1. Last Friday April 15 saw Astronomy Ireland
members set up telescopes all around Ireland and hundreds of you came along to
get a close up look at the most spectacular object visible in a telescope - the
Moon. I was at the Dublin Moon Watch where a spectacular array of some of the
most powerful telescopes showed the craters, mountains, and valleys on the Moon
in stunning detail. We had chosen April 15 as National Moon Watch Day because
the Moon was very high up AND the planet Saturn was right next to the Moon in
the sky. So we used the opportunity to show Saturn and its rings and moons in
the telescopes also. Those who stayed on at the events also got to see the
planet Jupiter rising in the East. There were a few clouds around at some of the
Moon Watches but virtually everyone got to see the Moon and marvel at its
surface features in close-up. Our next Watch is for Jupiter and will take place
at our Star-B-Q next week. Watch www.astronomy.ie for a report with
pictures this week, and go there now to book next week's Star-B-Q if you haven't
already done so!
2. Prof Tom Ray notifies us of a special
"Time Event - Exploration of the Idea of Time, Cosmology & Literature" with
talks by John Banville, Brendan Kennelly and John Barrow (cosmologist) in
Trinity College Dublin at 6:30pm, Burke Theatre, Arts Building. See http://www.ria.ie/events/time.html
3. Twice a year Ireland's professional astronomers
and students get together for a meeting to describe their work under the
auspices of the ASGI. While not aimed at the general public students or
prospective students should try to get along:
April 21 & 22, Thurs & -Fri, NUI-Galway: Spring
2005 ASGI/CosmoGrid joint meeting.
I hope to go, let me know if you need a lift from Dublin
to Galway.
4. To mark the 15th anniversary of the Hubble Space
Telescope, Armagh Planetarium is running a Special HST & Faulkes Telescope
Event.
The event begins at 1 p.m. on Sunday April 24 with live presentations
at 2:30, 3:30, and 4 p.m. on the discoveries of the HST.
Weather permitting, there will be a live link-up with the
2m robotic Faulkes Telescope in Hawaii.
NOTE: this event takes place at the Ulster Museum
in Belfast as the Planetarium is closed for refurbishment
at present.
I hope to go, let me know if you need a lift from Dublin
to Belfast.
5. For your weekly news either tune in to the AI
Radio Show every Tuesday at 8pm (or download it after 9pm at www.astronomy.ie/radioshow.html ) or call
our Newsline on 1550-111-442 for this week's news - big Jupiter event on
Friday!!!
Visit us at one of Europe's BIGGEST ASTRONOMY SHOPS
in:
Unit 75, Butterly Business Park, Kilmore Road,
Artane, Dublin 5.
Tel: (01) 847 0777. Open Mon.-Fri 9:30-17:30
AND SATURDAYS NOON TIL
6PM