1. BBC 2 TV 9pm Horizon - Einstein "Docudrama about how Einstein spent the last years of his life trying to produce a theory to disprove the implications of much of his earlier work." 2005 is Einstein Year Internationally (as well as Hamilton Year in Ireland www.hamilton2005.ie) and Astronomy Ireland also has a lecture on Einstein's life on April 11, which you can book now: http://www.astronomy.ie/lecture0504.html 2. TITAN PRESS CONFERENCE ON NASA TV E.S.A. is holding a Press Conference at 10am Irish Time on Friday morning which is being carried live on NASA TV which you can watch on the net: http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv The press release (quite interesting) is at: http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM15Y71Y3E_index_0.html Some of the satellite TV news channels may carry the press conference too if you don't have access to the net. After one week we should get some really great images and analysis of exactly what Titan is like so I for one will definitely be tuning in! We'll have a full round up, with pictures, in the next issue of our magazine. And don't forget that we have a Cassini scientist in the flesh coming to Ireland on Feb. 14 so book your tickets NOW if you haven't already done so for the very latest news from Saturn: http://www.astronomy.ie/lecture0502.html 3. Pleiades next to Moon As announced in the January issue of our magazine (and on this week's Newsline) the Moon was extremely close to the Pleiades last night. We won't get to see it this close again until April 11 (curiously, the night of our Einstein lecture!). If you saw it email us on observe@astronomy.ie and send any photos too. Check the HIGHLIGHTS box in the Sky Diary pages every month for more events like this, or tune in to the Newsline every week. 4. I.S.S. SEEN NEAR MOON! Ian Russell, watched the International Space Station from Dromiskin in Co. Louth (5 miles south of Dundalk) in moderately clear skies on Jan. 18 when it was due to pass in front of the Moon from Co. Louth (see my previous email). He writes "Around 18.30 it began to cloud over a bit, but the moon remained bright and vivid throughout, even though no stars very visible at that time. Then shortly after 6:34pm the ISS came into view moving quite quickly from right to left and passed about a half moon diameter above or north of the moons edge, and passed quickly out of site. The ISS was very bright and could clearly be made out through the hazy cloud, even though I couldn't make out any stars. Just the moon and the ISS. It was great to see. Thanks for the notification." I.S.S. continues to fly over every night until Jan. 26 and often near the Moon. I am updating our Newsline with predictions every day by 12 noon for that evening, including where to see I.S.S. pass in front of the Moon! I was on RTE 1 TV's THE AFTERNOON SHOW today explaining that the time to see I.S.S. tonight is 5:56pm. More details every day on the Newsline: 1550-111-442. Please call and tell your friends. 5. BIG AURORA DUE TONIGHT The weather continues to thwart seeing the aurora that IS happening over Ireland. Martin McKenna in Co. Derry spotted the aurora at 5:17am this morning and Dr Peter Gallagher writes to tell us a huge X7.9 flare (colossal event) happened today and the Earth-Sun magnetic fields are nicely connected so a major aurora is likely tonight and tomorrow night. Let's hope the clouds part soon. TEXT 086 081 99 86 and email observe@astronomy.ie as usual if you see anything. David Moore, Astronomy Ireland www.astronomy.ie