1. MAYNOOTH BIG BANG LECTURE Our friends in the Department of Experimental Physics at the National University of Ireland inform us that: On Friday 26 March, the Department of Experimental Physics will hold the seminar: "Hot News from the Big Bang" to be given by: Prof. Malcolm Longair Jacksonian Professor of Natural Philosophy Head of Cavendish Laboratory Cambridge University Time: 3:30 pm (tea / coffee at 3:00 pm) Venue: CS2 Lecture theatre, Callan Building North Campus of NUI Maynooth This lecture is suitable for professional physicists and astronomers, university students, and other interested persons with (the equivalent of) a university degree in physics or astronomy. 2. OBSERVING NOTES If you read this in time, don't forget that tonight (Thursday) is Mars will get closer and closer to the Moon until they almost 'touch' at midnight as they set in the West. Those with clear skies in the NW could even see the Moon cover (occult) Mars in a very rare event. Details and times are in the March issue, and everyone should watch Mars and the Moon from sunset onwards tonight. Note the Pleiades just right of Mars too, and the Hyades to the left. Photo this if you can. Don't forget to look out for Mercury too. It's at its very best this weekend but quickly fades thereafter - see magazine. Then quickly spot Venus, Mars, Saturn and Jupiter so you can say you saw all 5 naked-eye planets simultaneously. 3. INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION Mike Foale and Alexander Kaleri will blaze across the sky tonight (Thursday) at 7:42pm very high up, you won't miss it. Call our Newsline 1550-111-442 every afternoon from to get the time to see I.S.S. that evening until March 31 inclusive (calls cost 74c/min. In N.I./U.K. call 09001-88-1950 at 60p/min). David Moore, Astronomy Ireland & the Astronomy Shop www.astronomy.ie Tel (01) 847 0777 24-hour Newsline: 1550-111-442