THE WONDERS OF THE UNIVERSE David Moore <http://astronomy.ie/dmbio.html> , Chairman of Astronomy Ireland and the country’s leading public advocate of space, will open proceedings at the Star-B-Q with a tour of the wonders of the Universe. In his highly visual talk, David will bring guests on a trip from our own planet Earth, through the Solar System, and out into deep space where stars and galaxies reside. How far away are the stars? How big are galaxies? What will happen to the Universe at the end of time? David will answer these and more during his fascinating. BOOK YOUR TICKET Tickets to the Star-B-Q cost €50, but you can book them in advance to avail of a discount and get your ticket for just €39 (or €29 for children). To book your ticket in advance, call us on (01) 890 11 11 or visit www.astronomy.ie The event is Astronomy Ireland’s biggest annual fundraiser and will be great fun for all the family and your friends, so be sure to spread the word! THE BBC’S THE SKY AT NIGHT The September episode of the Sky at Night will talk about black holes featuring the Astronomer Royal, and will be broadcast on Sunday night at 12:20am (really Monday morning). A full list of repeat shows will be sent out next week after the Star-B-Q. 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