So much to see this week! The International Space Station blazes across the sky all this week (until March 22 inclusive) but it also passes very near the Moon and Saturn too. Tonight (Thursday) at 8:29pm ISS will pass IN FRONT OF the Moon as seen along a line from Co. Clare to Co. Wexford (and in front of Saturn along a line from Galway city to Co. Kildare). I have been announcing such passes on our Newsline every day since last week when ISS first became visible but I wanted to make sure you all knew to call each day after 12noon for the time and details of any Moon and Saturn close approaches! Call 1550-111-442 and even at 95cent/min the details should be in the first 60 seconds so it'll cost less than a euro to find our if you're in the firing line or not. Please pass the number on to everyone you know and let's get the whole country out watching the skies this week: 1550-111-442 (in N.Ireland/Britain call 0891-88-1950) Two nice sunspots have appeared. (Remember: NEVER look directly at the Sun, use AstroSolar filter sheet material from our Shop). You can see them on the net at http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/realtime-images.html and click on the MDI image (note Venus is currently visible below the Sun on the "LASCO C3" image). Do send in any photos for publication gallery@astronomy.ie and reports to observe@astronomy.ie . Be alert for any aurora this week too therefore. Mercury has spotted by many of you using the guide on pages 26-27 of our March magazine, especially when it made that very rare pairing with the Moon last Friday. There's still a few days left so look low in the West and consult the magazine for a full guide and you too can join the elite club of less than 1% of Earth's population who have ever seen the innermost planet! Sightings to observe@astronomy.ie please. Did anyone see the Pleiades near the Moon last night? There were a few breaks but I missed them as we had a team in posting out the April issue of your magazine and I didn't look out often enough! The diagram on page 26 of the March issue shows how spectacular it was. Again, any photos to gallery@astronomy.ie please and reports to observe@astronomy.ie . We get another chance in April - see the April issue dropping through your letterbox this week! Comet Machholz is 6th magnitude making it one of the brightest 'deep sky objects' in the sky right now. Don't neglect it, especially as it is incredibly easy to locate and photograph (no telescope or drive motor needed) because it is just one binocular field of view to the upper right of Polaris, the North Star! This means it barely moves from hour to hour so even cameras with telephoto lenses can take long exposures, 5 to 10 times longer than normal, without star trailing (for a 50mm lens trailing shows at 20-second exposures so you could go 3 minutes on the comet for the next week or so). Send photos & sightings to gallery and observe email addresses. The latest edition of the Astronomy Ireland Radio Show has been on line since 9pm Tuesday (as is now the norm). Download the 30-minute MP3 show now (60-seconds by 512kbps broadband, 10 mins by dial up) for the latest news and what to see including all of the above and more. At Monday's Lecture in D.C.U. Thomas Monks from Dublin was welcomed as the 9,000th member of Astronomy Ireland. He received a superb weekend break in the luxurious Meadowlands Hotel in Tralee http://www.meadowlands-hotel.com/ . Previous "thousandth" winners have come from Counties Offaly, Mayo, Wexford, Meath and Cork but only one of the previous 8 came from Dublin, which represents our geographical split quite well (65% of members live OUTSIDE Dublin). Don't forget that after the I.S.S. prediction our Newsline (1550-111-442) carries the usual 3-minute update of things to see this week (including St. Patrick's day occultation and Saturn near the Moon). Do call once a week - new message every Monday and new ISS prediction every day by 12noon, including where to see it pass in front of the Moon and Saturn. - David Moore (Chairman, Astronomy Ireland: www.astronomy.ie ) Visit us in one of Europe's BIGGEST ASTRONOMY SHOPS in: Butterly Business Park, Kilmore Road, Artane, Dublin 5. Tel: 01-8470777 Open SATURDAY 12noon to 6pm