The following is a copy of something we sent out to the media. It's written a little in press-ese but you should be able to get something out of it I hope. I have only attached lo-res images as the publication quality versions are 10 times larger! The full images will appear in our magazine in due course! Don't forget to set your alarm for Sunday morning then to see Moon, Venus, Mars. It should be spectacular. Set alarm for 6am and re-set for 7am if its cloudy. It'll be well worth it. Don't forget to tune in to 2fm Jan 3 11am (and check Morning Ireland this morning on www.rte.ie if u missed me at 7:25am looking out the windown and givning live commentary!) Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! -----------press notice follows---------------- Mark Sage, Press Association, wrote a piece yesterday (Dec. 23) about the Star of Bethlehem and quote me as saying that 'the Star' would be "sort of" visible this Christmas (e.g. see Irish Independent Dec. 24 bottom of page 8). I pointed out that Jupiter would be near the Moon in the sky that night (Dec. 23) and he asked me to send any pictures if it was clear. Lo and behold, the skies cleared over Dublin last night and I got the attached photo with a seasonal slant. I'd appreciate at least knowing where it gets published (drop me a note to info@astronomy.ie) Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, David Moore, Chairman, Astronomy Ireland Editor, Astronomy & Space magazine (Dublin & London) Tel: (087) 245 8003 in Ireland (International dial +353-87-245 8003) Caption for EVE.JPG: The Moon passed close to the planet Jupiter (the 'star' to the Moon's upper right) on the evening of December 23. Many astronomers believe that Jupiter, passing close to the planet Saturn in the constellation of Pisces on 15 September 7BC was the Star of Bethlehem and that this was the actual night of Christ's birth, not December 25th and not in the year 1 A.D. This picture shows the Moon blazing in Christmas skies while Yuletide is celebrated in brilliant style below unawares of the celestial majesty above. Photo credit: "by David Moore, Astronomy & Space magazine (Dublin & London) www.astronomy.ie" Technical details: 50mm f/1.7 lens set at f/8, 10 second exposure on Kodak Ultra 400 from a suburb of Dublin's northside around 11pm Dec. 23, 2002. Caption for MORN.JPG A rare 3 body alignment is coming on Monday morning Dec. 30 when the Moon, Venus and Mars will line up. Anyone with normal eyesight can see this spectacle. It is not the Christmas Star! On Monday morning Dec. 30, a brilliant spectacle awaits early risers when the planet Venus will lie even closer to the crescent Moon than seen here when it was photographed on December 1st under similar circumstances. Venus (lower left) is being mistaken by many as the Christmas Star as it blazes in the East in morning skies. The Moon's dark side is faintly lit by sunlight reflected off the Earth (called "Earthshine") which should be visible also this Monday before dawn, view from 6am to 8am. The dim star half way between Venus and the Moon, and off to the right is actually the planet Mars, which will be visible again this coming Monday morning, this time directly to the right of Venus. Venus is not the Star of Bethlehem, that was likely to have been the planet Jupiter passing the planet Saturn in 7BC while in the constellation of Pisces. Photo credit: "by David Moore, Astronomy & Space magazine (Dublin & London) www.astronomy.ie" Technical details: 400mm f/9 lens, 1 second exposure on Kodak Ultra 400 from Artane, Dublin 5 at 7:32am on Dec. 1, 2002. ===== 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.astronomy.ie info@astronomy.ie __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com
