20 Months Membership Offer Christmas Gifts DVDs Shop
1. Christmas Gifts
There is still time for you to choose any one of our superb gifts for a loved one this Christmas:
· Astronomy Ireland Membership
· Astronomy Ireland Season Ticket
· Astronomy Ireland Evening Classes
For further information or to sign up for any of the above offers click HERE, or call the Astronomy Ireland office on (01) 847 0777.
2. Lunar Eclipse and Winter Solstice 2010
A total lunar eclipse is set to take place on Tuesday, December 21st, just before sunrise on the Winter Solstice. The full moon will gradually turn red as it passes through the Earth's shadow, from 6:32am, and at 7:40am the Moon will have entered totality. Click HERE for more information.
Astronomy Ireland will be meeting in Sean Moore Park, Sandymount, to witness the total lunar eclipse and also the Sun rising The Winter Solstice. The James Joyce Monument in the Park is aligned with the rising Sun, echoing the ancient alignment at Newgrange. Newgrange is one of the oldest observatories in the world, and is even older than the Pyramids in Egypt. The people who built the Boyne Valley monuments based their entire society around astronomy and the path of the Sun through the sky over the year. Newgrange was aligned with the Winter Solstice sunrise, as after this date, days became warmer, symbolising rebirth and new growth of animals and crops.
So, join Astronomy Ireland in Sean Moore Park on Tuesday, December 21st at 7:00am to witness this amazing tribute to ancient astronomy. For more information click HERE or call us on (01) 847 0777.
3. Moon Halos
As there will be a Full Moon visible on December 21st, there is a good possibility of visible Moon Halos over the coming week. A Moon Halo is an optical phenomenon, attributed to cold weather that appears as a wide, bright ring around the Moon in the night sky. They are caused by refracted moonlight from ice crystals in the Earth's upper atmosphere. The shape of the ice crystals focuses the refracted light, thus forming it into a ring-like structure around the moon. They are particularly prevalent in and around Full Moons and we encourage all of you to go outside over the next few nights and look for them. Remember to email your reports and pictures to observe@astronomy.ie and we will try to include your observation in a forthcoming issue of 'Astronomy & Space' magazine.
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