1. Extremes of Our Universe - Public Lecture and DVD

On August 9th at 8pm, Dr. John Quinn will enthral his audience on the subject Ireland's new involvement with gamma-ray astronomy. Gamma-rays are a type of electromagnetic radiation of very high frequency, that are associated with black holes and collapsing neutron stars and supernovae.

Dr Quinn will guide guests through his work, explaining what gamma-ray astronomy is and why it's so important, how telescopes are specially designed and built so astronomers can see the sky in different types of light, and he will also explore the possibility that there may be a supermassive black hole at the centre of our own galaxy!

The lecture takes place in the Fitzgerald (Physics) Building, Trinity College Dublin, on March 8. Tickets cost 7euro (5euro members rate) and there is a DVD available for anyone who cannot make it to the talk on the night.

After the lecture there will be a party in The Lombard. All our welcome to attend and you will have the opportunity to chat with Dr. Quinn, other guests, and Astronomy Ireland staff and volunteers.

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2. Aurora Visible From Ireland

Tonight it may be possible to view spectacular displays of aurora from Ireland. This is due to the increased solar activity which Astronomy Ireland have been tracking over the last two months at our weekly Sun Watches held at our headquarters in Artane (Dublin 5).

A few days ago two huge coronal mass ejections (CMEs) blasted away from the Sun. The first of these huge clouds of charged particles reached Earth on August 3rd, with the second due to hit Earth tonight.

Reports of aurorae seen around the world have been flooding in with some sighting reported from as far south as Sonnenbuehl-Genkingen, Germany, and these Northern Lights are expected to continue tonight.

In light of all the increased solar activity over the last week, Astronomy Ireland will be hosting a Sun Watch this Saturday, August 7at our Shop in Artane (click HERE for map). Members of the public are welcome to come along and observe the Sun, our nearest star. Using special filters, you will be able to view the disk of the Sun close up, revealing many fascinating features on the surface such as sunspots bigger than our own planet Earth!

Sunspots are regions on the Sun that are relatively cooler and darker than the surrounding material. They are linked to magnetic activity, and sometimes these regions can 'explode', sending millions of tonnes of material through space towards Earth, causing spectacular aurorae, or Northern Lights.

The Sun Watch takes place this Saturday, August 7th, at 1pm. This is a free event open to all members of the public.

For more information visit www.astronomy.ie or call us on (01) 847 0777.

***WARNING ***

Please note that looking at the Sun is extremely dangerous and can cause instant and permanent blindness.

Only observe the Sun under the guidance of professionals with proper safety equipment.