1. Large number of sunspots have appeared. Use AstroSolar filter material (available from our Shop) to view them in safety. Watch our for aurora this week as the spots cross the Sun. 2. Remember, Monday is the last chance to book for Star-B-Q (Friday April 25) - IRELAND'S BIGGEST ANNUAL GATHERING OF AMATEUR ASTRONOMERS. Nearly all the tickets had been sold by the close of business on Saturday so hurry. Full price (20euro) applies from Tuesday onwards also. Call the number below. See http://www.astronomy.ie/sbq.html 3. Monday April 14 will see space author Brian Harvey giving a lecture "The last voyage of Columbia" in Dublin City University. See http://www.astronomy.ie/events.html under April 14. Book places in advance on the number below. If you don't live in Leinster area you can see the talk on our website a few days later http://www.astronomy.ie/webcast.html 4. And don't forget the National Astronomy Meeting takes place in Dublin Castle week after next. See Society News page 44 April issue of Astronomy & Space magazine (or http://star.arm.ac.uk/nam2003/). Although a record setting 500 PROFESSIONAL astronomers are due to converge on Dublin April 7-11, the Director of the Hubble Space Telescope is due to give an evening PUBLIC LECTURE (see website and email NAM2003 organisers for details not me!). Enjoy those sunspots, and I'll see you at one or all of the above events! 5. P.S. Almost forgot to mention, The INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION is flying over every night until April 8. I've seen it twice so far this week. Call 1550-111-442 every day after 12 noon for exact time to see it. Please pass number along to friends also. 6. P.P.S. Thanks to the dozens of you who replied to my last message about helping to proof read the magazine each month. A notice about how to do it is being prepared and will be sent out this weekend. (If you didn't reply that time but DO want to help proof read the magazine please send an email with "proof reading" in the subject line to info@astronomy.ie). Thanks again. ===== David Moore BSc FRAS, Chairman, Astronomy Ireland, P.O.Box 2888, Dublin 5. Editor, "Astronomy & Space" magazine. ASTRONOMY SHOP: open Mon.-Fri. 9:30am-5:30pm and Sat. noon-6pm. Tel (01) 847 0777. Fax (01) 847 0771. WWW: http://www.astronomy.ie (Subscribe FREE to AI's Events emailing list) Email: info@astronomy.ie __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Platinum - Watch CBS' NCAA March Madness, live on your desktop! http://platinum.yahoo.com