STOP PRESS: Since announcing our New Year lecture, RTE have booked Scotland's Astronomer Royal and our Chairman to appear on TV on Monday. The interview will air on Seoige & O'Shea, 4:30pm, RTE 1. Prof. Brown will be giving a foretaste of his conjuring tricks on the show, to whet your appetite for the main attraction: his lecture is at 8pm in Trinity College, and on DVD for all of you around Ireland

In 2007 Astronomy Ireland has lined up a stellar cast for its monthly lecture programme. Our speakers include rock star turned astrophysicist Brian May (formerly of Queen), Stephen Hawking’s only Irish student Oisín MacConamhna, and co-presenter of BBC television's Sky at Night, Chris Lintott.

The first talk of the programme is the New Year Public Lecture on Monday 8 January, at 8pm, in the Physics Building in Trinity College Dublin. Astronomy Ireland is bringing to Ireland Prof. John Brown, Astronomer Royal of Scotland, Regius Professor of Astronomy at the University of Glasgow and Honorary Professor of Astronomy at the University of Edinburgh.

Prof. Brown has been Scotland’s Astronomer Royal since 1995. This post involves giving frequent planetarium shows and talks to schools, the public, and amateur societies. In these he uses conjuring and other art forms to promote interest in science, and his lecture in Trinity College Dublin on Monday night promises to be highly entertaining.

Professor Brown’s lecture is entitled - "Black Holes and White Rabbits". He explains the title as follows -

“Studying astronomy is like a magic show with the cosmos as performer, and using magic is a great way to illustrate and excite interest in astronomy. For example, as they evolve stars perform astonishing chemistry tricks, transmuting the elements like an alchemists dream.

Supreme in cosmic stellar magic, however, are black holes, most of which are the corpses of exploded massive stars. Black holes distort space-time in weird ways and may even be implicated in the birth of universes and of laws of physics. These properties are impossible and too dangerous to bring into the lecture room, but can be illustrated by means of man-made magic.”

OUTSIDE DUBLIN?

TO serve the 70% of our members who live outside Dublin, you can watch the a DVD of the lecture in the comfort of your own home. To pre-order the DVD of this,or any previous talk go to www.astronomy.ie/lectureDVD.html

IN DUBLIN?

The Physics building is very close to the Pearse St entrance of TCD, right across the road from the DART station. Parking is available close to the venue at Lombard St. East, or the Setanta Car Park (see www.astronomy.ie/lecture200701.html for details on parking).