1. Pat Kenny did a fascinating 15 minute interview
with John Gribbin this morning which is now online for everyone (in the world)
to hear.
The interview starts 37 minutes 45seconds in to the show
but you can quickly move the "slider" to near this time and listen from
there.
(This is a streaming audio link - does anyone know how to
'download' the actual file? Or is this impossible? Perhaps to protect
copyright?)
Dr Gribbin will give Astronomy Ireland's February Public
Lecture tonight at 8pm in the Hamilton Building in Trinity College Dublin which
will be recorded on to DVD for everyone in Ireland.
Doors open at 7:30pm if you can get to Dublin and haven't
already bought a ticket.
His new book "The Universe, A biography" (hardback) will
be on sale and he will sign it for you.
At 4:30pm today (Feb 12) Dr Gribbin will appear on
RTE 1 TV on the Seoige & O'Shea show
2. Venus is now a spectacular sight in evening skies
just after sunset low in the southwest. But for the first few days of this week
look 10 degrees to its lower right and you should see the elusive planet
Mercury. Although much dimmer than Venus we could easily see it with the naked
eye last week. Mercury will be too low by the end of this week but Venus will be
an evening object for months.
On Sunday the Moon will pass in front of the planet Uranus
- an extremely rare event. You will need a telescope as Uranus is dim and there
will be strong twilight (see magazine).
Next Monday Feb 19 Venus will be very close to the Moon in
what should be a spectacular sight to the naked eye (see magazine).
An extremely bright fireball (brighter than the Full Moon)
was seen at 8:30pm Feb 3 from all across Ireland and the U.K. If you saw it
please fill in the report form at www.astronomy.ie/fireball.html
Starting on Valentine's Night (Feb 14) the International
Space Station will be seen every evening for 2 weeks crossing Irish skies as a
brilliant naked eye 'star'. Get predictions off the net or call our Newsline
1550-111-442 (calls cost 95c/min) every afternoon for the time to watch that
night, and any other news e.g. where to see it pass in front of the Moon
etc.
More details of observing all the planets (Saturn and
Jupiter are on view this week also) and these Moon events are in our magazine
every month.
The March issue is out later this week and
features the Total Eclipse of the Moon on March 3, the best for many
years, so order your copy in time for the Eclipse now only 19 days
away!
ASTRONOMY IRELAND - the world's most popular
astronomy society