1. The Moon and Saturn in the Sky Tonight

Tonight, Wednesday, June 19th, a spectacular celestial event known as a conjunction will take place where the Moon and the ringed-planet Saturn will be placed next to each other. Conjunctions like this can be rare and we are urging everyone to go outside and use the Moon as a 'signpost' to find Saturn to the upper right of the Moon.

Not only will Saturn be placed to the left of the Moon, but the bright star Spica will also be in the region, forming a beautiful trio in the night sky!

Saturn and the Moon will be close together all night until they set in the west, so you will be able to see the conjunction as soon as it gets dark. The celestial pair will at their highest in the sky around 10:30pm, and may be easiest to see around then.

Astronomy Ireland asks people who see the Moon and Saturn tonight to email their observation reports to observe@astronomy.ie to be included in an upcoming issue of the organisation's monthly magazine, Astronomy Ireland.

2. An Audience With Jocelyn Bell Burnell

Friends of Astronomy Ireland on this email newsletter are invited by the European Parliament Information Office and Women in Technology and Science to attend a special afternoon with Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, renowned astronomer and discoverer of pulsars.

Ms Bell Burnell has been President of the Royal Astronomical Society, the Institute of Physics and was recently elected Pro-Chancellor of Trinity College Dublin and is currently visiting Professor of Astrophysics at Oxford University. The event will conclude with an interview covering Ms Bell Burnell's work over her long and distinguished career.

The event will take place on Thursday, June 20th, at 12:00pm noon at 43 Molesworth Street, Dublin 2. Please RSVP to book your place by emailing epdublin@ep.europa.eu or phoning (01) 605 7900.

3. Northern Lights Voyage in Norway

Astronomy Ireland is delighted to announce that we are running our third trip to Norway this December in conjunction with Project Travel. a special trip to the Artic to give you a unique and memorable experience in astronomy. We'll be spending all five nights above the Arctic Circle in Norway, thereby maximising our chances of seeing the mysterious Northern Lights.

This trip also includes a three-day cruise along the beautiful Norwegian coast. Life on board the MS Nordlys is very relaxed and informal and you'll have plenty of time to take in the wonderful views from the ship's Panoramic Lounge.

We'll have our own special guest lecturer travelling with us who will give us a private lecture on an astronomy-related theme every day on board and who will guide us around the night sky from the deck.

The trip takes place from December 1st to 6th, and is only €1879 per person sharing. For full details on booking and the itinerary, please visit www.astronomy.ie/norway or contact Project Travel at (01) 210 8391.