1. Apollo 40th
Anniversary
Astronomy Ireland are celebrating the 40th
anniversary of the Apollo Moon Landings next Thursday, July 23, with former
BBC journalist, Dan Parry. He will travel to Dublin especially to talk
about this historic event, his ITV series
'Moonshot', and book of the same name. Marking the 40th anniversary of the first
manned Moon Landing, Dan will speak of the rare access he has had to leading
names in the world famous Apollo missions, including Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin
and many more. Parry's new book 'Moonshot' gives readers the true story
of our most compelling feat of putting men on the Moon, an event
which has captured the minds of millions since 1969.
This is a celebration not to be missed, so to
get an idea of what it really felt like to be sent to the Moon and to hear some
of the real life stories of some of the key players in the Apollo mission, come
to this event next Thursday, July 23. There will be a book signing at
7:00pm, with books available to purchase on the night. Lecture begins at 8:00pm
sharp. For more information click HERE.
Dan Parry's docudrama
'Moonshot' will be aired on Monday, July 20, at 10:30pm on RTE One, and at
10:50pm on ITV.
2. NASA Apollo 40th
News
Today (July 16) Leo Enright has arranged
a simultaneous live event take place in the Science Gallery (TCD) and Blackrock
Castle Observatory (Cork) showing the launch of Apollo 11 on big
screens at 3:32pm - the exact moment when it happened 40 years ago. There
will also be a high definition tape of last night's launch of Endeavour,
and at 4:00pm, people will have a chance to see the newly
restored video imagery of the Apollo 11 moonwalk from 1969 in
a live link up with the Newseum on Washington DC for the press conference,
announcing the restored imagery.
NASA will provide a unique audio "time
capsule" in honour of the 40th anniversary of the Moon landing with audio
from the entire Apollo 11 mission being replayed and streamed on the internet at
the exact time and date it was broadcast in 1969. The audio begins on Thursday,
July 16 and continues until the mission ends on Friday, July 24. To listen click
HERE.
NASA will hold a news briefing with
astronauts from the Apollo programme on Monday, July 20 at 2:30pm BST. The
conference, featuring James Lovell (Apollo 8 and 13), Buzz Aldrin (Apollo 11)
and many more, will take place in the James Webb Auditorium at NASA
Headquarters in Washington and will stream live on NASA Television (see
www.nasa.gov/ntv).
3. Endeavour seen over
Ireland
Hundreds of you emailed
us to report your sighting of Endeavour and its huge fuel tank as they
crossed Irish skies at 11:20pm last night, July 15. Endeavour launched from
Florida for the mission STS-127 to the International Space Station (ISS), however Irish people were the only
ones lucky enough to see the orbiter fly off into space while the orange
external fuel tank fell back to Earth. If you saw this extremely rare and
amazing sight and have not yet reported it, please send your sighting to observe@astronomy.ie. For more information and to read others reports and
sightings click HERE.
Over the next night or two there
will be a rare "space chase" where the Shuttle Endeavour will venture
closer and closer to ISS, and eventually dock with
it. For more times and details of the
space chase, there are predictions on the internet, however if you would
like to receive a reminder to your phone just a couple of hours before it
passes, text the word SPACE to 57003. Each text costs €1 and proceeds help us
to promote science and astronomy in Ireland. Please email observe@astronomy.ie EVERY TIME
you see ISS or the Shuttle for our records for posterity.
MEDIA FRENZY: To hear Astronomy Ireland
Chairman, David Moore, speaking about the shuttle launch in several radio
interviews, go to www.astronomy.ie/audio.
4. Apollo on National
Radio
David will also
feature on a high profile panel of experts including Dan Parry (our speak
next Thursday, July 23), Prof. Dennis O' Sullivan (DIAS) and Prof. Lorraine
Hanlon (Head of School of Physics, UCD) on Talking History on Newstalk
106-108 this Sunday, July 19, from 7:00 - 8:00pm.
5. Events to book
July 13 to 17 - 'Life of
Galileo' Play by Dublin Lyric Players and Astronomy Ireland.
Aug 22 - Star-B-Q special offer for this 'Friends
of A.I.' list only until July 31!
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