1. Public Lecture: The Higgs Boson: What It Is and What It Means

In July of this year a team of scientists at CERN - led by Professor Rolf Heuer who gave Astronomy Ireland's Public Lecture the same month - announced the discovery of a new particle, which was widely believed to be the long-sought Higgs Boson.

In light of the immense public interest in the Higgs Boson in Ireland at that time, our October Public Lecture will be delivered by Dr Cormac O'Raifeartaigh who will explain what the Large Hadron Collider is, how the Higgs Boson was discovered, and what it means for our understanding of the Universe.

With the start of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, particle physics entered a new era. The LHC will provide a deeper understanding of the universe and the insights gained could change our view of the world. The LHC is expected to yield insights into the nature of dark matter and the existence of hidden extra dimensions.

The lecture, The Higgs Boson will take place on Monday, October 8th, at 8pm in Trinity College Dublin, and people are invited to bring friends and family. Tickets and DVDs of this lecture can be booked online at www.astronomy.ie or by calling (01) 890 11 11.

2. 'Astronomy for Beginners' Evening Classes

Our extremely popular Evening Classes begin on Thursday, October 11^th. The classes are aimed at the beginner and cover everything you ever wanted to know about the Universe. There are eight classes in total and content covered includes an introduction to the night sky, the Sun and the Moon, planets and stars, history of astronomy, deep sky objects, the big bang and even a class on telescopes and how to use one.

The enrolment fee for the Classes is €180 and includes membership to Astronomy Ireland. The fee for members is €130.

For more information and enrolment details call us on (01) 890 11 11 or visit www.astronomy.ie/class.