1.  Nationwide Lyrid Meteor Watch

This Saturday (April 21st) sees the peak of the Lyrid Meteor Shower, which will be unaffected by the Moon to give us good viewing conditions to observe the shower. Astronomy Ireland invites members of the public to take part in an easy meteor count on the days before and after the peak as well as on Saturday night itself.

To find out how to take part, and to learn more about the Lyrid meteors, please click HERE.

2.  International Space Station and Space Chase

The biggest spacecraft ever put in orbit, the International Space Station (ISS), is currently visible in our evening skies, and will continue to be visible until April 25th.

Progress 47 today launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 1:50pm Irish Time, and it is due to dock with the International Space Station on Sunday afternoon. Keen-eyed observers may be able to see a 'space chase' as Progress 47 appears several minutes before the ISS as it makes its way into orbit and towards the Space Station. If you succeed in seeing the space chase, please let us know by emailing observe@astronomy.ie

Astronomy Ireland will publish the times the ISS will be visible at www.astronomy.ie/iss and you can also receive daily reminders of this time by texting the word SPACE to 57003 (subscription service; one message will be sent each day the ISS is visible and it costs €1 per message received).

Astronomy Ireland speaks about ISS on radio

David Moore and long-time member of Astronomy Ireland, Eamonn Ó Fearcháin, spoke about the International Space Station today on Phoenix FM and on RTE Raidió na Gaeltachta. You can listen to these interviews at www.astronomy.ie/audio