1. God Particle Explained - Lecture Moved to Bigger Venue!

Due to huge demand for tickets, our October Public Lecture, The God Particle Explained, has been moved to the nearby Hamilton Building in Trinity College Dublin! See map on the website booking page HERE.

In light of the immense public interest in the Higgs Boson in Ireland following the announcement in July that it was likely to have been found, 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.

Astronomy Ireland wants to explain, once and for all, what the Higgs Boson is, why it is so important it will almost certainly result in one if not two groups getting Nobel Prizes.

We had the Director General of CERN itself, Rolf Heuer, and the BBC's rock-star astrophysicist Brian Cox both come to Ireland to give talks and now we have secured one of Ireland's leading science communicators Cormac O'Raifeartaigh who writes for the Irish Times and teaches this subject in Waterford I.T. to give an overall view of where we are on the latest theory of how the building blocks of the universe work now that this final 'particle' has been found exactly as theory predicts.

Now that we have the biggest theatre in TCD booked there are loads of extra seats for Monday's talk so please tell your friends and book as early as possible.

If you can't make it then please order the DVD at www.astronomy.ie/dvd where you can also order Heuer and Cox's talks (see 13 July 2012, and April 2008 on that page)

The LHC is expected to yield insights into the nature of dark matter and the existence of hidden extra dimensions.

The lecture, The God Particle Explained 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.

STOP PRESS: Listen to David Moore speak on radio today about the lecture and other events HERE.

2. Jupiter Close to Moon Tonight

Tonight, Friday, October 5th, the Moon and the massive planet Jupiter will blaze spectacularly close together all night after they rise at 9:30pm. Why not get the whole family out and please send us your comments and any photos you manage to take. Jupiter will look like a brilliant 'star' blazing just above the Moon and very close to it (see our diagram). This conjunction can be easily seen with the naked eye, as both Jupiter and the Moon will be the two brightest objects in the night sky. It should be very spectacular!

This breathtaking sight will grab the attention of people all over the country (and indeed the world!) as the two celestial bodies will be placed extremely close together!.

Jupiter is an evening object until April next year so call our Telescope Shop Staff for advice on choosing a telescope for the upcoming season or for any advice using the telescope you already have. Binoculars and telescopes will reveal Jupiter's moons, its cloud belts, and amazing craters and valleys on our own Moon as they traverse the sky that night.

Be sure to let us know what you see by emailing observe@astronomy.ie with your observation reports.

For a diagram and more information on the Moon and Jupiter, and for advice on photographing them, please click HERE.

3. 'Astronomy for Beginners' Evening Classes

Our Evening Classes begin on Thursday, October 11^thand are aimed at the beginner, covering everything you ever wanted to know about the Universe, including an introduction to the night sky, the Sun and the Moon, planets and stars, and much more!

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